Play For Me by CP White
Would you play to save your life?
LJ is an aspiring musician desperate to get her big break. She is getting nowhere – until a golden opportunity arrives, giving her the chance to turn her fortunes around.
When she accepts the invitation to perform however, LJ quickly realises she has bitten off more than she can chew. Who is in the audience, and what do they really want from her? How do they know so much about her? LJ must give the performance of a lifetime, if she wants to avoid a deadly final curtain call….
This was a book I could not put down, and one I read in two sittings – which I rarely do; I was sat in the hospital waiting room when I first started, and I actually found it quite annoying to have to put my phone down every time a nurse walked in to announce the next patient!
LJ, the protagonist, is a struggling musician from the seaside location of Brighton, working as a waitress to (not) make ends meet. An extremely self-centred character, we get to share the journey she goes on to explore this character trait; interestingly enough, it is not until she herself acknowledges her actions to be self centred, that the reader also begins to realise how she has come across.
Overall, this really was a gripping read. The pace was fast and the protagonist and her close circle felt three-dimensional. The (spoiler) twist was really unexpected; this was a convincing re-do of the classic kidnapping/lured-to-your-own-demise trope. I’m really thankful I got the chance to read this!
I wish there had been a bit more exposition for (spoiler alert) LJ’s family background before she was invited to play. There had been some hints leading up to the main conflict about LJ’s mother and father, but this was the only place it really got in-depth, and I felt a little blindsided – the same way, I feel, LJ must have felt when confronted by this employer who seemed to know everything about her. The other characters (spoiler alert) I wish we had more context on before they’re sudden appearances were Rob, a disgusting entitled crybaby (to put it nicely) of a former colleague, and then Benson- LJ’s stalker. I wish these elements had been explored further earlier on, but I understand if they weren’t too pertinent to the main plot then it wasn’t strictly necessary.
I would recommend this book for;
- readers who enjoy short chapters
- readers who enjoyed King’s ‘Joyland’
- readers who enjoyed ‘Follow You Home’ by Mark Edwards
- readers who enjoy fast moving plots
- readers who enjoy psychological thrillers
Are there any content warnings to be aware of?
- Mentions of sexual assault
- Mentions of torture
- Active self-torture
Places to purchase this novel:
Paige Briscoe 