Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson

August 1, 2019

Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson

This is a story about games and people who play them, especially about the worst thing you've ever done (and more than one character has a dark secret).

Amy Whey is living a quiet orderly life and she likes it that way.  She has her husband Davis, her stepdaughter Madison, and baby son Oliver.  Her career as a diving instructor is currently on hold since the birth of her son, but she looks forward to going back to it soon.  About the most exciting thing she does is host her friend Charlotte’s neighborhood mommy book club, which focuses on classical literature and 19^th century comedies of manners.  That is, until a new neighbor named Roux moves in and takes over the book club, insisting that they play a game similar to the high school game of Never Have I Ever.  But the game seems to be specifically aimed at Amy, and Roux hints that she knows all about the past that Amy left behind.  Unless Amy gives her what she wants, Roux will make the information public.

Several party and “icebreaker” games are mentioned:  Never Have I Ever, Mother May I, Truth or Dare, Two Lies One Truth, Spin the Bottle, Bet.

Having read Jackson’s last novel, The Almost Sisters, this title is something of a departure for her.  Probably 20 pages of baby chores could have been omitted (feeding the baby, changing the baby, checking the baby, etc.), but unlike Ruth Ware’s The Lying Game, the baby conversation doesn’t hijack the story.  Several good plot twists kept me turning the pages.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for a review.