The Fall Out

Friends Make the Best Enemies (The Dark Hearts Series, Book 2)

De: Maria Frankland

Narrado por: Jenny Myers

There’s only one person who knows the truth about what happened next door. The problem is, she knows the whole truth, which is why I must ensure that she never breathes a word…

Watching and listening to Lou and Charlie used to leave me fraught with envy and loneliness. But now, living next door to my old adversary Liz, I long for the old days—when I was left alone.

My sister Jenna can’t understand how the girl who was my childhood bully could now want to be my friend. People change, I tell her.

But do they?

Neither can she understand why Liz is paying for a cruise to atone for the misery she once caused me. There must be strings attached, Jenna says.

She’s right. There is.

I’d love to tell my sister the truth but I’m in far too deep for that. Mine and Liz’s secrets have the power to become my ultimate undoing, binding me, forever it seems, to the bully I’ve always feared.

The only place I can find solace and peace is within the pages of my journal—a place where no one will ever find out what I know.

Or what I’ve done…

©2023 Maria Frankland (P)2024 Maria Frankland

Loved Where Part 2 Picks Up

Jenny Myers narration continues to be amazing with the use of different accents, she springs to life The Fall Out, book 2 in The Dark Heart series by Maria Frankland which transitions smoothly from where Frenemy’s surprise ending left off. Charlie’s life has turned upside down after the events of which took place in Frenemy. Liz (Charlie’s horrible witch-of-a-stepmom) evolves from being a minor character in Frenemy to the next new horrid, hateful, jealous character in The Fall Out and makes poor Charlie’s life more of a living hell. Helen is a neighbor in the first book, who reluctantly becomes friends with her former high school bully, ‘Liz’😳.

Helen writes in her journal daily. Old journal entries depicted her years of suffering from the bullying that was inflicted on her by Liz and other classmates, but the more current entries also holds evidence that will shed light on the truth Charlie so desperately needs to know about her parents. This emotional domestic thriller/mystery left me wanting more from the final installment, Nemesis.

I kept saying "Don't trust her!"

When I finished the first book in this series I couldn't figure out where else the story could go. I loved that this one picks up on what is a minor character in Book 1 and tells her story. Very well written and the performances are great.

Painful friendship

Beautiful narration of the different accents! This one’s a cliff hanger and I hope justice is served in the sequel.

thrilling

Helen the neighbor is the main focus of this book and boy does she really know everything ! can't wait for the next book great narration

How Lonely some people can be?

I dislike the ending.
Wanted there to be more. Wanted there to be a better ending And for the murder to get caught.

I just can’t…

This is the first book I’ve ever listened to where I was enraged the majority of the time. Helen was written to be the worst kind of pathetic, the kind where her situation could be improved if she actually tried in the slightest, but it’s clearly easier to moan all the time about how she has no friends, no one loves her, no one would miss her but her dog. She ALLOWS herself to be manipulated into every situation. She willingly becomes friends with her high school bully. She chooses not to go to the cops after being coerced into hiding a dead body. Because it’s just too hard to do otherwise… She spies on all the neighbors, and wonders why no one wants to invite her in for tea. She awkwardly demands Lou’s house key, then uses it to invite herself in whenever the family isn’t home, lamenting about how their place is so much nicer. Well, no shit. Run a friggen vacuum or dust once in a while, your house has to be positively disgusting since it’s being used as a doggy daycare/boarding facility, and I can guarantee it wouldn’t pass an inspection. When Helen finally died, I actually was thankful, because I wouldn’t have to hear her depressing inner monologue anymore. But guess what: her diary entries continue to be read, and we don’t get to escape her like we had hoped. Every character seems to be written as the worst possibly stereotype, and the narrator… to be polite, she didn’t do it for me. I’m sorry, but 3 stars is being generous here.

Twists That Keep It Moving

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

I went into The Fall Out without listening to the first book, and while I missed a bit of background, the main plot was easy to follow. The story has a strong mix of betrayal, secrets, and family drama that kept me interested. Jenny Myers delivers a clear and consistent narration that adds to the overall experience. On to Book 3.