A review by elyseabrooke
Penpal by Dathan Auerbach

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book was so uniquely written. Often we see stories that are set in the present and have some flashbacks which then reveal the secret the main character harbors and I feel exhausted with those troupes. This took a new approach and it hit the mark. With the whole story being memories which intertwine, you are lead through in the same way the main character was. You find different pieces along the way and it doesn’t take long for the image of the puzzle to begin forming, causing a growing sense of dread and sadness. Though you are lead to what essentially happened, there are still some details which leave it up to your imagination and it was these thoughts that kept me up at night. 

I also must applaud the author for his writing style. Every word was intentional and mellifluous and I am looking forward to reading more of his work.