The Ice Cream Girls by Dorothy Koomson

Hello my lovely readers! This is my fourth time re-reading this book and I still love it! Let's get into it.

BACKGROUND
I've already mentioned how I came to discover this book in my post about Koomson's other book My Other Husband.  For the TL;DR version, I saw it in 2010 at a ferry terminal in England, bought it in 2013 and finally read it in 2015 on a cruise to the Bahamas. 

Perfection

SYNOPSIS
As teenagers Poppy Carlisle and Serena Gorringe were the only witnesses to a high-profile murder. Amid heated public debate, the two seemingly glamorous teens were dubbed "The Ice Cream Girls" by the press and were dealt with by the courts-Poppy headed to prison after being convicted for murder and Serena was set free.

Years later, after having led very different lives, Poppy is keen to set the record straight about what really happened. The only problem is she has no one to turn to and no clue where to begin her hunt for Serena.

Meanwhile, Serena is married with children and wants no one in her present to find out about her past. Constantly looking over her shoulder, Serena knows she should come clean to her husband, however, she can't seem to find the words.

With Poppy determined to salvage what's left of her reputation, Serena may not have a choice in reopening a can of worms that may threaten both their lives . . . again.

MY THOUGHTS
This was a re-read for not only the 10 Books 10 Decades Challenge, but also for the Personal Five Challenge. With the Personal Five Challenge, there are five prompts for you to re-read some of your favorite books. They're: a book that made you fall in love with the author; a book you loved in school; a book that helped shape your reading taste; a book tied to a specific season of your life; a book you always recommend.

This book follows the first prompt because I fell in love with Dorothy Koomson after reading The Ice Cream Girls! 

This is such a deeply layered, complex thriller that tackles heavy topics like domestic violence, grooming and the prison system. It goes beyond the usual "popcorn" thrillers that are released now, in my opinion. 

I couldn't put this book down in 2015 and 11 years later, I still can't put it down because it was so gripping, I finished it in two days. Honestly, this book could fit into all five of the prompts (because I did read this while I was in college!). This book is still extremely well-written, gripping and moving. And of course, it wouldn't be a Dorothy Koomson novel without a big twist!