His & Hers

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses the sexual grooming of adolescents, sexual assault and rape, physical and emotional abuse, and suicidal ideation.

Anna Andrews is one of the protagonists and point-of-view characters. The sections marked “Her” are told from her perspective and, alone, include detailed scenes from the past. Her traumatic history contextualizes the present murders. The first shared memory is of her father’s disappearance, which the text later reveals happened after her mother killed him. Other memories detail her grooming and abuse by Rachel Hopkins and (to a lesser extent) Zoe Harper and Helen Wang; Anna’s 16th birthday party, where she and Catherine Kelly are abused; her intimidation and silencing by Rachel and Zoe; and her aborted suicide attempt. Shortly before the events of the novel, her mother uncovered Anna’s suicide note, which detailed the toxic relationships with her peers and set Mrs. Andrews on the path to murder.

Anna understands the power she wields as a journalist, but ambition spurs her rather than conviction or passion. She admits that she lies to herself and represses unpleasant truths, and these traits inevitably compromise her presentation of the news. Her self-presentation is equally marked by conscious concealment.