The decade-old investigation focused on Nic, her brother Daniel, boyfriend Tyler, and Corinne’s boyfriend Jackson. Since then, only Nic has left Cooley Ridge. Daniel and his wife, Laura, are expecting a baby; Jackson works at the town bar; and Tyler is dating Annaleise Carter, Nic’s younger neighbor and the group’s alibi the night Corinne disappeared. Then, within days of Nic’s return, Annaleise goes missing.
Told backwards—Day 15 to Day 1—from the time Annaleise goes missing, Nic works to unravel the truth about her younger neighbor’s disappearance, revealing shocking truths about her friends, her family, and what really happened to Corinne that night ten years ago. (Pub Date: Jun 28, 2016)
I was invited by Simon & Schuster to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
What an eerie story, I still feel the goose bumps here.
When a letter from her father arrives, implying he'd seen Corrine, her friend missing for a decade, Nic has to go back in town and confront her ghosts—those dead and those alive. There's her brother, with whom she was never on good terms, and there's her high-school boyfriend, with whom she never really ended things, even though she is now engaged, and finally there is another girl who goes missing and resuscitates all the turmoil from when her friend disappeared.
As the summary emphasizes already, the story is majorly told backwards, from the main character point of view. We get 'Day 1', when Nic returns to her hometown and sees Annaleise dating her ex-boyfriend, and then we get 'Day 15', when Annaleise is missing and a body is finally found. Also, each day, Vic reveals more about her past and the circumstances to Corrine's case, as the present shows more connections forcing her to remember those days she wanted put behind.
The first thing I loved about this book was how the author described the small town where Nic used to live. Having myself been raises in one, and even though there wasn't any big case like Corrine's there, I identified with mostly everything. However, what seemed just bittersweet at first, slowly turned eerie. Wow! I remember checking the genres because I was sure a ghost was about to pop out anytime from those creepy woods. And to think they sounded so lovely when we first "arrived" there.
Really, this would have given a great horror story!
I also enjoyed the characters and the depth they acquired as I read on. I don't think I identified much with Nic but she did feel real to me; I couldn't stop thinking 'poor girl'. I also appreciated the use of each character, there were many and still each one played a part in the story, which is usually what happens in reality.
The going from day 15 to day 1 wasn't confusing but I think the book lost in character development, for obvious reasons. Still, this wasn't as if the author just inverted the order of the chapters, in a cheap way to build mysteries. I believe the trick was used as if Nic was thinking back on her eventful days since she had gotten back, for while the main narrative was regressive, the flashbacks were progressing and going deeper into Nic's soul. Would I have suggested the author do it the conventional way? I wonder, but the result isn't confusing at all to readers. Notwithstanding not recommending others try it all the time, this one time was entertaining—I confess I had fun when she's wake up somewhere unexpected but I'd have to wait until the end of the following chapter to understand how she got there—and allowed me to focus on the small hints. I do love planning and this book wouldn't have been possible without a lot of it, for each detail thought of along the way would demand tweaking around three chapters at least.
As for the conclusion, it was better than I had expected. Even though I eventually guessed the culprit—actually found out because at that point I was already too sure—, I was deceived for a long portion of the book. And yes, I was satisfied with the answer. I'm just not sure I was as satisfied with how Nic thinks around the end but I'd have her end up the same way she did, so I guess it doesn't change anything.
The big flaw in the book is how dramatic the narrative tends to get. I did see the intention was to break Nic apart so angst is what ensues, especially when about friends and family bonds. I call it a flaw because, whilst I actually enjoy those moments, I know many readers of this genre wouldn't. So, be advised those who prefer thrillers to be more straightforward.
And yet, wow! I wasn't even sure what to do with life once the story ended and spent a few minutes just staring at the ceiling. This isn't funny, this isn't a quick narrative but it's definitely a page-turner. I would have missed this book hadn't it been for the invitation—read the summary but it didn't call to me then—, so thank you a lot to Simon & Schuster for the opportunity.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
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