It’s hard to believe Memorial Day is creeping up on us, especially since a week and a half ago, I had to wear a thick sweater and a jacket because it was chilly outside. Now it’s shorts weather. That’s Western PA weather for you. I, for one, am looking forward to being able to sit on my deck and read, all while working on the little tan I will get.

Book Read: The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes
Author: Elissa R. Sloan
2021 Book Count: 19

Cassidy Holmes was one of the members of the hit group “Gloss” in the early 2000s. She was the final and fourth member, after a previous member had to drop out. Gloss and its four members (Rose, Merry, Yumi and Cassidy) took the world by storm. Whether it was the craziness of Merry in the gossip magazines, the on-stage kisses between a member of Gloss and another popular singer, or the hit music video that was played constantly, Gloss was everywhere. They were a worldwide name.

Then in 2002, the group imploded. At the center of this implosion was Cassidy.

Fast forward fifteen years, and Cassidy Holmes is dead; sucide. (This is not a spoiler; it’s in the description of the book.) The other members of Gloss haven’t heard from her in years, although each member will say they were the closest to Cassidy during the Gloss years. Each has moved on from Gloss. Some are stuck trying to make it again; others have found a new path.

Rose, Merry and Yumi are left with questions. Did the Gloss years lead to Cassidy’s sucide? Was there some they could have done?

When I told my sister I was finally going to read this (considering she loaned it to me months and months ago), Meghan warned me not to finish this one right before bed. She said that she needed to sit and digest the ending for a little bit. I trusted her, because Meghan doesn’t lead me astray, especially when it comes to books. She was correct.

The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes is heavy. The author warns you, at the beginning of the book, that there are triggering events throughout. Not only does this novel contain a sucide, but it also includes on-page physical assault, off-page sexual assault, and body shaming and dysmorphia (again, not a spoiler. The author tells readers this). It’s not a book that can be taken lightly.

Sloan tells the story of Cassidy and Gloss across multiple timelines and perspectives. All of the early 2000s timelines are told from Cassidy’s perspective. It gives readers a look into what was going through her head and life during the years of Gloss, and how one terrible situation caused her to go away and never look back.

The current timelines are told from the other members of Gloss, as well as Merry’s daughter. It never seems jumpy, and the mixed timelines tell a complete story. Well… mostly. Each perspective gives the background into not only Cassidy’s life, but the other members of Gloss. It builds a better picture about what happened in the Gloss days. I couldn’t help but want to hear about Cassidy’s life in the present. I understand why it wasn’t included, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t looking for it.

The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes is a page turner, most of the time. It does move slowly at times, but then it will pick back up again. It’s a cycle that I noticed throughout the book. But I had to know how it ended, so I kept on reading. You will too.

I’ll warn you now… part of the reason you need to sit and think after reading this one is the ending. After finishing, I immediately texted Meghan to talk about it. It’s a doozy.

Next Read: TBD.