Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Please See Us by Caitlin Mullen Published by Gallery Books on March 3, 2020
Genres: Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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Summer has come to Atlantic City but the boardwalk is empty of tourists, the casino lights have dimmed, and two Jane Does are laid out in the marshland behind the Sunset Motel, just west of town. Only one person even knows they’re there.
Meanwhile, Clara, a young boardwalk psychic, struggles to attract clients for the tarot readings that pay her rent. When she begins to experience very real and disturbing visions, she suspects they could be related to the recent cases of women gone missing in town. When Clara meets Lily, an ex-Soho art gallery girl who is working at a desolate casino spa and reeling from a personal tragedy, she thinks Lily may be able to help her. But Lily has her own demons to face. If they can put the pieces together in time, they may save another lost girl—so long as their efforts don’t attract perilous attention first. Can they break the ill-fated cycle, or will they join the other victims?
I don’t know what I expected from Please See Us but it wasn’t what I read. We do get the thoughts and activities of the two young women, Lily and Clara. We also get several other points of view which helped tell the story. I didn’t remember from the blurb about the two young women so I didn’t start with paying special attention to them, although they had more voice in the story than most others. All the perspectives made it a little confusing initially.
Overall, Please See Us is a difficult read. It’s a well written story about those with few options who are overlooked and often mistreated in their daily lives. It applies to most of the women but also some men in the story. It is set in Atlantic City, NJ after many business failures with people left there.
Most of the characters were not very likable. All had made a bad choice or more made many bad decisions along the way. Some were prostitutes, thieves and / or drug addicts. I was surprised there was nothing about any police involvement or point of view.
Lily, who came home to her parents for the summer, after a break up, has a great education but is trying to decide what to do with her life. She is working a receptionist job. Clara, who didn’t finish high school, lives with her aunt, after being abandoned by her mother. She does readings with tarot cards and sometimes steals.
Lily and Clara become unlikely allies as they both get the sense of something being not right. Over the summer, both face difficulties and make tough decisions. I can’t say I liked either of them, or many of their choices, but they did grow on me. I felt badly for Clara who is under 18 and in a bad place but who would care? Even when Lily cared, there were limits to what she could do.
Those without power, no matter their social class, can have a rough time making good choices, especially if they isolate themselves from others who might help them or support them at least emotionally. Please See Us is a sad view of some harsh realities.
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- COYER Friends
This sounds like a tough read!
Yes, kind of disturbing but very real for some without many options or a support system of any kind.
Some strong topics in this one and it looks quite well done
yes this is true.
This sounds like a provocative story. Definitely will be checking it out.
yes, you will like this one. I’m glad I read it but it’s the far side for me.
sounds like a good on and i love the cover. this is my kind of read
It’s in my genre too but this one is disturbing, or depressing.
You’ve definitely intrigued me with your terrific review, Anne. I love emotional stories and this one sounds like one I can’t miss.
It’s sad because these people do not have great choices. I feel like when I am not liking some of them I am prejudiced but it’s also they made maybe one bad decision when they were young with limited options and it spiraled into a horrible existence. It’s a good book though.
This sounds interesting. It can be hard to fully enjoy a book when you don’t like the characters but it sounds like this book worked.
It’s not what I want to read every day because it is sad but I think it is a great book.
Wow, Anne. Your review made me feel for these characters. Sounds like an emotionally charged read.
It wasn’t at first because some things were disgusting but the more you know and think about it, well it is something to consider. Seeing how maybe one bad decision when very young ended up is frightening.
I meant to add that it seems like the perfect title for this too.
It is. If I saw these people in real life, which is unlikely, I wouldn’t want to get anywhere near them. And if you wanted to help them, it would be very hard. I wouldn’t think much of them, unless I could SEE all the details and things which brought them to this. It’s sad. When you see people, it is much harder to be dismissive or indifferent. I find that in a city, if you talk to someone over the phone, they might be atrociously rude, because it’s sort of anonymous. But it tells you who they really are. Kindness is free and should be a more ready response.
I listened and enjoyed this one too Anne. Sadly, the AC described is very much reality.
Enjoy might be a strong word. But I can see I don’t want to visit AC.
Sounds like a difficult read. This quote of yours hit home, so true! – Those without power, no matter their social class, can have a rough time making good choices, especially if they isolate themselves from others who might help them or support them at least emotionally.
Thank you. A difficult read but with important concepts I think.