A Review of The Thunder Beneath Us

In Nicole Blades' second novel, The Thunder Beneath Us, a talented but self-sabotaging writer is forced to grapple with her painful past as years of secrecy and shame come back to haunt her. Best Lightburn is an ingenue making a name for herself in the New York magazine world; she is surrounded by fabulous, fun friends and is dating a handsome movie star. But things take a bad turn when her boyfriend, Grant, has a breakdown and her beloved boss leaves the style magazine where she works. Suddenly, Best finds herself forced into a corner by the new leadership and under pressure from a reporter who wants to break the one story Best has worked for years to keep quiet: when she was a child, she and her brothers fell through the ice on a lake; she was the only survivor, a secret source of guilt that she has kept hidden from even those closest to her. Blades layers her narrative with twists, snap decisions, and deep introspection, building a story that feels realistic and human. Although at times Best’s stubborn self-preservation feels overwrought, as a whole the book is a fascinating look at the way people process their own survival in the wake of death, and the many ways the past can wreak havoc in the present.  

This review first appeared in Publishers Weekly at https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-4967-0459-7