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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
dark
tense
medium-paced
I think its important to realize that books don't have to have mind-bending twists and not everything is a mystery. This wonderful novel, even though the protagonist doesn't know whodunit, isn't a mystery. Its a tour de force of how powerful love is, both for good and bad. Family can be many different things to different people but it should always be about support. So many characters here are broken and need help. This book won't be for everyone but I flew through it and wanted to know where everyone would land. Megan Collins is super talented and I look forward to reading more of her work.
I'll save you the trouble. Nothing to see here; nothing you haven't read before. Tons of family secrets that are revealed 20 years later without much digging or preamble. No one to root for -- or feel sympathy/empathy for -- except the murder victim. Buh-bye three+ hours of my life!
(3.5 stars rounded up) Not a whole lot to say about this one. Predictable, but enjoyable nonetheless. I’ve read a LOT of thrillers/mysteries lately so that may be why I found it predictable, so if you’re new to the genre you may disagree. The storyline between Sylvie and her mother was honestly more intriguing than the unsolved murder and is why I rounded up instead of down.
A bit predictable, but an overall interesting plot. I rarely call the plot twist at the end of a thriller (I’ve never been a good detective), but I was able to predict the ending.
Things I still don’t understand:
1. Why was Ben’s father paying for Persephone’s items? It seemed like he was being blackmailed by the creeper next door, so why did he exchange $ for items? Why didn’t he just give him hush money?
2. How did no one in this small town connect the mayor to the mom in the book? Obviously, people knew they had been together- how did no one figure out that Persephone was his daughter? The author mentions that Persephone looks like their mom several times, but still...
3. The mom’s actions throughout the book were reprehensible. And her reasoning is because she loved Persephone so much that she had to be mean to her? Odd.
4. Why exactly did the father kill Persephone?
I read this on a trip in the car, so I might have missed a few key plot points....
Things I still don’t understand:
1. Why was Ben’s father paying for Persephone’s items? It seemed like he was being blackmailed by the creeper next door, so why did he exchange $ for items? Why didn’t he just give him hush money?
2. How did no one in this small town connect the mayor to the mom in the book? Obviously, people knew they had been together- how did no one figure out that Persephone was his daughter? The author mentions that Persephone looks like their mom several times, but still...
3. The mom’s actions throughout the book were reprehensible. And her reasoning is because she loved Persephone so much that she had to be mean to her? Odd.
4. Why exactly did the father kill Persephone?
I read this on a trip in the car, so I might have missed a few key plot points....
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Easy, quick read; not super suspenseful but compelling and entertaining.
This book was underwhelming. I felt like it was dragging and keep repeating things trying to get to the point. And then the point and twist came…meh. It held my attention and kept me engaged but was so slow and I wasn’t as invested as I expected to be. Honestly, it might be more like 2 stars. But I’m rating it 3 since it was well written and kept me engaged.
2.5 stars; in a book with such limited characters, I'm surprised I didn't guess it was the father earlier. I did guess the twist where Persephone was his daughter though. The (unknown at the time) incest was a little much for me...
Sylvie O'Leary's older sister Persephone, seventeen at the time, never came home one night. When Persephone was out she was with a boyfriend that her mother forbade her to see. It was three torturous days before her body was discovered. It is now sixteen years later and her murderer was never found.
Sylvie has been estranged from their mother for several years. When she does return home to care for her other, Annie, as she is undergoing cancer, Sylvie runs into Persephone's former boyfriend Ben. The reason Sylvie is caring for her mother is she is in cancer treatment. Ben is now a nurse at the cancer center. Shocked, Sylvie doesn't know what to do because for all of those years she was completely convinced that Ben is the one that killed her sister and then got away with it.
On the one hand, she still blames Ben, although the police never had enough to charge him. However, she also has her own guilt about her sister's death, so at the very least, she is desperate to find answers, and these answers go a long way to revealing secrets. It takes a lot of work, questions and angst, but things eventually begin to come clear about that dreadful night.
As mentioned, Sylvie was estranged from Annie. Their relationship is painstakingly examined all the while Sylvie thinks hard about her relationship with Persephone while they were teens. Presently she must deal with being around Ben and exploring any connection he had to the murder.
Along with the connections made between Sylvie and Annie, and even Sylvie and Ben, there were some surprising twists and turns, as well as other suspects. No doubt I was desperately intrigued while reading this book. I was shocked at some of the reveals, but especially as to what actually happened to Persephone. This debut novel by Megan Collins proved to be an excellent read.
Many thanks to Atria and to Edelweiss for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
Sylvie has been estranged from their mother for several years. When she does return home to care for her other, Annie, as she is undergoing cancer, Sylvie runs into Persephone's former boyfriend Ben. The reason Sylvie is caring for her mother is she is in cancer treatment. Ben is now a nurse at the cancer center. Shocked, Sylvie doesn't know what to do because for all of those years she was completely convinced that Ben is the one that killed her sister and then got away with it.
On the one hand, she still blames Ben, although the police never had enough to charge him. However, she also has her own guilt about her sister's death, so at the very least, she is desperate to find answers, and these answers go a long way to revealing secrets. It takes a lot of work, questions and angst, but things eventually begin to come clear about that dreadful night.
As mentioned, Sylvie was estranged from Annie. Their relationship is painstakingly examined all the while Sylvie thinks hard about her relationship with Persephone while they were teens. Presently she must deal with being around Ben and exploring any connection he had to the murder.
Along with the connections made between Sylvie and Annie, and even Sylvie and Ben, there were some surprising twists and turns, as well as other suspects. No doubt I was desperately intrigued while reading this book. I was shocked at some of the reveals, but especially as to what actually happened to Persephone. This debut novel by Megan Collins proved to be an excellent read.
Many thanks to Atria and to Edelweiss for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
overall the book was interesting the story line had potention but I feel like the resolution is easily guessed. I just found the book boring and had to push through to keep reading. The ending felt forced and rushed, overall not great but okay. 2.5 stars