Rating: 3.75/5
(Spoiler-light first, spoilers below.)
Mary Kubica has a way of pulling me into her stories, and It’s Not Her was no exception. From the opening chapters, I wanted to know what happened to Reese and how everyone connected to her disappearance fit into the bigger picture. The missing-person angle created an unsettling atmosphere that kept me turning pages, even when I started questioning where the story was headed.
The biggest strength of the novel, for me, was Reese. Even though she spends much of the book missing, I found her perspective the most compelling. Her chapters carried the emotional weight of the story, and I felt invested in what she was experiencing and whether she would make it out alive.
Courtney, on the other hand, never quite clicked for me. She often felt a little shallow, and I never felt like I truly understood her beyond the role she played in the plot. At times she also came across as a little holier-than-thou, which made it harder for me to connect with her emotionally. I kept waiting for another layer to her character that never fully materialized.
Kubica does a great job building suspense, but there were moments where I found myself overlooking a few conveniences because I was genuinely enjoying the ride. Like many of her books, this one is more about momentum than perfect realism. As long as I stayed in the story instead of picking apart every plot point, I had a really good time reading it.
Unfortunately, I think the novel overstayed its welcome by one chapter.
Without giving too much away, there is a point where the story reaches what feels like a natural and satisfying conclusion. I actually remember thinking, “Yep, that’s a solid ending.” Then there was one final twist.
For me, that twist was one reveal too many.
Spoilers Below
The revelation that Detective McCoy was responsible for the original missing girl’s death just pushed the story a little too far into unbelievable territory. Up until then, the novel had balanced its twists well enough that I could suspend disbelief. This final reveal felt like it existed simply because a thriller needs one last surprise.
Instead of leaving me impressed, it made me question everything that came before it. It shifted the ending from unsettling to overly dramatic, and I honestly think the book would have been stronger had it ended one chapter earlier.
That said, I still enjoyed the novel overall. The mystery surrounding Reese was engaging, the pacing kept me invested, and Kubica once again proved she knows how to make me keep saying, “Just one more chapter.”
Even with a few character issues and an ending that went one twist too far, It’s Not Her was an entertaining psychological thriller. It may not rank among my favorite Mary Kubica novels, but it was still a worthwhile read, especially if you enjoy missing-person mysteries with shifting perspectives and plenty of suspense.