Janelle BrownPretty Things: A Novel

I really loved this <b>4.5 Star</b> thriller!! In the beginning I thought it would be a fun <i>caper</i> type of thriller, maybe along the lines of <i>Oceans 11</i> or the true story of those people who hung out with the Hollywood starlets and robbed them, but as the characters were further developed, is became more than that.<b>SUMMARY</b>Nina and Lachlan are literally partners in crime. They have a well organized system which includes choosing a very specific <i>mark</i>, using Nina as bait and Lachlan picks up the <i>inventory</i> at a later date. Things were going along fine until the police begin poking around, forcing Nina and Lachlan to lay low. They decide to leave LA for a couple months until the police lost interest and moved on to the next case. When they are deciding where to lay low, Nina remembers a huge antique filled mansion on Lake Tahoe she had visited as a child. Should that be their next target? What could possibly go wrong???I'm trying to be vague because this book is much more fun to read if you don't know a lot about the plot. Unfortunately, my vagueness is not doing the story justice but, trust me, this is a FUN book to read!!!<b>WHAT I LOVED</b>The twists were what made the book!!! So many times I thought I had an idea where the plot was headed and it would change. I always liked the change more than the story like I was napping out in my head.I LOVED the characters!! As soon as I would think I've figured out a character, a new side to them is revealed. Literally down to the very end. Although several of the characters were professional criminals, they were still likeable, not just black and white. Even the ones I thought I was going to not like at all had some redeeming qualities. Toward the end, some of the characters began to evolve into better people, at least better than I thought they were going to be, and some of them turned out much worse than I imagined.I really loved the plot. It was never boring and not what I was expecting from the first chapter. There are several chapters which revisit Nina's past and explain her connection to the Tahoe mansion. Through these chapters we learn about Nina, who she is and her motivations.The story is told from two points of view, Nina and the owner of the Lake Tahoe mansion, Vanessa. It was such a great way to tell the story because their points of view were so very different. I loved hearing their takes of the same events and their opinions of each other.In addition to the plot, this book is a warning story about how impressions, even long held, firmly established impressions, of a person or situation can be wrong and harmful. It also talks about accepting blame for ones own mistakes and owning one's choices.I loved the Lake Tahoe setting. I've visited Lake Tahoe once and always thought it was one of the most beautiful places in the US. Now, I want to go back again!!<b>WHAT I DIDN'T LOVE</b>There wasn't a lot to not love. Although I really cannot think of any specific things I didn't like but I cannot give it my rare 5 Star rating. To be a five star for me, a book has to be very special. It must be unique, make me see some aspect of the world or myself differently, it must have no plot holes and it must stand the test of time- to be as relevant in ten years, fifty years or one hundred years as it is today. I really love this book, but in my opinion, it does not quite meet that criteria.<b>OVERALL</b>If you're looking for a book that will keep you entertained, make you feel like you've been on a trip to Lake Tahoe and distract you from the annoyances in your life, I highly recommend reading this book! It's way better than suspenseful thriller needs to be!

There are some twists and turns in this one I didn't see coming. I really liked it, no one one as they seemed.

Nina once bought into the idea that her fancy liberal arts degree would lead to a fulfilling career. When that dream crashed, she turned to stealing from rich kids in L.A. alongside her wily Irish boyfriend, Lachlan. Nina learned from the best: Her mother was the original con artist, hustling to give her daughter a decent childhood despite their wayward life. But when her mom gets sick, Nina puts everything on the line to help her, even if it means running her most audacious, dangerous scam yet. Vanessa is a privileged young heiress who wanted to make her mark in the world. Instead she becomes an Instagram influencer—traveling the globe, receiving free clothes and products, and posing for pictures in exotic locales. But behind the covetable façade is a life marked by tragedy. After a broken engagement, Vanessa retreats to her family’s sprawling mountain estate, Stonehaven: a mansion of dark secrets not just from Vanessa’s past, but from that of a lost and troubled girl named Nina. Nina’s, Vanessa’s, and Lachlan’s paths collide here, on the cold shores of Lake Tahoe, where their intertwined lives give way to a winter of aspiration and desire, duplicity and revenge.My Thoughts: Pretty Things is a story about dreams, identity, and the fears that drive our journey. How Vanessa and Nina originally connect is at the heart of the story. Nina was a young girl exploring love and searching for her place in the world and struggling to separate from her con artist mom. That girl is tossed aside by the Leibling family, which fuels her rage and her resentments.Vanessa, feeling unloved unless she is the star of her own dream world, creates fantasies and then believes they are her reality. But disappointments, loss, and rage lead her to seek revenge against Nina.Nina and Vanessa’s stories are told in alternate sections, and as we begin to really know them, we think we have a handle on what they will do next. But there are just enough twists that we are not sure if we are being conned, or if we might trust the picture they are painting for us.Throughout the journey, I felt empathy for each of them at different times, but never lost track of the damages at the heart of them. A core of vulnerability, mixed with the hardness created by time and numerous life injuries, made them intriguing…and potentially dangerous. Could either woman redeem herself? I kept reading, hoping to find out. 4.5 stars.

I actually enjoyed this novel and was surprised that it offered more depth than I was anticipating when I read the blurb.I loved Nina and the ending! Girl Power!!

Gripping and full of suspense from the first page, Janelle Brown’s ‘Pretty Things’, is dark, gritty and sinister.Written from the perspective of two central protagonists, Nina and Vanessa, in alternating sections, Brown creates believable and endearing characters. Whilst not immediately likeable, particularly Nina who you discover early in the novel is a con artist... the novel progressed I found myself developing a level of understanding and empathy for both women and their motivations, and was completely invested in their stories.There were a lot of references to current culture, social media, trends and hashtags, which I enjoyed and made the novel more relatable for those who choose to read it now, but I’m not too sure that they will stand the test of time.Whilst possibly best described as a thriller, the novel has other depths, with Brown introducing strong themes of loneliness, emptiness, ambition, deceit, revenge and self-worth that you find yourself reflecting on throughout the novel. With money, wealth and superficiality being a central focus of the novel, Brown causes you to question what it means to be wealthy, what lies beneath what we choose to reveal about ourselves and how we influence the perception of others. I should add trigger warnings here of both mental illness and mental abuse, which feature strongly within the novel.Brown strikes a balance between dialogue and description, using suspense but allowing the novel to drive forward to a conclusion. My only criticism is that the plot itself was a little too predictable and I found myself guessing the twists and turns before they happened.I’ve seen that there are plans to adapt this novel into a Netflix series, and very excited to see the result of this!!

‘Pretty Things’ is a shocking, scandalous, fast paced read with lots of twists to keep you on edge. The narrative switches back and forth between the two main female characters, Nina and Vanessa, and the tension is palpable.The plot is well thought out and entertaining and the characters keep you hooked the whole way through. I found myself trying to guess what was going to happen the whole time and it was always surprising to see where the story ended up.I would definitely recommend ‘Pretty Things’ if you’re looking for a good, non horror thriller. I would also recommend it if you liked ‘Fake Like Me’ by Barbara Bourland.

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I’m sad I’ve finished it so quickly. I loved how you lived the same scenes through different characters eyes. The plot was interesting and the characters well drawn with a few plot twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. Will definitely read another book by this author!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I didn't guess the ending which was perfect although, I guessed where an unlikely friendship might strike up . I would definitely recommend it