The follow-up to her critically acclaimed Lie to Me, J.T. Ellison’s Tear Me Apart is the powerful story of a mother willing to do anything to protect her daughter even as their carefully constructed world unravels around them.One moment will change their lives forever… spectacular downhill crash threatens not just her racing career but her life. During surgery, doctors discover she’s suffering from a severe form of leukemia, and a stem cell transplant is her only hope. But when her parents are tested, a frightening truth emerges. Mindy is not their daughter.
Who knows the answers?
The race to save Mindy’s life means unraveling years of lies. Was she accidentally switched at birth or is there something more sinister at play? The search for the truth will tear a family apart…and someone is going to deadly extremes to protect the family’s deepest secrets.
With vivid movement through time, Tear Me Apart examines the impact layer after layer of lies and betrayal has on two families, the secrets they guard, and the desperate fight to hide the darkness within.
Don’t miss Her Dark Lies, the next page-turning thriller from New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison!
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I’ve read a few J.T. Ellison books over the last two years. When Tear Me Apart came out, I quickly added it to my TBR and looked forward to getting it scheduled in the queue. After reading lots of light cozy mysteries, I needed a stronger thriller or suspense last week and moved Tear Me Apart up on my list. I enjoyed the book a lot and walked away with tons of mixed emotions, ultimately settling on a solid 4 stars.
Mindy Wright is a 17-year-old competitive skier who is likely about to join the US Olympic Team. An accident on the slopes derails those hopes but also reveals she has leukemia. The rest of the book is an explosion of lies and secrets all culminating in discovering (1) Mindy’s real parents, (2) how she became adopted, (3) what happened to several young girls in a psychological institute, and (4) what is the relationship between parents and children versus sisters. Since I don’t want to give away too much about the plot, what you need to know is that this book will delve into how far a person will go to protect someone they love or something they desperately want.
The book starts in complete discord and chaos — in a good way. Different characters lead the first few chapters. We have perspective and POV from a few primary people in the book. We don’t know how everyone relates to each other until at least fifty percent into the book. It’s a suspenseful tale that draws you in… not immediately, but with each unraveling layer of the onion. It’s a bit sweet, sometimes make you cry, but always leaves you with something more to keep discovering. Who’s telling the truth? Who’s leaving out some info and embellishing other history? It’s confusing and all leads to a rather huge explosion.
Let’s start with the good. Character, plot and writing are all solid. They are well-depicted and keep you interested. Ellison chooses to only show Mindy’s point of view in a handful of not-very-important scenes. The focus is on her biological parents and her adopted parents, as well as other interested parties and one kind aunt. How everyone fits together is intriguing, especially once you discover who’s behind the letters Mindy finds in a locked closet in her house.
Let’s dance around the odd. One character goes from completely in control to completely out of control. I can support her slow unraveling… history coming back from the dead… the powers of psychosis taking over… but it was way too far. If you’re crazy, you’ll do some crazy stuff. But I still don’t understand why 17 years later you go off the rails in a spectacularly insane finish. If the secret comes out, it does. You could have kept a bunch hidden and just said: “here’s who your parents were” and “this is how you came to live with us.” Also, we don’t have nearly enough clarity on what was wrong with the bio mother to do the things she did. I understand depression can make you do things you wouldn’t normally do, or feel things you shouldn’t feel, but… the progression wasn’t enough for me to completely believe it. For those reasons, I couldn’t give this 5 stars.
I thought about dropping it to a 3 or a 3.5, but ultimately, I couldn’t put the book down. I found myself in constant attachment and wanting to know how did it happen. Sometimes I poked holes in the explanations only to find those same holes being explored chapters later. It’s OBVIOUS the author went into extreme planning mode and truly wrote a complex thriller. It just didn’t complete the webbing for me. I respect her talent and think because of my obsession to know what happened, I feel comfortable with 4 stars.
Who else read it? What did you think? I will definitely read more from this author. She’s a wonderful storyteller.
I had expectations going into this book. After reading the blurb, I thought I had a good notion regarding how the bulk of the plot would play out. Um…yeah, that only went so far.
Mindy Wright is a teenage champion downhill skier with a shot at the U.S. Olympic team. She’s got the perfect home life, perfect mom and dad, the world is her oyster. Then a bad crash lands her in the hospital with a broken leg, and in the process, doctors discover she has leukemia and is in need of a stem cell transplant. When her parents are tested for a match, it’s discovered, she’s not their daughter.
You can see where this is headed, right?—wrong. I went into this book with a lot of expectations. But I didn’t plan on Mindy’s aunt working for a government agency, or two characters in the past sharing time and space in a mental hospital. And what about several far too coincidental murders, all of these things spiraling back to Mindy, her perfect parents and her perfect life?
I loved the author’s use of letters to address the past. The story is doled out in bits and pieces, past and present, slowly joining together for an explosive conclusion. The characters are wholly human and horribly flawed, several with agendas that develop as the book progresses. Favorites for me were Juliet, Vivian and Zac, along with Zac’s faithful dog, Kat.
Given the plot, this was a hard book to deliver a satisfying ending, but Elison exceeded expectations. A grand slam home run! If you like stories with complex characters and dark buried secrets with several twists along the way, don’t miss this engrossing book that takes a stark look at human nature.
Wow — this is an intense, exciting book that will keep you enthralled until the last page. I must admit, I was up after midnight last night because I had to find out how it ended. There were so many twists and turns in this novel and just when I thought I had it all figured out, I found out that I was totally wrong. The ending is a surprise but is absolutely perfect.
Mindy is a 17 year old competitive skier getting close to her goal of making the Olympic team. Her parents have always been totally supportive of her to the point of making her the sole purpose in their lives – they feel that the three of them together can overcome all obstacles. When Mindy has an accident on the slopes, she breaks her leg and has to be rushed to the hospital for surgery. During surgery, the doctors find out that she has a rare form of leukemia and that a stem cell transplant is her only hope of survival. When her parents are tested, everyone is shocked to find out that they are not matches which means that Mindy is not their child. The search to find a donor and Mindy’s real parents unravels years of family secrets. Will the family be able to find the truth in time to save Mindy? Will the family survive the truth? What makes the story even more suspenseful is an occasional chapter about two teenage girls in a mental hospital. The girls remain nameless and even though the reader knows that they have something to do with the family, we aren’t sure of the connection until the end.
This is a fantastic suspenseful novel that will keep your turning pages long into the night and I highly recommend it.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
Mindy Wright–an up and coming competitive teenage skier– breaks her leg in competition. During surgery, doctors discover that Mindy is sick: she has an aggressive form of leukemia and needs a stem cell transplant. But when her family is tested, it is discovered that Mindy’s parents are not her biological parents. What does this mean? Was she switched at birth, or did something more dark and dramatic happen? At the core, Mindy needs to live. But beyond that, what are the ramifications for the Wright family? What secrets will be revealed and uncovered while trying to save their precious daughter?
This was a dramatic and interesting story that grabbed me from the beginning. The first portion is told from the perspective of three women: Mindy, age 17; her mother, Lauren; and Lauren’s sister, Juliet, who actually works as a scientist in a DNA crime lab. This gives Juliet early and easy access to DNA samples relating to Mindy and the “case” as it progresses on. We also get excerpts of letters that appear to be from or relating to a psychiatric hospital in the early 1990s. All of this makes for an interesting and compelling format to our story, with a slow and steady reveal of strange information that you know does not add up: a twisted web of secrets and lies. We are immediately left wondering what happened with Mindy–how is she not Lauren’s daughter? What is going on?
I do not want to go into too much detail and ruin much of the plot, but I found this one very intriguing, as I was wondering where the story would go. I might have been a little slow on the uptake as to who was Mindy’s real mother, but I did find it exciting to put all the pieces together. I really liked the characters of Mindy and Juliet and a few others who were introduced later on (the story is told in various parts, so you get some different narrators, too).
In true Ellison fashion, there’s some great drama and a few good “whoa” moments, as well. When I first started the book, I hadn’t refreshed myself on the description, and I was a little worried that this would be more of a family drama than a mystery, but have no fear–while this family has more than their share of drama, there’s a great mystery/thriller aspect as well. In fact, the novel can get downright creepy at times, with a villain who can give you the chills.
Overall, I thought this was another winner from Ms. Ellison. It’s a quick, engaging read with interesting characters and a plot that encourages you to put the pieces together. She’s quickly becoming a go-to author of mine. I’m actually chasing down her Taylor Jackson series on Paperbackswap, because I want to read more of her books! If you enjoy a dramatic, quick-moving thriller, I highly recommend this one! 4+ stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
J.T. Ellison has done it again !! I am a recent fan of hers and her books keep getting better.
This book has it all, tragedy, secrets, family, mental health, protecting your children, mystery, thriller
Mindy has a horrible skiing accident while competing, needs surgery and they discover she has cancer and neither of her parents match for stem cell treatment.
Their lives will never be the same as they struggle to find a donor and who are Mindy’s parents.
The book grabs you slowly, methodically, and soon you are hooked .
The characters are all strong, some not so nice. Some you are cheering on.
A great read; pick up your copy when its available, and that is soon !!
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.
What a fantastic book!! I couldn’t put it down. I love the way J.T. writes because you are involved with her books right from page 1. Thank you for writing such intense books!
This is a great thrill ride. Can a simple skiing accident unravel and entire family? When a promising skier crashes and breaks her leg, she soon discovers that everything she thought she knew about her family was wrong. Her mother is desperate to hide her secrets and to save her daughter’s life. So many twists and turns you won’t see coming.
A dark, multidimensional story with realistic characters you will love to hate!
Mindy Wright is a competitive skier and she’s on the verge of massive success when she suffers a horrific accident. While in hospital, her family learn that she has leukemia and needs a stem cell transplant. But neither of her parents are biologically related to her.
The book flows smoothly between past and present, with the past having occurred in a mental hospital and most of the present set in the hospital as Mindy’s parents race to find a stem cell match. I particularly loved the bits set in the past, the exploration of the ‘why’ behind the ‘who’. While the pacing does slow down toward the middle mark, the characters really drive the book forward, and I found myself really rooting for Juliet.
A tightly spun domestic suspense novel focusing on the dynamics of a mother/daughter relationship, as well as the relationship of two sisters, Tear Me Apart will keep you on the edge of your seat!
I loved this book. Absolutely amazing from every angle.
The twists are phenomenal!
Hard-to-put-down, super engaging suspense read. Highly recommend for suspense lovers.
An intricately layered, unique thriller that had me breezing through the pages. Loved this one, and especially loved the characters.
From the first page, I found it hard to put this book down. The prologue intrigued me, the first chapter began with action, and the subsequent story was gripping.
Lauren and Jasper Wright seem to have it all—a good marriage, money, a beautiful home in Vail, Colorado, and a daughter who is a champion downhill skier who is on track to become part of the US Olympic team. But an accident threatens to change everything.
After learning her daughter has an aggressive form of leukemia, Lauren will do anything to save her daughter’s life. Learning Mindy is not their biological daughter. Upon learning Mindy is not their biological daughter, the search begins for her birth parents in hopes one of them will be a close enough match to donate stem cells for a transplant—Mindy’s only hope of survival.
What follows is a trail of mysterious deaths, murder, and the discovery a doctor was selling babies—not going through the proper procedure for adoption. There are also some mysterious letters between two people, V and Liselle. How is the correspondence between the two women related?
While I figured out early on things were not all as they seemed with the Wright family, the author threw in a few twists that had me second-guessing.
A solid five stars for this one!
What a heartbreaking, suspenseful story. A mother’s need to be the end-all, be-all for her child. Many secrets taint all the lives of those she’s touched. From the very beginning, no matter how she tried to spin it, mental illness was a huge part of Lauren’s (Liesl) life.
The biggest part of the story was Juliet who, although she loved Lauren, saw through all the lies and started forcing Lauren to face up to the things she’d done. Each lie she told spun out of control until Lauren had to get her sister out of the way. The strength of the character, Juliet, who had to take multiple stands to her sister and force her to, eventually, tell the whole story.
Ms, Ellison kept up the suspense in this story right down to the bitter end….even allowing Jasper to think he was at fault for Kyle….He lives his life with this on his conscience. There was never a doubt in my mind that Zack was totally blameless.
Good job, Kat!!!
This book was gifted to me by NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I love JT’s book, and this one didn’t disappoint! A little romance, a unique plot, and just all-around good page-turning suspense!
Awesome read. 6 stars.
Holy cow. This book is absolutely fabulous. It’s my favorite book by this author to date. The suspense is intense, the characters are all so amazing, and the twists are so – twisty. If I could give this more than 5 stars, I definitely would.
JT Ellison continually surprises me. Just when I think I have it all figured out bam, a new plot twist. This book deals with a subject that I really can relate to and have had a personal experience with. Without spoiling the story I will just tell you it is worth the read, you will not regret it. Once I started to read I couldn’t put it down! Characters are still with me running around in my brain.
Wow! This book had me reading well into the night to try to put the pieces of this plot together.
Was Mindy going to survive this awful illness and injury and resume her amazing career as a young skier?
The pain in each of the characters in this novel was heartbreaking and yet they were strong.
The instinct to care, protect and fight for Mindy was shining through each word written.
Not all done right or legal, but nevertheless done in the name of love.
The threads all were tied up neatly by the last few pages of this incredibly written psychological thriller, but the slopes were slick at times. I was definitely holding on to the edge of my seat while turning the pages.
Excellent!
Mindy Wright, 17-year-old darling of the ski slopes, is an Olympic contender until a breathtaking downhill crash leaving her in the hospital with a broken leg. But maybe this is a blessing in disguise. While undergoing surgery, doctors find that she is suffering from a severe form of leukemia and only a stem cell transplant is her only hope.
Bad things go even worse. When her parents are tested to be donors, they discover that her father is not he father. But the family knows this already .. he adopted Mindy when she was just a baby. What really changes everything is that Mindy is also not related to her mother.
What follows will tear this family apart. Decades of secrets will have to taken out of the shadows. The desperate fight to keep those secrets and the darkness within will cost them everything.
How far will a mother go to protect her child, her life?
I have followed this author for quite a while and each of her books seem to get better and better. TEAR ME APART is an amazing story that kept me riveted from the very first page, and the second half of the story left me chewing a few fingernails.
This is probably one of the best I’ve read this year!
Many thanks to the author / Harlequin-Mira / Netgalley for the advanced digit copy of this suspenseful crime thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
The most enthralling audiobook I’ve listened to this year. J.T. Ellison knocked this one waaaaaay out of the park!
Kudos to the Harliquin audio team and narrators Eva Kaminsky, Rebekkah Ross, Jacques Roy, Caitlin Davies, Amy McFadden, and Pete Simonelli.