Disclosure: I received "The Next Time You See Me" as part of a 1,000-copy First Reads giveaway sponsored by "Gone Girl" author Gillian Flynn (thank you!). The synopsis was intriguing, and I was especially excited to read the book because it was my first win! Likewise, this is my first GR review. 
 I rate Holly Goddard Jones' debut novel a solid 4 out of 5 stars. In prose lyrical without being flowery, Goddard Jones spins a fine character study of the denizens of Roma, KY (population 10,000), around the murder of nonconformist Veronica "Ronnie" Eastman. No plot twist is employed to reveal the identity of the perpetrator, but is one necessary? While I admit to having devised a few red herring ideas of my own while reading, due in part to the near ubiquitous use of the device in suspense fiction and in part to my hope that whodunit was someone other than the guilty party, isn't the most likely suspect--in real life--usually the person who committed the crime? 
 Rather, this work of literary fiction focuses on the richly developed characters themselves, each perfectly ordinary in his or her imperfection. Bullying is a recurring theme, between spouses, siblings, classmates, colleagues, and adults and children. A couple of passages brought tears to my eyes as I remembered events of my youth, recognized in the characters reactions similar to my own when enduring the same type of treatment, and was reminded that whichever role of bully, target, or bystander one filled as a child likely will be your role in adulthood. But we hold onto the hope that it gets better and endeavor to effect change, as do some of the book's characters. I could only root for the underdogs. 
 I would have preferred a more defined resolution of some of the story threads, so overall give 4 stars.