Ask For Andrea by Noelle W. Ihli

Overview

Finished reading- June 2024 Platform- Kindle Unlimited

I read this book a few months ago but I knew, starting my blog, I had to add it. This book really had me in my feelings.  The idea behind the title came from if you feel uncomfortable with a date at a bar, all you have to do is go up to the bartender and ask for Andrea. Then they would proceed to call the cops, and you can get away safely. The idea is very similar to what I've heard before; The Angel Shot. I wished at so many times throughout the book that the red flags shown by the handsome, smooth-talking murderer, prompted the girls to just ask for Andrea at the bar. But alas, that would not make a good book, so let's get into this tragic story about Megan, Brecia, and Skye and how they haunt their murderer.

"He was the kind of beautiful that drew you in before you even considered the fact that beautiful things can be poisonous."

This story revolves around James Carson and the ghosts of the 3 girls he murdered. Reading about the girl's perspective and how they had to navigate figuring out that they died and what to do next, legitimately made me want to cry. One of the girls, Brecia, stayed close to James, wishing she could intervene to warn the other girls he lured in with his looks. Meghan stays close to her body, decaying in the woods, thrown away like trash. She is confused on what happened and keeps going into a deep trance, reliving memories for months.  Skye goes back home and follows her mom. The agony she sees in her mother as she tries to figure out where her missing daughter went is heart wrenching. It was so interesting learning about how the girls thought about death and how they were managing it. I do have to say, with the multiple perspectives this book has, it was hard to keep track of who was talking. 

STOP HERE AND READ THE BOOK IF YOUD LIKE. THE NEXT PART CONATAINS SPOILERS. OR BE A LITTLE REBEL LIKE I KNOW YOU ARE AND READ ON.

****Spoilers****

The girls, thankfully, meet up and haunt James together. They are slowly able to interact with the world in hopes to get him caught by authorities. Jame's wife picked up on what was going on and started to figure out the truth. This put her and her children in extreme danger. A trip to the cabin, prompted by James, was to be their final resting place. The beautifully strong teamwork of the girls and the wife allowed her and her kids to escape, (just barely), into the woods and to a nearby bar where they hid in a bathroom. Shortley after, James shows up, on a mission to find his wife and girls, determined to get rid of them. In turn of events that made me cheer inside, a concerned bystander asks if the wife is okay as she is hiding in the bathroom. She responds with "Please, can you help me? It's really important. Just tell the bartender that Andrea is needed in that bathroom." I love that! The authorities are called, and the wife and kids are safe, all while the 3 ghosts are watching on, happy they were finally able to thwart their murderer from striking again. 

This book really hits home. We live in an age of online dating, and you never know who you are really talking to. You never know if the cute guy you decide to meet at a bar is going to take your life.  This book shows the horrors of how a date can go wrong. I give this book 5 stars.