Thought Train to Pusan

What we have here is a novel about how our relationships can shape us and the personal stories that we form about ourselves, often based on the perceptions and actions of others towards us. But more than anything else, it feels like a novel about a woman being gaslit in so many ways, to reinforce certain narratives about her character that she then can’t help but believe. The Night Before is told from two different perspectives. One is from the point of view of Laura, a 28 year-old woman who has recently returned to her hometown after a bad breakup, and is finally going on a date with a man she met on an online dating site. The other pov is from Laura’s sister, Rosie, who had taken in Laura and urged her to go on this date, but after her sister does not return home from her date, Rosie is certain that something bad has happened to her. Or, perhaps, she is worried about something that Laura has done, given her previous histories with men. That is, as the story progresses, we learn more...