Take a photo of a barcode or cover
To begin with, I must say that I was able to predict one of the plot twists early on. Specifically, I surmised that the man responsible for kidnapping and murdering young girls was doing so in an attempt to find a "replacement" for his deceased daughter. However, I was uncertain of how the author would incorporate the fate of his daughter into the story - whether she had passed away tragically or fallen ill and he was seeking out girls who resembled her. It took me some time to realize that the perspective of Madison, one of the protagonists, was not that of Lola, but rather of another girl who had been taken captive. I believe the author skillfully executed the plot twist and built up to the final reveal quite effectively. All in all, I found this story to be quite enjoyable and would be interested in reading more from Megan in the future.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Mental illness, Blood, Stalking
minus .5 stars for a tacky start, but once it got to about chapter 5 or so, i was hooked.
Graphic: Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Note: some graphic violence
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Murder
Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Vomit, Stalking, Murder
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Medical trauma
The book utilise dual narrators, following amnesiac Mary who feels unsure about the father she has been reunited with and prime-murder-suspect Drew who is seeking answers to clear his name in the disappearance of his girlfriend Lola.
This narrative drives the plot and introduces the reader to various clues to piece together the full picture and a couple of red-herrings along the way - all of which leading to the satisfying twist ending (and even if you are like me and guess the twist early on, reading to the conclusion is still an enjoyable experience as you will quickly get invested within the story and grow attached to the characters).
If I'm being really picky certain references, such as an early mention of Lizzo being good music taste, will likely date the book in the future (I'm thinking of the current controversy and how this might impact perceptions) however popular culture references can really help solidify some realism.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and it's a really strong debut for Megan Lally, I look forward to seeing what she writes next!
Graphic: Kidnapping, Gaslighting
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Stalking, Car accident