Take a photo of a barcode or cover
retiredlibrarylady 's review for:
The Last Good Day of the Year
by Jessica Warman
Samantha's little sister Turtle (Tabitha) disappears on New Year's Eve, sleeping next to her sister, on New Year's Eve 1986. Sam and her best friend Remy identify the abductor as Steven, boyfriend of big sister Gretchen. He is convicted and sent to death row. 10 years later, Sam and family have moved back to their old home from Virginia, and there reconnects with Remy and the two of them begin to question Steven's guilt. At the same time Gretchen and her best friend Abby are beyond questioning; they know the truth, and they are doing something about it.
There's a lot to like about this book; it's quite a good mystery. The narrative flips from 1986 to 1996, in Sam's voice, with interruptions from a book called "Forty-eight minutes of doubt", which when published cast doubt on Steven's guilt. The family/neighborhood dynamic is dark and disturbing, the ending unanticipated, the teen-age intensity spot on. Those who know me know I don't especially like novels that switch narratives, and I did find that confusing. I had to constantly check to see which year we are talking about. Things happen that aren't explained at all until later in the book. Not my favorite style. Nevertheless, I found this compelling.
There's a lot to like about this book; it's quite a good mystery. The narrative flips from 1986 to 1996, in Sam's voice, with interruptions from a book called "Forty-eight minutes of doubt", which when published cast doubt on Steven's guilt. The family/neighborhood dynamic is dark and disturbing, the ending unanticipated, the teen-age intensity spot on. Those who know me know I don't especially like novels that switch narratives, and I did find that confusing. I had to constantly check to see which year we are talking about. Things happen that aren't explained at all until later in the book. Not my favorite style. Nevertheless, I found this compelling.