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A review by iwanttoreadallthebooks
Gretchen by Shannon Kirk
5.0
Gretchen by Shannon Kirk is one of the most unrelenting, intense gothic suspense/horror novels that I have read in a long time! Lucy is a fifteen year old girl who has been on the run with her mom for thirteen years. While she does not know why they are constantly running, she knows that she must never engage with strangers, always wear her colored contacts, and be prepared in an instant to move to the next place. After leaving abruptly when Lucy mistakenly locks eyes with a stranger, Lucy and her mom go to their eleventh state, New Hampshire. There, they find a seemingly perfect rental property on the grounds of an isolated fortress, complete with hanging traps and electric fences. Their landlords are Jerry, a pianist, and his teenage daughter, Gretchen. It is evident that Gretchen is unusual and doesn't have any friends but she soon becomes Lucy's first real friend. But as their friendship develops, Lucy realizes that Gretchen's intensity has become controlling and unsettling. Gretchen's obsession with puzzles, particularly puzzles with dark themes, concerns Lucy. While Lucy has always honored her mother's wish not to look into her past, Gretchen begins to share who Lucy is. And as Lucy's backstory and secrets begin to unravel, Gretchen's own secrets come to light in a horrifying dangerous way.
WOW! Gretchen is an absolutely crazy thrill-ride that had me hooked from the very first page. This story is so dark and intense that I felt like I was holding my breath the whole time I was reading it! It is full of WTF moments and I stopped trying to predict what was going to happen pretty early on because it was full of surprises and shocking moments that I don't think any reader could predict. Kirk's writing style is tailor-made for the suspense/horror genre and held me captive until the very last page. I thought her character development was superb. Each character was carefully crafted and was distinctive, even the minor characters. I thought Lucy was a particularly strong protagonist and her voice was appropriate for a 15 year old girl. There are multiple plot lines in the book but they all weave together well by the end.
I loved this book and how it completely captivated me. Kirk is an absolutely amazing storyteller and I definitely have to read In the Vines now! Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
5 STARS!
WOW! Gretchen is an absolutely crazy thrill-ride that had me hooked from the very first page. This story is so dark and intense that I felt like I was holding my breath the whole time I was reading it! It is full of WTF moments and I stopped trying to predict what was going to happen pretty early on because it was full of surprises and shocking moments that I don't think any reader could predict. Kirk's writing style is tailor-made for the suspense/horror genre and held me captive until the very last page. I thought her character development was superb. Each character was carefully crafted and was distinctive, even the minor characters. I thought Lucy was a particularly strong protagonist and her voice was appropriate for a 15 year old girl. There are multiple plot lines in the book but they all weave together well by the end.
I loved this book and how it completely captivated me. Kirk is an absolutely amazing storyteller and I definitely have to read In the Vines now! Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
5 STARS!