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Reviewed by Frank Mutuma for Readers' Favorite
Pretend by Jennifer Conklin starts with Kyle going to the city to pick up Robin, who has been badly beaten up by her very abusive stepfather. Despite the horrible injuries, Robin refuses to be taken to the hospital, and instead, they go to Kyle’s home. Kyle is home alone, as his brother, who also happens to be Robin’s boyfriend, is away in Portugal with their mother. Kyle takes good care of Robin, and as summer progresses, they become very fond of each other. When his brother and mother return from their long trip, Kyle convinces them to allow Robin to stay with them, as she is homeless. This brings a lot of dilemmas, as Kyle and Robin have a thing for each other. How will things turn out for Robin as she tries to navigate her trauma and her connection to the two brothers?
Once you start reading Pretend by Jennifer Conklin, there is no putting it down. The writing was engaging and filled with well-crafted dialogue that brought the story and characters to life. I loved how the plot flowed seamlessly, leaving no room for confusion for the reader, and the vivid description of events and emotion helped create a mental picture of what was happening. The thought-provoking work also gets one thinking about gender violence and its overall impacts on society. Jennifer utilized easy-to-understand language, which makes the work accessible to all kinds of audiences, and the readers will also appreciate the excellent narration, which adds to the overall beauty of the book. I look forward to reading something else by Jennifer Conklin.
