Introduction
It Should Have Been You by Andrea Mara takes a normal, albeit embarrassing, occurrence and turns it into a dark, thrilling series of events that leaves you reeling. Published in May 2025, the release gained traction for its relatable characters and gripping storytelling.
A Summary
It Should Have Been You follows Susan, a brand‑new mum who’s still figuring out how to exist in this strange, sleep‑deprived version of her life. Most of her days are a blur of feeding the baby, chatting with her sisters, and lurking in the neighbourhood WhatsApp group where everyone has an opinion about everything. It’s harmless… mostly. Until one exhausted night, Susan sends a message to the wrong chat and accidentally exposes something she never meant to share. That tiny slip spirals into something much bigger, pulling her into old fears she thought she’d left behind. As the group chat buzzes and neighbours start acting strangely, Susan becomes convinced someone is watching her — or at least watching her mistakes. Susan is proven right when someone gets murdered, and the only thing her sister can say is “It should have been you.”
Writing Style
The chapters are incredibly short, which I love, but it can be difficult to keep track of everyone’s perspectives (as the book switches between many different POV’s). The writing style is mildly choppy due to the constant perspective changes, and the action filled plot, but it matches the chaos of the story in a realistic way.
What I Loved
Like with all of Andrea Mara’s novels, she manages to take a normal occurrence into a thrilling piece of fiction that leaves you floored. I loved the feeling of absolute chaos in this book, and the writing style contributed heavily to this alongside the plot itself. It feels so realistic and none of the characters feel wacky or made-up, and it gets you immersed into the story. I, personally, almost felt like I was in the kitchen with the three sisters, and all of the normal ideas and the normal ‘it could never happen to me’ thoughts that would be present in real life were all there. The actual plot had me second guessing everyone, and it is the type of book that doesn’t need a million plot twists to make it interesting. Once I had figured out what was happening, I still felt engaged because I still didn’t know how the characters would react to the realization themselves.
I also loved how it tackled darker themes in a grounded way, such as Susan’s postpartum depression and fears of hurting Bella, Venetia’s past drug use, Greta’s obsession with her health and Cody’s issues with self-harm. None of these things were the center of the story, but they were a part of the characters that influenced their decisions, actions and omissions.
What I Didn’t Love
If you have read a lot of Andrea Mara’s books, I believe you could guess the plot twists earlier than you are supposed to, which can ruin the experience. There are around 3 major plot twists, and I guessed 2 of them while I still had 100 pages left, simply because I know how Andrea Mara writes.
Recommendation
Those who love a good thriller, rooted in reality that feels a little too close to something that could happen to you, this is the book to read. There are a lot of characters though, so it isn’t the type of book you can pay half attention to while doing something else, because you will get very lost very quickly.
Songs
Songs that I find reminiscent of the book:
She Knows by J. Cole
Rhinestone Eyes by Gorillaz
Another Way Out by Hollywood Undead
(P.S. We made them links so feel free to click on them and get teleported straight into the vibes.)
