Liv Constantine is actually two sisters, Lynne and Valerie, writing under one pen name. Their best-known novel, “The Last Mrs. Parrish” brought them recognition as bestselling authors. In this domestic drama, supernatural elements combine with psychological realism, causing a mother’s anxiety to transform into a complex web of deception and long-buried secrets that span two decades.
Annabelle has an enviable life. She lives in Connecticut with her devoted, but controlling husband who is a neurologist, and their two daughters, Scarlett and Olivia. She is happy working as a social media executive for a marketing firm. But then her world is turned upside down when she starts having dreams that are coming true. They are frightening glimpses into the future, and she is not sure how to stop them.
At first, Annabelle chalks the dreams up to an overactive imagination. But when details from the dreams begin to materialize, she realizes that they aren’t just dreams but premonitions of a terrifying future. She feels that her husband is having an affair and that her daughters are in danger. Her husband attributes the dreams to stress and wants her to see a therapist.
Scarlett, who is fifteen, is secretly texting a boy named Ben and not telling anyone. Is this innocent or could it be a problem? At the same time Annabelle meets and forms a connection with a new client. This connection will result in changing the direction of Annabelle’s life.
The story is told by multiple characters and timelines. The past timeline provides important information regarding Annabelle’s past that helps readers know and understand Annabelle better. So many things are going on with different characters, readers will have trouble figuring out how everything will come together. The multiple plot twists are full of suspense and tension. As her life starts to collide with her dreams, Annabelle starts to wonder how much control she has over her own destiny.
This is a fast-paced, eerie, and sometimes unsettling drama. As things finally begin to make sense, there is a final surprise twist at the end.
Enjoy the read and sweet dreams!
REVIEW
“Don’t Open Your Eyes”
By: Liv Constantine
Rating: 3.8/5
Jacquie O’Neil and her daughter, Times Leader Media Group Publisher Kerry Miscavage, contribute to this column.
