I have been a fan of Díaz for a while now and this has to be my favorite. What Lies Beneath the Flowers is a twisty thriller about friendship and the past. Keep reading this book review of What Lies Beneath the Flowers for my full thoughts.
Summary
It-girl Estella Aubergine is everything Pippa and Bidi are wealthy, popular, influential—missing. But all that could change. Once they find Estella and collect the life-changing reward money her reclusive mother is offering, the overdue bills on Pippa’s family deli will be paid off and Bidi’s summer internship rejections will turn into yeses. They’ll be local celebrities.
Stepping into Estella’s upper-class world to get answers requires navigating razor-sharp compliments and airbrushed lies from Estella’s snobbish friends at Beaumont Academy. Even the administrators at the prestigious school seem to know more than they let on.
The further Pippa and Bidi dig, the more they begin to question themselves, their, futures, and their own friendship. And as each day passes with no solid leads about Estella’s disappearance, the girls hold onto one the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
What Lies Beneath the Flowers is a story about unraveling the past. About the secrets that never stay buried, the mystery beneath the roots, and soil which soaks up all. Featuring multiple perspectives, timelines from Then and Now, the mystery and action is like a tide which sweeps us away. What I loved was this story about friendship in all of its complexity with love, resentment, and support all tangling up with betrayal and anger. The ways in which we can love someone and still want to rip out of hair. What Lies Beneath the Flowers is a story about the push and pull of friendship, of the secrets we hide from our best friends, and the escape we keep running towards.
I ended up reading the last 30% in one sitting because the mystery and thriller atmosphere comes to a head. What Lies Beneath the Flowers strikes this balance between mystery and heart. Between friendship, responsibility, and our desire to run. I loved the feelings of the weight of everything relying on you to save the day, to make the schedule paired with the mystery of the past. The ways we are pawns in game we didn’t even know we were playing. It’s fascinating to watch play out and is perfect for those looking for a summer thriller with heart.
(Disclaimer: Some of the links below are affiliate links. For more information you can look at the Policy page. If you’re uncomfortable with that, know you can look up the book on any of the sites below to avoid the link)
Find What Lies Beneath the Flowers on Goodreads, Storygraph, Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.