This book is a little out of my normal wheelhouse as I would classify it more as supernatural mystery/thriller and horror. I do love a good mystery, but normally stay away from all things creepy. However, my first impression after reading the sneak peak was good, and then I won the book in a raffle, thus I continued to read the rest of the book. I'm not sure I would have sought it out otherwise, so I'm glad I had the opportunity to read the book in its entirety.
The prose is delightful to read and feels different than a lot of other books, which makes it all the more intriguing. The storyline is so innovative and captivating and I really love the supernatural twist with the mix of past and present. I often really dislike first person narrative because I find it entirely too predictable and get frustrated that authors overdo it on the foreshadowing, so their characters just seem clueless. While this is written in first person, it did not fall into this trap. I thought it had some great surprises throughout and maintained a good air of mystery. I think the other perspectives via video recordings really helped with that.
I did not find the characters as relatable as I usually like, however, they still managed to draw me in. They had interesting back stories and seemed so very human. The small bit of romance in it felt a bit forced, but it was a really miniscule part of the book and was actually kind of refreshing to read a book where there isn't a love triangle or it isn't the focus of the book. It makes sense in some books, but I think it made sense for it to not be a big theme in this book, given the journey Sophia was on, and also to show some of her character development at the end.
I love the emphasis on family and finding your way back to loved ones that is emphasized in the book. Both the main character, Sophia, and the secondary characters, all had their unique treks to try and find their way to dear family and friends they were missing.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was entertaining and mind bending and hard to put down. I love being introduced to "new to me" authors and am excited to check out more books by Marshall.
Thank you to Penguin Random House for sending me a copy!
The prose is delightful to read and feels different than a lot of other books, which makes it all the more intriguing. The storyline is so innovative and captivating and I really love the supernatural twist with the mix of past and present. I often really dislike first person narrative because I find it entirely too predictable and get frustrated that authors overdo it on the foreshadowing, so their characters just seem clueless. While this is written in first person, it did not fall into this trap. I thought it had some great surprises throughout and maintained a good air of mystery. I think the other perspectives via video recordings really helped with that.
I did not find the characters as relatable as I usually like, however, they still managed to draw me in. They had interesting back stories and seemed so very human. The small bit of romance in it felt a bit forced, but it was a really miniscule part of the book and was actually kind of refreshing to read a book where there isn't a love triangle or it isn't the focus of the book. It makes sense in some books, but I think it made sense for it to not be a big theme in this book, given the journey Sophia was on, and also to show some of her character development at the end.
I love the emphasis on family and finding your way back to loved ones that is emphasized in the book. Both the main character, Sophia, and the secondary characters, all had their unique treks to try and find their way to dear family and friends they were missing.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was entertaining and mind bending and hard to put down. I love being introduced to "new to me" authors and am excited to check out more books by Marshall.
Thank you to Penguin Random House for sending me a copy!