Coming February 25, 2025 | Read now on Netgalley!
The Quiet Unraveling of Eve Ellaway
All Eve Ellaway wants is to escape to college, start a life of her own, and finally sever the connection to her twin sister Gen who disappeared when they were babies. Because while the rest of the world moved on from the kidnapping, Gen’s still very much alive at home.
Most families would grieve their missing child. Some families might create a shrine for their lost daughter. But the Ellaways are not most families.
Every night, Eve pretends to be Gen to protect her mother’s delicate grasp on reality — dividing her life, her stories, and her dreams so there’s enough for two sisters. Eve’s forced to maintain her father’s lie to ease his guilt over Gen’s disappearance, but is she sacrificing the last threads of her identity and any hope for a normal future?
As the lies propping up Eve’s life start to crumble, she no longer knows what she wants. But Gen does, and she’s ready to take it.
Early Reviews
“Hooyenga’s prose is sharp and lovely, even when describing not-so-lovely things, and she drops clever tidbits throughout the story that make Eve’s relationship with her mother—and with Gen—riveting. This is truly a one-of-a-kind novel with an unforgettable ending.” — The BookLife Prize
“An emotional riptide from beginning until its shocking end, Hooyenga’s deep-dive into one young woman’s disturbing upbringing both haunts and horrifies. Readers will immediately empathize with Eve’s desire to find herself, even as her psyche threatens to unravel past the point of no return.” —Heather Levy, Anthony-nominated author of Hurt for Me and This Violent Heart
“From the amazing premise to the last shocking twist, Melanie Hooyenga’s The Quiet Unraveling of Eve Ellaway is an emotional roller-coaster ride you will not soon forget. Simply terrific!”— Alan Orloff, author of the Anthony and Agatha-Award winning YA thriller, I Play One on TV
“Part psychological thriller, part twisted coming-of-age story, The Quiet Unraveling of Eve Ellaway is an engrossing dive into one teen’s struggles to contend with the fallout of growing up in a truly horrific family situation. Prepare to lose sleep — Eve’s story will keep you up late into the night as you question both her reliability as a narrator and the people around her.” — Kellie M. Parker, author of YA thriller Thin Air
“This book is a whirlwind emotional ride. Impossible to put down, with shocking twists and heartbreaking truths, it’s truly an unforgettable story.” — Michelle Lynn
Want to help with the launch?
I’m dusting off my street team, Hoo’s Crew, because I have a lot of big things planned as part of this launch. In addition to reading advanced copies (ARCs) at the beginning of 2025, I’ll need help:
- spreading the word about TQUEE on social media
- sharing on newsletters or blogs if you have those things
- writing a review of the ARC
I know that’s a lot, but I also know I can’t do this without the help of my friends, loved ones, and readers! If you’d like to join the Crew, you can sign up here:
I want to be on Hoo’s Crew!
You can also join the Facebook group.
If that sounds like a bit much but you still want to know what’s going on, you can subscribe to my regular newsletter, Hoo’s Letter.
Sign me up for Hoo’s Letter
Goodreads and Bookbub are other reader spaces where you can follow me. I don’t post things directly to those sites, but they send emails when the book launches and if there’s a giveaway or sale, so it’s another useful way to keep track of Eve.
And if you want to do something RIGHT NOW, you can add TQUEE to your Want to Read list on Goodreads.