You'll Never Believe Me: A Life of Lies, Second Tries, and Things I Should Only Tell My Therapist

I've been trying to broaden my reading horizons beyond my usual thrillers. I stumbled upon a memoir that caught my eye: "You'll Never Believe This." I was intrigued, thinking it might offer a captivating story. Instead, it felt like I was tuning into a stand-up routine where the comedian narrated someone else's chaotic life. My opinion is a bit different from the majority, so keep that in mind! The audiobook is self-narrated by Kari, the notorious "Hipster Grifter." I'd never heard of her before, but apparently, she had quite a reputation. As I listened, I couldn't shake the feeling that she was almost proud of her actions, laughing them off without an ounce of remorse. She conned friends who were already struggling by spinning a tale of having cancer—who does that?! Her lack of reflection on how her schemes hurt those around her was chilling. Kari paints herself as quirky and relatable, trying to charm her way into people's hearts only to exploit them later. I found it hard to connect with her. I might have enjoyed the book more if someone else had narrated it. When her life began to unravel in Utah, instead of facing her problems, she dashed off to New York, only to repeat the same destructive patterns with a new set of victims. Anyone who offered her a helping hand quickly became her next target, including her own family. The blurb calls her someone forced to run with the "wrong crowd" to fit in, but it seems she was the definition of the "wrong crowd" herself. I thought about not finishing this story, but I wanted to know if Kari paid all her retribution, made amends with friends and family, and got her life back on track. Thanks to the author, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press for the ARCs I received through NetGalley and Google Play. All opinions are my own and left voluntarily.