It Ends with Her by Brianna Labuskes | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5)

As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.

I really enjoyed this book for many reasons. While it wasn't my favourite release of the year and it had its share of flaws, It Ends with Her was quite the ride and not at all what I was expecting. I've been recently expanded my shelves when it comes to thrillers/mysteries and one thing I've been aching for is more stories that center around F.B.I. agents and cases that consume them. Maybe it is because of the way my mind works--if I were in their shoes, trying to solve a case, it would haunt me until I finish.

I always look for characters that are as such. They are the ones that appeal to me most. All the complexities. The determination. The resourcefulness--they have to have these traits in order for me to read them for one reason or another. While I had my reservations when it came to Labuskes' book, I found myself feeling quite differently about it than I thought I might. So, of course, this was a pleasant surprise.

The main-main character, Clarke, is the type of character I appreciate in the genre. I say main-main character like that's a logical description--It Ends with Her actually features multiple POV and one of them is the serial killer, Simon, but I definitely consider Clarke to be the main character of the two big ones.




The narration is also split timeline wise and I appreciate how it ties everything together. Another thing I enjoyed of the book was the fact that the mystery was so prominent but there were other things sprinkled into the plot. The mystery takes the main stage, but there's still a good portion of background stories going on.

We all love a good cat and mouse game and this one is utterly... consuming. Clarke is consumed by the case, and the reader is consumed by everything. I loved, loved, loved the pacing for the most part. While it felt predictable at times and the ending wasn't altogether shocking, while still being kind of shocking, I really had fun reading it. Briana Labuskes has a prose that is so tantalizing, she makes even the lackluster moments stand out for brief moments in time.

(And I can't wait to read more from her in the future.)

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot and would recommend it to anyone who's new to the thriller genre.