Reviews

Truly Unfortunate by C.A. King

carla_c's review

5.0

I could read this author all the time! I love her writing style and the fact that she is very versatile in her writing. This supernatural crime story was just what I needed. Truly has nothing but bad luck when it comes to life. As she tries to remember her past and why she cannot remember anything from her childhood life continues to throw curve balls at her. I love the plot twist this book took. I did not expect the ending at all and was really surprised where life took Truly! I cannot wait to read more of the Knollville stories! 

valerie5121's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

 A young girl with a troubled past she can’t remember. As her doctor attempts to transition her meds, memories start to return slowly, as do strange events occurring around her. Truly is working three jobs to pay rent to a sleazy slum lord and pay for a doctor who is trying to help her remember what trauma she faced in her past so she can stop having nightmares and move on with her life.

Nothing is as it seems; every time you think you have it figured out, another twist is thrown at you from beginning to end. King includes great foreshadowing hinting at what is to come, but nothing is quite how you expected it.

Some psychological twists you see coming and a surprise ending that plays out in a way you don’t quite expect. My emotions were up and down with this roller coaster of a thriller. The ending leaves you with just as many questions as it does answers, wondering who really are the good and bad guys and how you really define good or bad. 

kmturner86's review

dark 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

4.0

Truly Unfortunate by C.A. King is the first book to the Welcome to Knoxville paranormal series. The story begins with Truly as a child, and one can quickly conclude that she is being brought up in an extremely toxic and abusive environment. As the story continues and Truly has become a young adult, it is evident that some sort of event has caused her to lock out the memories of her past. She has been working to try to regain the memories, but she could find that the memories were better off left suppressed. I quite enjoyed the writing and felt the paranormal aspects and plot were very fresh and exciting enough to keep the pages turning. I would certainly be interested in reading the next book. 

bethanyw723's review

3.75

Truly is a down on her luck girl, working 3 jobs to make ends meet. Also, her memories surrounding the age of 9 have simply vanished. She seeks a new therapist which helps her open her mind. Surrounding her new awareness are unfortunate accidents of those that have slighted our main character. Jeff, a detective, feels these accidents are more than they appear. 
This is not a typical genre for me but I found myself loving the plot and seeing what was going on with Truly and how she is connected to the accidents. It was easy to follow the storyline but it had a somewhat predictable ending. I liked how the fortunes were used throughout the story to make the flow work well. Good start to this series. 

mandyo22's review

adventurous 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

5.0

I have read several of C. A. King’s books and have enjoyed them all; Truly Unfortunate is no exception! C. A. King delivers realistic, believable characters. This book has lots of plot twists and an unbelievable mystery with a very…unexpected ending. Truly is tormented with having no memory of her childhood. A series of unfortunate accidents also connect to Truly. But, Jeff, the local detective must piece together the truth. I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out the mystery along with the characters. This quick read was entertaining and well written, exactly what I've come to expect from C. A. King! If they include this same level of paranormal mystery, I can't wait to read the rest of the Welcome to Knollville Series.

shellyk51's review

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious medium-paced

5.0

 Oh my goodness, this story is so good. I found the plot of the story to be so incredibly creepy. i love the psychological suspense/thrill to the story. The characters and how they intertwine just sucks you right into the story. Truly's beginning story had me from the start. I couldn't put the story down. This author has a way of writing that just grabs you by the arm and drags you in. This is right up there with her other stories I've read. I can't wait to read more in this series. This is a must read. 

jennadb's review

5.0

 

Truly Unfortunate is a wonderfully dark paranormal thriller and is the first book in the Welcome to Knollville series. ​I​ ​love​ ​a​ ​good​ ​supernatural ​story​ ​and this​ superb ​book​ ​definitely​ ​delivers​ ​on​ ​all​ ​fronts​ ​and​ ​certainly​ ​does​ ​not​ ​disappoint. I enjoy reading refreshing and original concepts by C.A and that you never know where she will take you. C.A. King is one of my favourite authors. 

The​ ​story​ ​and​ ​plot​ ​is​ ​well​ ​thought​ ​out​ ​and​ ​comes​ ​at​ ​your​ ​thick​ ​and​ ​fast​ ​and​ ​you​ ​will​ ​find​ ​yourself cursing​ ​because​ ​it​ ​will​ ​be​ ​over​ ​far​ ​too​ ​fast.​ ​I​ ​liked​ ​that​ ​the​ ​story​ ​was​ ​unpredictable​ ​and​ ​I​ ​love​ ​a​ ​good​ ​guessing​ ​game​ ​when​ ​it comes​ ​to​ ​books.​ 

This imaginative, creative, unique and well written story has mystery, suspense, action, drama, and psychological elements that will keep you on your toes. 

​I don’t want to give anything away as you need to discover this tale all on your own. Prepare to be surprised. 

I​ ​am​ ​looking​ ​forward​ ​to​ ​reading​ ​the​ ​other books in what promises to be dark and intriguing stories​ ​​in​ ​this​ ​series. 

foxy_roxy's review

5.0

I’ve had the pleasure of reading other books by C.A. King, and let’s just say that the more I read by her, the more I fall in love with her style. This time, I was able to read Truly Unfortunate of the Welcome to Knollville Series, and let’s just say that it has certainly become one of my favorites.

I love diving into a book that will take a hold of my attention and make me sit on the edge of my seat. I kept trying to figure out what the outcome of the story would be, and let’s just say that it wasn’t what I expected. I’m anxious and excited to continue the journey with these characters, and to see what else the author will do. This was a definite 5 Star Book for me!

greendragonauthor's review

5.0

I’ll start with the cover – what a fantastic image! Even without looking at the blurb, the cover would intrigue me enough to buy this book. Since losing my mind, especially my memories, is a personal horror to me, I instantly related to Truly, the main character. Delving into the past both through her memories and through Jeff’s investigations reveal bit by bit what the past might hold. The imaginative and fascinating characters bring this story to life for me. Highly recommended!

arthistorygirl's review

5.0

Truly Unfortunate by C.A. King is the first book in the new series Welcome to Knollville. Truly doesn't remember her childhood and is struggling to pay for counseling to hopefully unlock the secrets of her life. Jeff is a police officer and he is seeing a pattern in some cases that he is working on.
This is a spooky at times but definitely intriguing book. There is a paranormal thriller that I didn't want to put down. I was intrigued by the moment I started and wanted to find out Truly's story. She is a great character. As usual C.A. King sets up a great story with plenty of detail to give a clear image of everything and everyone. I am so happy to have a new series to start that King is writing. I look forward to see where the series goes.