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dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Vomit, Stalking, Murder
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i usually predict the plot twist pretty easily with books i read…but this one??? i did NOT see that plot twist coming. i was gripped from the second i started listening to the audiobook. it was fast pace and kept me hooked the whole time. it’s a sad story, and there’s a lot of empathy to be felt throughout the whole thing. but wow!! what a well written, thrilling, fascinating book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Vomit, Kidnapping, Stalking
Minor: Religious bigotry
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
This was a decent YA thriller. We get the perspectives of a kidnapped girl and a boyfriend looking for his missing girlfriend while the sheriff is fixated on him as the prime suspect for her disappearance. Overall, it read very YA in the way that the boyfriend and his friends behaved. The biggest annoyance for me was the bumbling, small town police officers throughout the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, Murder
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Stalking
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was a fantastic mystery! It is a dual POV book, where in one perspective we have a girl who has lost all of her memories and is recovering from a car crash, and a boy is searching for his missing girlfriend while also being the main suspect for her disappearance. I got such similar vibes with this book and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, which I absolutely loved, so right from the beginning I knew I was going to enjoy this one.
Regarding the plot and the characters, we met both Mary and Drew (the two main perspectives from above) and learned about them in little increments through their chapters. I loved how both of their stories ended up crashing together, and I think this book had a solid ending, even though it was a little predictable. I enjoyed the second half of this book a lot more than the first, just because both Drew and Mary had such different stories. The first part of this book felt like I was reading two separate books, but the satisfaction I felt when they finally did link together was so well done.
Further, this book was an easy and quick read, and definitely one of the best debut books I have read! I am so excited for more from this author in the future. Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Stalking
dark
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping
Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Stalking, Murder
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was a gripping read from the first page, with plenty of tense moments and a plot that has the reader second-guessing everything they are being told.
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!
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Gaslighting
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Stalking, Car accident