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A review by mirificmoxie
The Forgotten Child by Melissa Erin Jackson
4.0
4 Stars
ARC provided by Ringtail Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Forgotten Child is an intriguing Paranormal Mystery and notable debut novel. The description caught my eye because it sounded different and refreshing. And this definitely lived up to my expectations.
The story is about twenty-five-year-old Riley Thomas who has strong abilities as a psychic medium but suppresses her gift because a bad experience when she was young. But after years of avoiding anywhere there might be dead people, Riley’s friends talk her into going to an allegedly haunted ranch. In the seventies and eighties, a serial killer used Jordanville Ranch as his base of operation for abducting, mutilating, and murdering girls. But what really happened all those years ago? And did they really find all the victims?
The story is told in third person, past tense around Riley with a few flashback intervals to the killer. It mostly takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the Gila National Forest. The setting could have used a bit more description. I couldn’t tell where it was set until it was spelled out. And more description of the Gila National Forest would have amplified the atmosphere because that is definitely a spooky looking place.
The investigation of the mystery took on a broader scope than I expected, but that kept it from just being a haunted house story. Although the plot is slow burning at times, I was interested the entire time and read most of the book in one day.
Riley is an intriguing character. She is strongly gifted at seeing the dead, but is terrified of them. She’s a little awkward at times and inconsistently suffers from social anxiety. But she is an open-hearted and determined. The cast of characters was diverse and interesting. I wasn’t expecting there to be a romance subplot, but I enjoyed it. It was cute without suffocating the rest of the story. And there was a little steaminess thrown in.
The story does have some dark themes since it revolves around the torture and murders committed by the serial killer. It isn’t salaciously graphic, but there was some violent content. The spooky parts were well done. The only bits that occasionally sounded borderline cheesy were where the characters discussed psychic abilities. But it wasn’t too bad. Obviously a story about psychic mediums requires some suspension of belief. But I thoroughly enjoyed The Forgotten Child. It definitely left things open for sequels, and this is intended to be the first in a series. I look forward to reading more of the series and seeing the author grow.
RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 3 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 4 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 4 Stars
Level of Captivation: 5 Stars
Originality: 4 Stars
ARC provided by Ringtail Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Forgotten Child is an intriguing Paranormal Mystery and notable debut novel. The description caught my eye because it sounded different and refreshing. And this definitely lived up to my expectations.
The story is about twenty-five-year-old Riley Thomas who has strong abilities as a psychic medium but suppresses her gift because a bad experience when she was young. But after years of avoiding anywhere there might be dead people, Riley’s friends talk her into going to an allegedly haunted ranch. In the seventies and eighties, a serial killer used Jordanville Ranch as his base of operation for abducting, mutilating, and murdering girls. But what really happened all those years ago? And did they really find all the victims?
The story is told in third person, past tense around Riley with a few flashback intervals to the killer. It mostly takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the Gila National Forest. The setting could have used a bit more description. I couldn’t tell where it was set until it was spelled out. And more description of the Gila National Forest would have amplified the atmosphere because that is definitely a spooky looking place.
The investigation of the mystery took on a broader scope than I expected, but that kept it from just being a haunted house story. Although the plot is slow burning at times, I was interested the entire time and read most of the book in one day.
Riley is an intriguing character. She is strongly gifted at seeing the dead, but is terrified of them. She’s a little awkward at times and inconsistently suffers from social anxiety. But she is an open-hearted and determined. The cast of characters was diverse and interesting. I wasn’t expecting there to be a romance subplot, but I enjoyed it. It was cute without suffocating the rest of the story. And there was a little steaminess thrown in.
The story does have some dark themes since it revolves around the torture and murders committed by the serial killer. It isn’t salaciously graphic, but there was some violent content. The spooky parts were well done. The only bits that occasionally sounded borderline cheesy were where the characters discussed psychic abilities. But it wasn’t too bad. Obviously a story about psychic mediums requires some suspension of belief. But I thoroughly enjoyed The Forgotten Child. It definitely left things open for sequels, and this is intended to be the first in a series. I look forward to reading more of the series and seeing the author grow.
RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 3 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 4 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 4 Stars
Level of Captivation: 5 Stars
Originality: 4 Stars