The ending of the story is also a bit frustrating because Emily has so many chances to tell people who she really is, and yet she stays silent. Porter fades into the background, and readers will miss seeing how he fits into the family dynamic. Porter’s family goes along with the plot allows the reader to see how desperate Mrs. Porter, clearly wants to turn Emily into a replacement for Lizzie. There are simply too many characters to keep track of and many of them do not have a distinct personality.

Emily’s large Catholic family is difficult to keep track of, and the many flashbacks of the seven siblings become confusing. Much of the story is told through Emily’s memory, which unfortunately eliminates much of the suspense. The story focuses on Emily, who is kidnapped at the beginning of the book. Pretend She’s Here is a unique story that has a major creep factor to keep the pages turning. Soon Emily is trapped by the desperate parents, and she’s afraid there is no escape. Instead, they have come on a desperate attempt to bring Lizzie back to life. But soon, Emily realizes that Lizzie’s parents aren’t in town for a quick visit. Emily thinks that they are the only people who can understand her pain.Įmily doesn’t think twice about getting into the vehicle with them. When Lizzy’s parents and her sister come back to town to visit Lizzie’s grave, Emily is happy to see them. Every day she misses Lizzie now that she’s dead and her family has moved away. Emily can’t believe that her best friend Lizzie is gone.

She persisted florence griffith joyner