Review: The Thing About Scorpions - Tiffany Nicole Smith

Review: The Thing About Scorpions - Book #1 The Scorpions - Tiffany Nicole Smith - November 2013

You know how it is with Kindle scrolling – one minute you're browsing new releases, the next you've somehow time-traveled back to 2013 and stumbled upon a forgotten gem. That's exactly what happened when I discovered The Thing About Scorpions by Tiffany Nicole Smith, and honestly? Best accidental find in ages.

This indie YA thriller centers on half-sisters Autumn and Cicely, Irish twins born just eleven months apart, but they couldn't be more different. The story opens with them as children, part of a friend group that holds elaborate funerals for dead animals Autumn finds – quirky kid behavior that gradually reveals something much darker lurking beneath.

As the sisters grow older, Autumn's true nature emerges. She thrives on being the center of attention, delights in others' pain, and manipulates their friends with calculated threats and mind games. When their friend Mariah comes to them desperate for help, the group finds themselves bound by a deadly pact after Autumn kills Mr. Lopez.

Fast-forward to high school, and the friends are naturally drifting apart – something Autumn cannot tolerate. Her jealousy over Emma reaches a boiling point, and after one confrontation, Emma simply vanishes without a trace. This is where Tiffany Nicole Smith's psychological thriller really kicks into gear.

Cicely, convinced her sister is a sociopath, begins researching at the library where she meets Ernest, a psychology professor. Their scenes together are some of the book's strongest – watching Cicely desperately search for answers about whether psychopathy can be cured, whether it's genetic, adds genuine emotional weight to the thriller elements.

Just when you think you've figured out the direction, Autumn turns up dead. The question becomes: who finally got their revenge?

But wait – there's more. Tiffany Nicole Smith ends on an absolute cliffhanger that left me frantically checking if there's a sequel. Homecoming Queen posters appear around school, and the nominee? Emma. The girl who's been missing all year.

The Thing About Scorpions reminded me why I love diving into older indie releases. Sometimes the best discoveries are the ones hiding in plain sight, waiting for an accidental scroll to unearth them.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/43A0W5l