Before We Were Innocent

Books | Fiction / Psychological

3.2

Ella Berman

A summer in Greece for three best friends ends in the unthinkable when only two return home in this new novel from Ella Berman. . . .Ten years ago, after a sun-soaked summer spent in Greece, best friends Bess and Joni were cleared of having any involvement in their friend Evangeline’s death. But that didn’t stop the media from ripping apart their teenage lives like vultures.While the girls were never convicted, Joni, ever the opportunist, capitalized on her newfound infamy to become a motivational speaker. Bess, on the other hand, resolved to make her life as small and controlled as possible so she wouldn’t risk losing everything all over again. And it almost worked. . . .Except now Joni is tangled up in a crime eerily similar to that one fateful night in Greece. And when she asks Bess to come back to LA to support her, Bess has a decision to make.Is it finally time to face up to what happened that night, exposing herself as the young woman she once was and maybe still is? And what happens if she doesn’t like what she finds?

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More Details:

Author

Ella Berman

Pages

384

Publisher

National Geographic Books

Published Date

2023-04-04

ISBN

0593099540 9780593099544

Community ReviewsSee all

"The angst of youth haunts Bess into her adult life for reckless choices she and her two friends make on a summer trip to Greece after their HS graduation. So many what-ifs, half-truths and outright lies surround the death of one of her friends. "

Jackie Davidson

"For some reason this wasn’t my favorite book. I listened to it on audio so maybe that’s part of it but it was clear for a while how the book was going to end and overall I felt like things dragged on and never really got exciting. "

Sabrina

"3.5 ⭐️ I LOVED the writing in this, it was like Ella and I were on the same wavelength, it was very engaging to read as well but I feel the ending was very curt. There’s a small cliffhanger and I wished more questions were answered. Overall, very good book, the ending was just poopy :( "

Airyn Dirks

"I Loved this book and I want everyone else to read (and love) it too. This is a mystery book with a coming of age subplot that keeps the pages turning. The story is told with an alternating timeline bouncing between 2008 and 2018. In 2008 three best friends, Bess, Ev and Joni travel to Greece for one last hoorah together before they start college in the fall. Things don't exactly go as planned for the girls and one of them ends up dead. This mysterious and tragic death throws Bess and Joni into the spotlight, watching as their lives are dissected, out of context, by complete strangers in the media. 10 years later we see reclusive Bess avoiding any and all attention and Joni living in the spotlight as a wellness/empowerment guru. The two have not seen each other in years until Joni shows back up in Bess' life asking for one small lie. Even with the blurb for the book giving away the major plot points the reader is still compelled to devour the book to find out the how, why and the what happened of it all. This book takes an honest and reflective look at the power, both good and bad, of friendships and the toxic nature of teenagers. Even though this book has a "ripped from the headlines" feel to it, it proves to be more than just a thriller of the week. This book has heart and is filled with lessons in growing up, living, friendship, and trust."