Within these pages, you will read about what happened from my perspective, as well as from those whose stories collided with my own. And that is how we got here, to this book you now hold in your hands. My memoir, but more than that—it is a monument. Carved from a mass of bad decisions and selfishness and, it pains me to admit, cruelty. And yet, I want you to love me anyway.
It’s fitting that the cover of this book shows a rearview mirror, because it’s an exploration of what happens if you run away and never look back—while also being haunted by that past you refuse to face.
This is the fictional memoir of Cate Kay, author of the most famous book series in the world—who has spent most of her professional life anonymous, even as her books were turned into movies, musicals, and theme parks. Now, she’s telling all, with help from chapters by other people in her life: her childhood best friend’s little sister, the love of her life, her former manager (and ex-girlfriend), and more. There are also excerpts from her books included.
At the heart of this story is the relationship between Cate—then Annie—and her childhood best friend, Amanda. They’re inseparable, and they have big plans to go to Hollywood together after graduation to live their dreams and become movie stars. Just as the car is packed and they’re about to go, though, an accident changes everything, and Annie runs, creating a new life for herself just to avoid looking back.
I find it interesting that many of the reviews mention this element of the story—the linchpin of the plot—as unbelievable, or requiring suspension of disbelief. But I think it’s understandable, to simultaneously refuse to look at an element of your past head-on while allowing it take over your life. It is, at the very least, a fascinating situation for a fictional character to be in.
While Annie goes on to reinvent herself as Cate Kay, bestselling author and mysterious celebrity, she also spends most of this story passive. She allows other people to control her life. She doesn’t try to fix her own mistakes. She doesn’t communicate well. Instead, she pines over things that could have been, even when they’re very much still an option. She’s in a hell of her own making—but I felt for her. Despite her mistakes, she’s still sympathetic.
I was completely engrossed in this story, which slowly unspools how Annie ended up here. Ultimately, it’s about this huge, complicated love between Annie and Amanda: how even in her absence, it was woven into every part of her life. The excerpts from Cate Kay’s books are full of references to their friendship.
That’s not the only love story in The Three Lives of Cate Kay: Annie has several romantic relationships with women, including a intense and dramatic love affair with an actress in the adaptation of her books, as well as a controlling relationship with a woman who would go on to control her professional life. These are all significant to the story, but the focus is on the relationship between Annie and Amanda—or at least, with her memory.
This is a twisty, compelling read that is perfect for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
Content warnings: Injury and internalized ableism
