Breakfasts and Boundaries

Debbie Mullen, advice columnist and mother of two, navigates the chaos of her family's morning routine. Her daughters, Lexi and Izzy, are distant and secretive, her husband Cooper is distracted, and Debbie herself is clinging to the small victories of domestic life. The veneer of normalcy is thin: Lexi enforces a "no talking" rule in the mornings, Izzy is hiding something about her soccer team, and Debbie's own sense of self is tied to her garden and her advice column. The family's interactions are laced with tension, unspoken resentments, and the ache of growing apart. Debbie's attempts to connect—through breakfast, through small talk—are met with resistance, setting the stage for the unraveling of both her family and her own carefully constructed identity.

The Advice Columnist's Mask

Debbie's public persona as "Dear Debbie" is a mask for her private struggles. Her advice column, filled with cheery, sometimes darkly humorous responses, is a lifeline for her sense of purpose. Yet, her own life is far from the tidy solutions she dispenses. She's haunted by her unfulfilled ambitions, her stalled career, and the growing distance in her marriage. The column's tone—alternately nurturing and vengeful—mirrors her internal conflict. Debbie's advice to others is often more honest, even violent, than she can be with herself. The drafts she never sends reveal a simmering rage and a longing for control, hinting at the darkness beneath her suburban exterior.

Neighborhood Tensions Ignite

Debbie's world is populated by antagonists: Brett, the loud neighbor who accuses her of sabotage; Jo Dolan, the rival gardener who steals her magazine feature; and Zane, Lexi's unsettling boyfriend. These conflicts escalate, exposing Debbie's capacity for manipulation and retaliation. Her interactions with Brett and Jo are laced with passive aggression and veiled threats, while her suspicions about Zane's intentions toward Lexi grow. The neighborhood becomes a battleground, each slight and betrayal fueling Debbie's sense of injustice and her desire for retribution. The external tensions reflect the fractures within her own family and psyche.

Family Fractures and Secrets

The Mullen family is a web of secrets. Izzy's abrupt exit from the soccer team is shrouded in shame and body image issues, possibly linked to the predatory coach, Pike. Lexi's relationship with Zane is fraught with manipulation and coercion. Cooper, meanwhile, is hiding his own struggles—his dissatisfaction at work, his lack of ambition, and a secret that will later come to light. Debbie's attempts to protect her daughters are increasingly desperate, and her marriage is strained by unspoken grievances. The family's inability to communicate honestly sets them on a path toward crisis.

The Garden and the Rival

Debbie's garden is her sanctuary and her symbol of self-worth. When Jo Dolan steals her magazine feature, it's more than a slight—it's an existential threat. Debbie's response is calculated and vengeful: she sabotages Jo's roses with beetle traps, orchestrating a public humiliation. The garden rivalry is a microcosm of Debbie's larger struggle for recognition and control. Her need to "win" at any cost reveals the depth of her resentment and the lengths she'll go to reclaim her sense of agency. The garden, once a place of peace, becomes a stage for her growing darkness.

Book Club and Betrayals

Debbie's participation in the neighborhood book club exposes her social isolation and the cruelty of her peers. Rochelle and her clique belittle Debbie's intellect and homemaking, while Harley, the gym trainer, becomes her unlikely confidante. The book club is a theater of passive aggression, where Debbie's sandwiches are mocked and her forgetfulness is weaponized. When several members fall ill after eating her food, it's unclear whether Debbie's actions were accidental or intentional—a question that lingers as her capacity for subtle vengeance becomes more apparent. Harley's presence, meanwhile, introduces a new layer of intrigue and betrayal.

The Coach's Dark Shadow

The revelation that Coach Pike is a predator who both body-shames and spies on his female athletes is a turning point. Debbie's investigation into Izzy's dismissal from the team uncovers a culture of silence and complicity. Her confrontation with Pike is chilling—he is unrepentant, dismissive, and openly misogynistic. Debbie's rage is palpable, and her sense of powerlessness transforms into a resolve to take matters into her own hands. The coach's abuse is a catalyst, pushing Debbie further down the path of vigilantism and blurring the line between justice and revenge.

Marital Fault Lines

Cooper's professional disappointments and emotional withdrawal are mirrored by Debbie's growing suspicion and resentment. Both are keeping secrets: Cooper is hiding his struggles with addiction and his dissatisfaction at work, while Debbie is concealing her escalating acts of sabotage and her true feelings about their marriage. The introduction of Harley as Cooper's supposed lover (later revealed to be Jesse, Cooper's friend, using Cooper's identity) adds another layer of betrayal and confusion. The marriage, once a source of stability, becomes a minefield of mistrust and unspoken grievances.

The Vigilante's Awakening

The accumulation of slights, betrayals, and abuses—against herself and her daughters—pushes Debbie over the edge. She begins to act on the violent fantasies she's only hinted at in her advice column drafts. She sabotages Jo's garden, frames Coach Pike by planting incriminating evidence, and orchestrates Zane's downfall after he threatens Lexi with revenge porn. Each act is meticulously planned, justified as protection or justice, but increasingly driven by a need for control and retribution. Debbie's transformation from victim to vigilante is both thrilling and terrifying, as her actions spiral beyond her own control.

Poison Pen Letters

The unpublished drafts of Debbie's advice column become a confessional, a place where her darkest impulses are given free rein. The letters are laced with suggestions of murder, sabotage, and poetic justice—fantasies that begin to bleed into reality. The drafts serve as both a coping mechanism and a blueprint for her actions. As Debbie's real-life interventions grow more extreme, the line between her public persona and her private rage dissolves. The advice column, once a source of comfort, becomes a testament to her unraveling sanity.

The Dominoes Fall

Debbie's campaign of vengeance sets off a chain reaction. Coach Pike is arrested and disgraced, Zane is hospitalized after a car crash, and Jo's garden is destroyed. The community is rocked by scandal and suspicion, and Debbie's family is both protected and endangered by her actions. Meanwhile, Cooper's professional life collapses, and his secrets come dangerously close to exposure. The web of lies and retribution tightens, and the risk of discovery grows. Debbie's sense of control is illusory; each victory brings new complications and threats.

The Past Returns

Debbie's unresolved trauma from her college rape resurfaces, triggered by her daughter's victimization and her own acts of vengeance. A chance encounter reveals that Jesse, Cooper's friend and the man having an affair with Harley, is actually Hutch—the man who raped Debbie in college. The revelation is shattering, connecting past and present in a cycle of violence and retribution. Debbie's need for closure becomes an obsession, and her plans for justice take on a new, personal urgency. The past, long buried, demands a final reckoning.

The Trap Is Set

Armed with knowledge, rage, and meticulous planning, Debbie sets out to destroy Jesse/Hutch. She frames him for the murder of her boss, Ken Bryant, using Cooper's gun and manipulating evidence to point to Jesse. She then lures Jesse and Harley into a deadly confrontation, drugging Jesse and killing Harley with Jesse's gun, staging the scene as a murder-suicide. Debbie's actions are cold, calculated, and shockingly effective. The trap is perfect: Jesse is convicted, and Debbie walks away, her vengeance complete. The cost, however, is the final erosion of her own moral boundaries.

The Reckoning at Midnight

As the consequences of her actions close in, Debbie is confronted by Cooper, who has pieced together enough to suspect her involvement in the recent deaths. In a tense, emotionally charged confrontation, both reveal their deepest secrets: Cooper's alcoholism and Debbie's rape. The exchange is raw and cathartic, offering a chance for mutual understanding and the possibility of healing. Yet, the truth about Debbie's crimes remains hidden, a secret that will haunt their marriage. The reckoning is incomplete, but the cycle of confession and forgiveness offers a fragile hope.

Justice, Framed

Jesse is convicted for crimes he did not commit, while Debbie and Cooper rebuild their lives. The justice system, manipulated by Debbie's cunning, delivers closure for the community but not for the true victims. Debbie's sense of justice is personal, subjective, and ultimately corrosive. The aftermath is bittersweet: the family is closer, old wounds are acknowledged, and new beginnings are possible. Yet, the cost of Debbie's vengeance is the loss of her own innocence and the perpetuation of cycles of violence and secrecy.

Aftermath and New Beginnings

A year later, the Mullen family has found a measure of peace. Cooper's new business thrives, Debbie's app is a success, and the daughters are flourishing. Therapy and honesty have brought the couple closer, though the truth about Debbie's actions remains buried. Jesse languishes in prison, a scapegoat for crimes he did not commit, while Debbie and her confidante Cindy share a knowing bond. The story ends with a sense of uneasy equilibrium: justice has been served, but not by the law. Debbie's final reflection is one of empowerment and caution—she will never be a victim again, but the price of her agency is a secret she must carry alone.

Characters

Debbie Mullen

Debbie is the heart of the novel—a woman whose outward warmth and competence mask deep wounds and simmering rage. Her role as "Dear Debbie" is both a comfort and a prison, allowing her to dispense wisdom while hiding her own pain. Debbie's relationships are fraught: she is both fiercely protective and emotionally distant from her daughters, and her marriage to Cooper is strained by secrets and unmet needs. Psychologically, Debbie is driven by a need for control and justice, shaped by the trauma of her college rape and the daily indignities of suburban life. Her transformation from victim to avenger is both empowering and tragic, as her quest for justice leads her to cross moral lines she once would have abhorred. Debbie's development is a study in the corrosive effects of unaddressed trauma and the seductive allure of retribution.

Cooper Mullen

Cooper is Debbie's husband, a well-meaning but flawed man whose passivity and lack of ambition frustrate his wife. He is devoted to his family but struggles with his own demons, particularly his hidden alcoholism and professional disappointments. Cooper's relationship with Debbie is marked by love, loyalty, and a profound lack of communication. He is both a victim and an enabler, blind to the depths of Debbie's pain and complicit in the family's culture of secrecy. Cooper's journey is one of belated self-awareness and redemption; his eventual confession and commitment to therapy signal a willingness to change, but his inability to see the full truth about Debbie's actions leaves him vulnerable and uncertain.

Lexi Mullen

Lexi is Debbie's elder daughter, a bright, ambitious teenager struggling with the pressures of adolescence and the predations of her boyfriend, Zane. Her relationship with Debbie is fraught with conflict and misunderstanding, yet beneath the surface lies a deep need for protection and validation. Lexi's ordeal with Zane—who threatens her with revenge porn—echoes Debbie's own trauma, creating a generational cycle of victimization and silence. Lexi's development is marked by a gradual recognition of her mother's strength and a growing sense of agency, though she remains haunted by the scars of her experience.

Izzy Mullen

Izzy, the younger daughter, is more open and affable than Lexi but faces her own challenges. Her dismissal from the soccer team by Coach Pike, under the guise of weight and speed, is a blow to her confidence and identity. Izzy's relationship with Debbie is less contentious but still marked by a lack of true understanding. She is both a victim of institutional abuse and a beneficiary of her mother's intervention. Izzy's resilience and adaptability contrast with Lexi's volatility, offering a different model of coping and recovery.

Cooper's "Friend" Jesse (Hutch)

Jesse, known as Hutch in Debbie's past, is the novel's true villain—a charming, successful man whose surface respectability hides a history of sexual violence and deceit. His affair with Harley, conducted under Cooper's name, is a continuation of his pattern of exploitation. Jesse's psychological profile is one of narcissism, entitlement, and a lack of remorse. His eventual downfall, orchestrated by Debbie, is both poetic justice and a commentary on the failures of the legal system to hold men like him accountable. Jesse's presence is a constant reminder of the dangers lurking beneath the surface of ordinary life.

Harley Sibbern

Harley is a gym trainer who befriends Debbie and becomes entangled in the Mullen family's drama. Her affair with "Cooper" (actually Jesse) is both a betrayal and a symptom of her own loneliness and need for validation. Harley's relationship with Debbie is complex—part friendship, part rivalry, part unwitting pawn in a larger game. Psychologically, Harley is impulsive, insecure, and ultimately expendable in Debbie's quest for justice. Her fate is a stark reminder of the collateral damage wrought by cycles of vengeance.

Jo Dolan

Jo is Debbie's nemesis in the world of suburban gardening—a woman whose success and pettiness provoke Debbie's most creative acts of sabotage. Jo's role is both comic and tragic, embodying the small-scale wars that define suburban life. Her relationship with Debbie is a study in envy, pride, and the destructive power of rivalry.

Zane

Zane is Lexi's boyfriend, a manipulative and coercive figure who threatens her with revenge porn. His actions are a direct echo of the abuse Debbie suffered in college, making him both a symbol and a target of her vengeance. Zane's downfall is orchestrated by Debbie, who uses his own tactics against him. Psychologically, Zane is entitled, reckless, and ultimately self-destructive.

Coach Pike

Coach Pike is the soccer coach who abuses his power to body-shame and spy on his female athletes. His actions are enabled by a culture of silence and complicity, making him both a villain and a symptom of a larger problem. Pike's arrest is a victory for Debbie, but also a reminder of the limits of institutional justice.

Cindy Bryant

Cindy is Debbie's confidante and the ex-wife of Ken Bryant. Her own experience of financial abuse and her role in helping Debbie frame Jesse make her both a victim and an agent of justice. Cindy's relationship with Debbie is one of mutual support and shared secrets, highlighting the power of female solidarity in the face of male violence.

Plot Devices

Duality of Public and Private Selves

The novel's structure alternates between Debbie's public persona as an advice columnist and her private descent into vigilantism. This duality is mirrored in other characters—Cooper's hidden alcoholism, Jesse's double life, Harley's duplicity. The tension between appearance and reality drives the plot, creating suspense and irony as the characters' secrets are gradually revealed.

Epistolary Framing and Advice Column Drafts

The inclusion of Debbie's unpublished advice column drafts serves as both a narrative device and a window into her psyche. These letters foreshadow her actions, reveal her true feelings, and blur the line between fantasy and reality. The drafts function as a Greek chorus, commenting on the action and providing darkly comic relief.

Foreshadowing and Red Herrings

The novel is rich in foreshadowing—Debbie's violent advice, Cooper's secretive behavior, the recurring motif of poison and sabotage. Red herrings abound, particularly in the subplot involving Cooper's supposed affair, which is revealed to be a case of mistaken identity. The careful planting of clues and misdirections keeps the reader guessing and heightens the impact of the final revelations.

Cycles of Trauma and Revenge

The narrative is structured around cycles of trauma and retribution. Debbie's unresolved rape shapes her response to her daughters' victimization and her own sense of powerlessness. Each act of vengeance is both a response to a present injustice and an attempt to rewrite the past. The cyclical structure underscores the difficulty of breaking free from patterns of violence and secrecy.

Framing and False Justice

Debbie's framing of Jesse for multiple crimes is a masterclass in manipulation. She exploits the legal system's weaknesses, plants evidence, and orchestrates events to ensure her own exoneration. The device of framing raises questions about the nature of justice, the reliability of evidence, and the ease with which truth can be manufactured.

Confession and Catharsis

The novel's emotional arc culminates in a series of confessions—Debbie's rape, Cooper's alcoholism, the truth about their marriage. These moments of vulnerability offer the possibility of healing, even as the larger truth remains hidden. The confessional structure provides catharsis for the characters and the reader, while leaving room for ambiguity and unresolved tension.

Analysis

Dear Debbie is a subversive thriller that uses the familiar trappings of suburban life—advice columns, book clubs, garden rivalries—to explore the corrosive effects of unaddressed trauma and the seductive allure of revenge. Freida McFadden crafts a protagonist who is both relatable and monstrous, inviting readers to empathize with Debbie's pain even as they recoil from her actions. The novel interrogates the inadequacy of institutional justice, the dangers of silence and complicity, and the ways in which women are forced to become their own avengers in a world that refuses to protect them. The use of humor and satire—particularly in the advice column drafts—underscores the absurdity and horror of Debbie's predicament. Ultimately, the novel offers no easy answers: justice is served, but not by the law; healing is possible, but only through painful honesty and the acceptance of ambiguity. Dear Debbie is a cautionary tale about the costs of survival, the power of female rage, and the thin line between victim and perpetrator.

Last updated: February 9, 2026