At five years old, all Alice Williams knew was the violence and poverty in the trailer she called home. To escape the misery her drunkard father subjected both her and her mother to, Alice frequented a park near home. At the park, she meets Lilly Labarre, the daughter of a business mogul. The two become friends, staying close through junior school to college. After college, Lilly gets engaged, but her joy is short-lived when she walks in on her fiancé kissing Alice. Denied a chance to explain herself, Alice, feeling guilty, drinks the night away. When she comes to, she finds herself alone in a cold cabin in the middle of a vast forest, which she learns is in Siberia, Russia. How did she get there? Could it be Alice’s retribution, or is there more to this? As she struggles to find her way home and make sense of her dilemma, she is about to uncover dark secrets about her family and an insidious plot. But first, she must survive. Find out more in Misunderstanding: The Tiger in Me by Eva Barber.

If you are looking for a novel with drama, gritty realism, a touch of the supernatural, and psychological thrills, adventure, suspense, and plot twists, Misunderstanding by Eva Barber is a perfect pick. Barber weaves a compelling, poignant tale that you don’t just read, you survive, and you’re glad you did. The story unfolds at a dynamic pace, capturing the cast’s day-to-day activities and moments of action and tension. The cinematic depictions brought the scenes to life on the pages, from the beautiful, breathtaking forest views to the urban setting. Despite their different backgrounds, Alice, from a poor household, and Lilly, from a rich one, the two girls highlight the struggles children from dysfunctional families face. As the two grow up and interact with the world, we also see how toxic family dynamics affect their personalities and choices into adulthood. Alice is an incredibly resilient and intelligent character whose life will inspire girls to not only embrace their strengths but also stand up for themselves and those they love. I learned intriguing facts about the Siberian woodlands, particularly about the Indigenous communities that call it home.

Alice Williams grew up in a home where abuse was the order of the day. She accepted that until the day she met Lily Lebarre. Lily was born into wealth, receiving everything she desired except her parents' affection. A chance meeting between these two girls ignites a friendship that grows stronger over the years, and they become inseparable as adults. At this stage in their lives, when their professions and social activities take a prominent role in their daily affairs, the girls still believe nothing can tear them apart. That is, until the past comes calling with a vengeance. Can their bond survive jealousy and murder, or will it crumble when the dark truth about their friendship comes to light? Only time will tell in Eva Barber's Misunderstanding: The Tiger in Me.

In Misunderstanding: The Tiger in Me, Eva Barber highlights Alice's and Lily's family dynamics that spawned their friendship. She focuses on each girl's motive for staying together, even when logic dictates otherwise, creating detailed origin stories that readers can easily relate to. Events mirror the social issues women face today, making the narrative both immersive and believable. One example is Alice's brush with death at the youth camp. The author complements a gradual pace with strategically placed clues, slowly moving the narrative from innocent to insidious, in a way that thriller and mystery purists will enjoy. The descriptive style weaves seemingly unconnected elements into a fluid, riveting narrative that readers will not easily put down.