Reviews

Out of the Ashes by Kara Thomas

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avidreaderandgeekgirl's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

When Sam's uncle dies, she finds long-buried secrets unearthed as a new witness, and a new investigator are involved in her family's long-cold murder case.
It's another great Kara Thomas thriller that kept me guessing and almost made me cry. This was my first of her adult thrillers and it was just as good as her YA ones. I think it was a bit darker and grittier but that's to be expected with the different age category I think.
The narrator did a fantastic job of bringing the story to life and giving the characters different voices without being over-the-top and comical. Which wouldn't be appropriate for this subject matter.
Overall, I really enjoyed it. I guessed part of the mystery but not all of it and not in quite the right direction either.
Extra Ratings:
Thrill: 4/5; Predictability: 1.5/5; Mystery: 4.5/5; Love: 0.5/5; Tear: 3.5/5; Heartfelt: 4/5; Spice: 0.5/5; Suspense: 4.5/5; Humor: 0.5/5; Horror: 0/5

Content Warnings

alilovesbooks4170's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

3.0

bekah1210's review

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dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

blue_squishie's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

the_sassy_bookworm's review against another edition

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4.0

⭐⭐⭐.5

Out of the Ashes by Kara Thomas is a heart-wrenching novel of suspense that follows Samantha Newsom’s investigation into her family’s murders. When Samantha was thirteen years old, her family was killed and their Catskills farmhouse was burned down in an unsolved crime. Twenty-two years later, she returns to her hometown of Carney, New York, haunted by the tragedy. The case had gone cold, but investigator Travis Meacham brings news that a prison inmate claims that Samantha’s presumed-dead baby sister survived that fateful night.

As Samantha delves deeper into the investigation, she uncovers shocking truths that challenge everything she thought she knew about her family and the crime. However, Carney is a town that fiercely guards its secrets, and Samantha may find herself in grave danger as she tries to escape its grip.

Overall, I found the book to be engaging with a well-paced plot. The writing was solid, and the cover art perfectly captured the essence of the story. However, I did have a few reservations. With numerous characters to keep track of, it became challenging to stay connected to them all. Additionally, I struggled to warm up to Samantha as a protagonist, and I felt that the character development throughout the book was lacking. Furthermore, the ending left me unsatisfied.

Nevertheless, considering that this is Kara Thomas’s first venture into adult fiction, I enjoyed it enough to consider reading more of her work in the future.

**ARC Via NetGalley**