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meganj0107's review
3.0
#gifted | I was very kindly sent a copy of this book by Peyton Stableford (@TheyCallMePeyto) from @agorabooksldn in exchange for a review.
This is a cold case thriller in which a young woman starts to regain her memories after an attack that left her with no memory of her childhood, a dead best friend, and a missing sister. As her memory surfaces, new evidence arises and the detective that first worked the case realises that the attack was a lot more sinister, and a lot more targeted, than it first appeared. Through multiple narratives, Rebecca Kelly explores a difficult and dark case that highlights how the past is never truly behind you, and what happens when it's a whole lot closer than you'd expect. I think this was a great debut novel, but I was not awestruck by it. Unfortunately, I failed to connect to any of the characters, and the plot didn’t quite grip me as I had hoped it would. I enjoyed this book, especially the concept of cold case thrillers, which I haven't read a lot of. It was an interesting read with a complex plot, moments of tension, and disturbing elements. Due to the lack of character development and the writing style not really being my thing, I stuck with a 3 star rating.
You can find my full review over on my blog at thebookishlinguist.com
This is a cold case thriller in which a young woman starts to regain her memories after an attack that left her with no memory of her childhood, a dead best friend, and a missing sister. As her memory surfaces, new evidence arises and the detective that first worked the case realises that the attack was a lot more sinister, and a lot more targeted, than it first appeared. Through multiple narratives, Rebecca Kelly explores a difficult and dark case that highlights how the past is never truly behind you, and what happens when it's a whole lot closer than you'd expect. I think this was a great debut novel, but I was not awestruck by it. Unfortunately, I failed to connect to any of the characters, and the plot didn’t quite grip me as I had hoped it would. I enjoyed this book, especially the concept of cold case thrillers, which I haven't read a lot of. It was an interesting read with a complex plot, moments of tension, and disturbing elements. Due to the lack of character development and the writing style not really being my thing, I stuck with a 3 star rating.
You can find my full review over on my blog at thebookishlinguist.com
isadorareads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I'm someone who scares easily so this one had me reading from the back of the sofa.
thebookendreviews's review against another edition
4.0
Whilst enjoyed is the wrong word to use with such depravity, I raced through the digital pages.
A brilliant and gripping debut novel by Rebecca Kelly. A true psychological thriller with the added twist of amnesia stopping a killer being brought to justice.
The book alternates between timelines from when Heidi was a young girl, playing with her best friend to her struggling with her memories slowly coming back. There is also the added narration from a stalker which I thought was absolutely brilliant. I know some people find these alternating timelines and perspectives hard to follow, but I do think they were imperative to build the tension and story.
The start was a little slow, however it soon became a compulsive read that I couldn't put down.
In all I found this a really good book with difficult topics handled well, with sensitivity and without the need for graphic details. The characters came across as authentic and well written, with a drawing of sympathy towards Heidi.
A wonderfully dark, sinister and twisty read.
TW: Child abuse
A brilliant and gripping debut novel by Rebecca Kelly. A true psychological thriller with the added twist of amnesia stopping a killer being brought to justice.
The book alternates between timelines from when Heidi was a young girl, playing with her best friend to her struggling with her memories slowly coming back. There is also the added narration from a stalker which I thought was absolutely brilliant. I know some people find these alternating timelines and perspectives hard to follow, but I do think they were imperative to build the tension and story.
The start was a little slow, however it soon became a compulsive read that I couldn't put down.
In all I found this a really good book with difficult topics handled well, with sensitivity and without the need for graphic details. The characters came across as authentic and well written, with a drawing of sympathy towards Heidi.
A wonderfully dark, sinister and twisty read.
TW: Child abuse
emmasbibliotreasures's review against another edition
4.0
TW: Abuse
"It had been a policewoman who had eventually discovered them - not on an illicit camp-out as they had assumed, but a devastating scene of death."
At thirteen-years-old Heidi was the lone survivor of a brutal attack that left her hospitalised, her little sister missing and her best friend dead. She has no memories of that day or her life leading up to it. Now, just over a decade later, small fragments of memories are beginning to reappear. As Heidi tries to put the pieces of her past together she finds herself in danger from those who want to keep the truth about that night hidden. But she is determined to find out what happened. Whatever the cost.
"I don't like the way the memories come, like a letter bomb on the doormat. I don't like the way they are tagged to feelings of grief and rage and self-recrimination. I am never prepared."
Monstrous Souls is a pacy, gripping and layered thriller that was hard to put down. The story moves between the dual timelines and multiple narrators as we are given glimpses of events leading up to the night Heidi was attacked and follow her fifteen years later as she begins to regain her memories. As terrible truths are slowly unveiled it is soon clear that there is much more to the events of that night than anyone first imagined.
In this novel the author doesn't shy away from the exploration of deep and difficult subject matters. She examines our psychology, the things we hide from the world, our deepest secrets and fears, and the effects they have on our actions and relationships with others. She also tackles the difficult subject of abuse with sensitivity, avoiding graphic descriptions while still managing to convey the full horror and depravity. She also shines a light on the reasons victims stay quiet, the guilt they feel and the long-lasting effects of abuse exploring if there are fates that can be worse than death.
"I don't want to think about these places, about this other life she has to endure... what I have seen in the photograph seeps through me like a toxin."
For me the characters are a vital part of any book and the characters this author created were authentic and compelling. I found Heidi to be a very sympathetic and likeable character with an interesting character arc as her memories returned. We witness a seemingly fragile woman emerge into someone with great strength. In the flashbacks we witness the usual teenage angst and squabbles with her best friend become something much more serious when Nina confides in her. Heidi is filled with turmoil as she's torn between the solace and security of her home and wanting to help her friend escape her private hell. We watch her anguish over how to help and if she should betray her friend's confidence to do so. Nina is definitely the character I had a soft spot for. Between her awful homelife, the horrors she endures and the knowledge that she is brutally murdered so young, I desperately wished I could save her. Her sorrow, anguish and desolation lept from the page and left me heartbroken.
While I enjoyed all the different perspectives, the mysterious and sinister person stalking Heidi provides some of the best narration of the whole book and his story arc was probably the most nuanced of them all. When his identity was revealed I learned that all my predictions were wrong and my jaw hit the floor.
Monstrous Souls is a sensational, twisty and riveting debut that will have you hooked from start to finish.
"It had been a policewoman who had eventually discovered them - not on an illicit camp-out as they had assumed, but a devastating scene of death."
At thirteen-years-old Heidi was the lone survivor of a brutal attack that left her hospitalised, her little sister missing and her best friend dead. She has no memories of that day or her life leading up to it. Now, just over a decade later, small fragments of memories are beginning to reappear. As Heidi tries to put the pieces of her past together she finds herself in danger from those who want to keep the truth about that night hidden. But she is determined to find out what happened. Whatever the cost.
"I don't like the way the memories come, like a letter bomb on the doormat. I don't like the way they are tagged to feelings of grief and rage and self-recrimination. I am never prepared."
Monstrous Souls is a pacy, gripping and layered thriller that was hard to put down. The story moves between the dual timelines and multiple narrators as we are given glimpses of events leading up to the night Heidi was attacked and follow her fifteen years later as she begins to regain her memories. As terrible truths are slowly unveiled it is soon clear that there is much more to the events of that night than anyone first imagined.
In this novel the author doesn't shy away from the exploration of deep and difficult subject matters. She examines our psychology, the things we hide from the world, our deepest secrets and fears, and the effects they have on our actions and relationships with others. She also tackles the difficult subject of abuse with sensitivity, avoiding graphic descriptions while still managing to convey the full horror and depravity. She also shines a light on the reasons victims stay quiet, the guilt they feel and the long-lasting effects of abuse exploring if there are fates that can be worse than death.
"I don't want to think about these places, about this other life she has to endure... what I have seen in the photograph seeps through me like a toxin."
For me the characters are a vital part of any book and the characters this author created were authentic and compelling. I found Heidi to be a very sympathetic and likeable character with an interesting character arc as her memories returned. We witness a seemingly fragile woman emerge into someone with great strength. In the flashbacks we witness the usual teenage angst and squabbles with her best friend become something much more serious when Nina confides in her. Heidi is filled with turmoil as she's torn between the solace and security of her home and wanting to help her friend escape her private hell. We watch her anguish over how to help and if she should betray her friend's confidence to do so. Nina is definitely the character I had a soft spot for. Between her awful homelife, the horrors she endures and the knowledge that she is brutally murdered so young, I desperately wished I could save her. Her sorrow, anguish and desolation lept from the page and left me heartbroken.
While I enjoyed all the different perspectives, the mysterious and sinister person stalking Heidi provides some of the best narration of the whole book and his story arc was probably the most nuanced of them all. When his identity was revealed I learned that all my predictions were wrong and my jaw hit the floor.
Monstrous Souls is a sensational, twisty and riveting debut that will have you hooked from start to finish.
feuillycakes's review against another edition
4.0
This was an utterly disturbing book that I couldn't put down. I went into this thinking that it would be about plain old murder and assault, so when it ended up being about human trafficking and child abuse I was a bit shocked. That's where the disturbing part comes in. It felt too realistic, too much like it could happen to anyone, and I felt genuine fear from that. The helplessness felt by the girls, the inevitability of what was going to happen to them, and the present day chapters where we see the consequences still play out all added to my uneasiness.
I didn't have fun while reading this book. It was too heavy for that. I was too busy being sad, scared, and horrified to have fun, but I think that's the point, no? This is the first adult crime/mystery/thriller type book I've ever read that didn't involve paranormal/supernatural elements, and it was a strong introduction to the genre. I kept reading because I just had to know what had happened to those little girls. I spent a good portion of the book assuming I knew what was going to be revealed at the end too, and I was thrown for a loop when that didn't happen.
I loved the twist. I was in no way expecting it, and the way it was handled was very moving and powerful in my opinion. I very nearly cried - when the unnamed person is revealed to be Scott and he watches himself on that tape, I teared up big time. I was torn between anger at the horrific crime he committed and unending rage at that awful man who abused him like that to the point where he could do something so terrible - it was heartbreaking.
The flashbacks paired with the dangers of the present events, plus that little sprinkling of an unknown POV who is very clearly out to get Heidi, all adds up into a very high-stakes mystery/thriller which kept me guessing even as I thought I knew the truth - and believe me, it's not what you may expect.
All in all, a fantastic debut novel, with a gripping story that really delves deep into the horrors of human trafficking and corrupt police systems. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this early in return for a review!
I didn't have fun while reading this book. It was too heavy for that. I was too busy being sad, scared, and horrified to have fun, but I think that's the point, no? This is the first adult crime/mystery/thriller type book I've ever read that didn't involve paranormal/supernatural elements, and it was a strong introduction to the genre. I kept reading because I just had to know what had happened to those little girls. I spent a good portion of the book assuming I knew what was going to be revealed at the end too, and I was thrown for a loop when that didn't happen.
I loved the twist. I was in no way expecting it, and the way it was handled was very moving and powerful in my opinion. I very nearly cried -
The flashbacks paired with the dangers of the present events, plus that little sprinkling of an unknown POV who is very clearly out to get Heidi, all adds up into a very high-stakes mystery/thriller which kept me guessing even as I thought I knew the truth - and believe me, it's not what you may expect.
All in all, a fantastic debut novel, with a gripping story that really delves deep into the horrors of human trafficking and corrupt police systems. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this early in return for a review!
alwaysneedmorebooks's review against another edition
4.0
What if you knew the truth but couldn’t remember?
The story opens with two detectives, Brenda and Denise visiting a teenage girl in hospital. 13-year-old Heidi was found badly beaten and left for dead in parkland. Her best friend was found dead next to her and her 7-year-old sister Anna is missing.
Moving forward to 2016, we find Denise is still in touch with Heidi who has no memory of what happened to her on that day or why. Her sister has never been found and her mum has never recovered from the trauma of what happened to Heidi and loosing Anna and is in a psychiatric unit, so Heidi is very much alone. Heidi’s memory is starting to return, frustratingly slowly and she wants to know more information about the case.
After Denise has filled Heidi in on what she knows, Heidi starts to do her own digging, starting by visiting Nina’s family who still live next door to her old childhood home. There she meets Nina’s mum and some of her now grown up siblings, who help to fill in some the gaps.
Mostly from Heidi’s point of view we hear from her at the age of 13, about her friendship with Nina and the old bunker they use a secret den. We also hear from her as a grown up as she starts to uncover the shocking events that led to her attack. As Heidi’s memory starts to come back, she is aware that she is being followed and her life is again at risk, as people become nervous about her remembering too much.
I found the subject matter of Monstrous Souls highly uncomfortable to read about, but it was a thrilling read none the less. The dual timeline worked really well – we as the reader are finding out about Heidi’s past at the same time as she is. Quite early on we learn that Nina is unhappy at home and dislikes her stepfather immensely – she wants to run away and begs Heidi to come with her. When is comes to light that Nina is being abused by her step father, Heidi’s safe, comfortable world is shattered. I felt so sad for the 13-year-old Heidi having to deal with these huge issues alone.
A gritty, dark and shocking read, Rebecca Kelly handles the subject matter with sensitivity and threw in a few extra twists that I did not see coming! A strong and confident debut.
The story opens with two detectives, Brenda and Denise visiting a teenage girl in hospital. 13-year-old Heidi was found badly beaten and left for dead in parkland. Her best friend was found dead next to her and her 7-year-old sister Anna is missing.
Moving forward to 2016, we find Denise is still in touch with Heidi who has no memory of what happened to her on that day or why. Her sister has never been found and her mum has never recovered from the trauma of what happened to Heidi and loosing Anna and is in a psychiatric unit, so Heidi is very much alone. Heidi’s memory is starting to return, frustratingly slowly and she wants to know more information about the case.
After Denise has filled Heidi in on what she knows, Heidi starts to do her own digging, starting by visiting Nina’s family who still live next door to her old childhood home. There she meets Nina’s mum and some of her now grown up siblings, who help to fill in some the gaps.
Mostly from Heidi’s point of view we hear from her at the age of 13, about her friendship with Nina and the old bunker they use a secret den. We also hear from her as a grown up as she starts to uncover the shocking events that led to her attack. As Heidi’s memory starts to come back, she is aware that she is being followed and her life is again at risk, as people become nervous about her remembering too much.
I found the subject matter of Monstrous Souls highly uncomfortable to read about, but it was a thrilling read none the less. The dual timeline worked really well – we as the reader are finding out about Heidi’s past at the same time as she is. Quite early on we learn that Nina is unhappy at home and dislikes her stepfather immensely – she wants to run away and begs Heidi to come with her. When is comes to light that Nina is being abused by her step father, Heidi’s safe, comfortable world is shattered. I felt so sad for the 13-year-old Heidi having to deal with these huge issues alone.
A gritty, dark and shocking read, Rebecca Kelly handles the subject matter with sensitivity and threw in a few extra twists that I did not see coming! A strong and confident debut.
thebookishmeg's review against another edition
3.0
#gifted | I was very kindly sent a copy of this book by Peyton Stableford (@TheyCallMePeyto) from @agorabooksldn in exchange for a review.
This is a cold case thriller in which a young woman starts to regain her memories after an attack that left her with no memory of her childhood, a dead best friend, and a missing sister. As her memory surfaces, new evidence arises and the detective that first worked the case realises that the attack was a lot more sinister, and a lot more targeted, than it first appeared. Through multiple narratives, Rebecca Kelly explores a difficult and dark case that highlights how the past is never truly behind you, and what happens when it's a whole lot closer than you'd expect. I think this was a great debut novel, but I was not awestruck by it. Unfortunately, I failed to connect to any of the characters, and the plot didn’t quite grip me as I had hoped it would. I enjoyed this book, especially the concept of cold case thrillers, which I haven't read a lot of. It was an interesting read with a complex plot, moments of tension, and disturbing elements. Due to the lack of character development and the writing style not really being my thing, I stuck with a 3 star rating.
You can find my full review over on my blog at thebookishlinguist.com
This is a cold case thriller in which a young woman starts to regain her memories after an attack that left her with no memory of her childhood, a dead best friend, and a missing sister. As her memory surfaces, new evidence arises and the detective that first worked the case realises that the attack was a lot more sinister, and a lot more targeted, than it first appeared. Through multiple narratives, Rebecca Kelly explores a difficult and dark case that highlights how the past is never truly behind you, and what happens when it's a whole lot closer than you'd expect. I think this was a great debut novel, but I was not awestruck by it. Unfortunately, I failed to connect to any of the characters, and the plot didn’t quite grip me as I had hoped it would. I enjoyed this book, especially the concept of cold case thrillers, which I haven't read a lot of. It was an interesting read with a complex plot, moments of tension, and disturbing elements. Due to the lack of character development and the writing style not really being my thing, I stuck with a 3 star rating.
You can find my full review over on my blog at thebookishlinguist.com
itsallaboutthebooksuk's review against another edition
4.0
Set in 2016 Monstrous Souls introduces us to Heidi who back in 2001 was brutally attacked along with her best friend Nina, Nina didn’t survive and the attack on Heidi left her with memory loss. She doesn’t remember the attack, who it was by or the lead up to it. Heidis little sister Anna was taken that day as well and the police never found her or the culprit.
Denise was a police officer on the case at the time and it has always haunted her that they never solved things or found Anna so when Heidis memory looks like it may be coming back, Denise is keen to investigate and help Heidi. Someone isn’t so keen though and wants to stop Heidi from revealing the truth.
With a duel timeline and told from different perspectives, Monstrous Souls is a dark and twisty read that is uncomfortable at times but the subject that is approached is done with sensitivity and isn’t described in detail which I was thankful for but it certainly sent shivers down my spine.
I felt really frustrated for Heidi, I couldn’t imagine having gone through something so terrible and having no memory. You’d think it might be a blessing not remembering the terrible things that happened but she has no recollection of her friend, her sister or herself.
When I started reading this book I stopped and started many times due to family life which was really frustrating but it was when I got to about 40% I really got the chance to get into it and I read it with an urgency, an urgency to find out what happened, an urgency for Heidis memories to return and an urgency to read that justice would be severed to the monsters. It’s definitely a story that is gripping, tense and keeps you on your toes.
Monstrous Souls is an incredible debut by Rebecca Kelly and although it touches on some incredibly difficult and heart wrenching matters it’s a story that you need to make time to read, with no distractions because once you start you really won’t want to put it down. I’m excited to see what Rebecca Kelly comes up with next and I’ll be highly recommending Monstrous Souls
Denise was a police officer on the case at the time and it has always haunted her that they never solved things or found Anna so when Heidis memory looks like it may be coming back, Denise is keen to investigate and help Heidi. Someone isn’t so keen though and wants to stop Heidi from revealing the truth.
With a duel timeline and told from different perspectives, Monstrous Souls is a dark and twisty read that is uncomfortable at times but the subject that is approached is done with sensitivity and isn’t described in detail which I was thankful for but it certainly sent shivers down my spine.
I felt really frustrated for Heidi, I couldn’t imagine having gone through something so terrible and having no memory. You’d think it might be a blessing not remembering the terrible things that happened but she has no recollection of her friend, her sister or herself.
When I started reading this book I stopped and started many times due to family life which was really frustrating but it was when I got to about 40% I really got the chance to get into it and I read it with an urgency, an urgency to find out what happened, an urgency for Heidis memories to return and an urgency to read that justice would be severed to the monsters. It’s definitely a story that is gripping, tense and keeps you on your toes.
Monstrous Souls is an incredible debut by Rebecca Kelly and although it touches on some incredibly difficult and heart wrenching matters it’s a story that you need to make time to read, with no distractions because once you start you really won’t want to put it down. I’m excited to see what Rebecca Kelly comes up with next and I’ll be highly recommending Monstrous Souls
aayushimybookishbanter's review against another edition
4.0
Monstrous Souls is a dark, intense, emotional and gripping debut by Rebecca Kelly. It is disturbing and terrorizing and unputdownable in equal measures.
The plot alternates between two timelines (2001 and 2016) and three PoVs. From the very first page, there was palpable tension and fear in the plot, a knowledge that something horrific has taken place. As expected, the major plot twists surface in the second half of the book, but the first half is equally addictive owing to clever writing that beautifully recreates the horror and fear that Heidi feels.
It is quite commendable that Kelly has managed to create such strong characters and relationships even in a mystery/thriller, where the characters are usually secondary to the plot. The friendship of Nina and Heidi and the way it evolved with the knowledge of secret too dark and heavy for any 13-year olds made me heart break a little. The character of Denise (the detective who investigates the case) is very relatable as she is trying hard to keep her emotions of horror and pain under check and striving on to uncover the truth. Even the unknown stalker of Heidi is given a deep and dark layer of personality, one that makes you feel revolted and sympathetic towards him at the same time.
The plot is tightly written and maintains its pace and tension throughout. Even at times when there are no major plot twists, the emotional aspect of the story is played up to keep the reader interested. The sensitive topics of child abuse and neglect are handled maturely and evoke a deep sadness in the reader. The writing is just the right amount of descriptive without the extra “padding”, which made me actually feel the pain, horror, sadness, guilt, fear and angst of the characters.
The only thing that bugged me slightly was that the PoV of Heidi is written in first person, whereas the other two are written in third person. I’m not sure if this was intended or an oversight, but it did confuse me at times and made me do a double take to understand whom was the chapter talking about.
The plot alternates between two timelines (2001 and 2016) and three PoVs. From the very first page, there was palpable tension and fear in the plot, a knowledge that something horrific has taken place. As expected, the major plot twists surface in the second half of the book, but the first half is equally addictive owing to clever writing that beautifully recreates the horror and fear that Heidi feels.
It is quite commendable that Kelly has managed to create such strong characters and relationships even in a mystery/thriller, where the characters are usually secondary to the plot. The friendship of Nina and Heidi and the way it evolved with the knowledge of secret too dark and heavy for any 13-year olds made me heart break a little. The character of Denise (the detective who investigates the case) is very relatable as she is trying hard to keep her emotions of horror and pain under check and striving on to uncover the truth. Even the unknown stalker of Heidi is given a deep and dark layer of personality, one that makes you feel revolted and sympathetic towards him at the same time.
The plot is tightly written and maintains its pace and tension throughout. Even at times when there are no major plot twists, the emotional aspect of the story is played up to keep the reader interested. The sensitive topics of child abuse and neglect are handled maturely and evoke a deep sadness in the reader. The writing is just the right amount of descriptive without the extra “padding”, which made me actually feel the pain, horror, sadness, guilt, fear and angst of the characters.
The only thing that bugged me slightly was that the PoV of Heidi is written in first person, whereas the other two are written in third person. I’m not sure if this was intended or an oversight, but it did confuse me at times and made me do a double take to understand whom was the chapter talking about.