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Before We Were Innocent  By  cover art

Before We Were Innocent

By: Ella Berman
Narrated by: Jennifer Jill Araya
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Publisher's summary

Reese’s Book Club Pick December 2023

A summer in Greece for three best friends ends in the unthinkable when only two return home. . . .


Ten years ago, after a sun-soaked summer spent in Greece, best friends Bess and Joni were cleared of having any involvement in their friend Evangeline’s death. But that didn’t stop the media from ripping apart their teenage lives like vultures.

While the girls were never convicted, Joni, ever the opportunist, capitalized on her newfound infamy to become a motivational speaker. Bess, on the other hand, resolved to make her life as small and controlled as possible so she wouldn’t risk losing everything all over again. And it almost worked. . . .

Except now Joni needs a favor, and when she turns up at her old friend's doorstep asking for an alibi, Bess has no choice but to say yes. She still owes her. But as the two friends try desperately to shake off their past, they have to face reality.

Can you ever be an innocent woman when everyone wants you to be guilty?

©2023 Ella Berman (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Two BFFs are accused of murder in this novel that feels like true crime.” —Cosmopolitan

“Ella Berman reveals a teenage girl’s heart of darkness in her absorbing new novel. . . . Written with the urgency and thrill of an illicit secret, Before We Were Innocent captures the pleasures and perils of American girlhood.” —Jillian Medoff, bestselling author of When We Were Bright and Beautiful

“With evocative and astute prose, Berman’s sophomore effort is a…searing portrayal of the intoxicating power of privilege, youth, and female friendship.” —Booklist

What listeners say about Before We Were Innocent

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

The Ending

If there was 4.5 I would give it. Binged it through a whole day of work, couldn’t stop listening. The only real issue I had was the ending felt a little undone . Maybe the point was we don’t know if a certain character is alive still, but it felt unfinished. Like I even looked for a sequel.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Wonderful narration

The story was great, I was hooked from the beginning. The voice given to these characters really came through. I wanted a better conclusion, but a great book nonetheless.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazingly addictive

Love how the dynamics between 3 teenagers is explained and how they grow to become wonderful women!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Addictive

The beginning seemed slow. It took a while to grow on me. I wasn’t very fond of the characters they didn’t seem likable but they slowly started to earn a place in my mind. Wish the ending offered more closure

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

There was no ending…

The ending left me feeling unfulfilled and just sort of ended. The story was building up and it was like it just ended. Overall the story was good, but I think in some ways it drug on a bit and in other ways it was cut short.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

What happened to the ending?

It was a good book but the ending left you waiting for an actual ending.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Truly so good

This is one of my favorite Reese picks to date. Wow. What a story of twists and turns. I’m SAD. Relieved. Happy at the same time.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Beautifully written!

Ella did an incredible job writing this story! The flow between the timelines was impeccable and had me on the edge of my seat!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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I feel seen

Man did this hit home. I found the main character extremely relatable. It made me reminisce over my teenage years. A very accurate depiction of what teenage girl friendships were often like. An easy and entertaining read that was still really well written and didn’t feel like an embarrassing guilty pleasure. I wonder how much of this the author took from her own teenage years. It’s a bummer people are rating the book lower than deserved because they think the ending was anticlimactic. I understand why people might think that but personally thought the ending was perfect. Can’t wait to read what she writes next.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Beautifully Told

I loved the details of this book and how the writer referred back in time as the story unfolded. I had hoped for a better ending, but just as the story in the book, sometimes stories don’t have that. I would highly recommend this to a friend!

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