"Is this some kind of My Fair Lady thing where you win a prize by turning a guttersnipe into a countess?" 
 She smiled. "I love that movie." 
 Of course she did. Girls like Bridgette always loved that movie because it made the world seem pretty and made them believe that even though they were rich and clean, they didn't have to be morally bankrupt. 
 It was, in my opinion, a piece of shit. No one ever handed you a fairy tale. 
 I often overanalyze a book. Sometimes a book is so enjoyable that I find myself carried away, enjoying it despite its faults. 
 This was not a perfect book. There are major inconsistencies, it was pretty unbelievable in parts. There are paranormal elements that are somewhat out of place, but I DON'T CARE. 
 I enjoyed this book so much I overlooked most of its faults. This was a straight read through, no thinking, no overanalyzing required. I liked it. That's good enough for me. 
 It helped that this book contains one of my most beloved tropes: that of false/mistaken identity. 
 "Eve Brightman," (if that's her real name...) is as Orphan Annie as they come. She's been stuck in the foster care system for years. A prime example of how the system has failed our forgotten children. She is working at a Starbucks under a lecherous POS of a manager when she catches the eye of two wealthy, charismatic siblings, Bain, and Bridgette Silverton. They have a job for her. She is to pretend to be their long-lost cousin, Aurora. Years ago, a young 14-year old Aurora ran away from home when her best friend Liza committed suicide. 
 The family matriarch, the steely, powerful Althea is about to croak. The formerly beloved Aurora needs to be present if she is to receive any money in the will---money, that, of course, Bain and Bridgette wants. 
 "Eve" is at the end of her ropes. She agrees, for a price (specifically, $250,000). And the game begins. 
 Don't let the intro quote fool you. This is no Cinderella story. No My Fair Lady. There is no grand transformation here, just a desperate attempt to fit in, to fill the role of a granddaughter, friend, niece. The role is to fool people, the stakes are major. There's no room for fucking up. 
 That is what I like about this book. It may take place in the world of the wealthy, but there's no sad attempt at floofery, it feels realistic. The characters are believable. The main character tough, but altogether vulnerable. She must never forget who she is, no matter how good the illusion. 
 I found myself getting pulled into the easy rhythm of their back and forth, of their banter. This is what it's like to be part of a family, I thought. To belong to people who care about you. As we laughed together, some part of me that had been inert suddenly flamed into life, filling me with the joy and wonder of a child reaching through a crowd for a favorite toy she thought was lost forever. 
 That feeling of belonging was gorgeous, like a mirage, tantalizing, false, and dangerously out of reach. It wasn't a good idea for me to get close to these two. I didn't want them to like me, and I didn't want to like them. We would all be safer if they stayed wary. 
 Expendable, I reminded myself. This was an act, and you are expendable. 
 I really liked almost every character in the book. They all felt realistic, it's somewhat of a soap opera, but to a lesser extent, which is perfectly fine, since we all have our mental image of the lifestyles of the rich and famous. But it felt more realistic. Not a caricature. The cast is diverse. There are actually people who aren't white in this book...and they didn't feel like token minorities. 
 There is plenty of mystery, many things that go bump in the night. While not a full-fledged horror, this book had just enough elements of a thriller to keep me engrossed. 
 The wide, dark corridor was silent, still. Empty. 
 Completely empty. 
 But the handle on my door had moved, there had been whispering, I'd seen-- 
 The spirits will have their revenge, I heard the medium's voice. 
 This was not spirits, I told myself. There are no ghosts. 
 Altogether, an altogether enjoyable book. Not without its moments of absurdities... 
 I stopped halfway out of the yellow sweater to gape at her. "Did you just narrate an emoticon?" 
 But as a whole...I enjoyed it enough not to care.