A mystery/thriller coming-of-age story with a sprinkle of the supernatural

This was my forty-seventh book I chose via the Reedsy Discovery program, for which I am the single approved reviewer for this new book. This review also appears on Reedsy.

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The Premise

After waking up from a coma, Carmela learns from her father that her newlywed husband Dylan was killed, and someone is after her — but she can’t remember any of this. She is taken to a small town in Nevada by her father, where he tells her to wait and hide out while he “figures things out” as this is the only way to protect her. With no friends or contact with the outside world, and a mobile phone that only has her father’s number on it, Carmela struggles with her faith in her father — whom she has always obeyed. Should she listen to him, as she usually does — or is it time that she strikes out on her own and risk endangerment?

The Pros & Cons

This was a mystery/thriller coming-of-age story with a sprinkle of the supernatural.

Our heroine Carmela’s life has been fairly simple up to the point we meet her — a “good girl” who has done everything she was told. The problem is that now her dad is telling her to just “sit still” and wait for further instructions from him — and with little information, it is a mental battle for her as she isn’t sure who to trust.

Caught between two worlds — her past, where her closest friends think she is still in a coma — and her new life where she hesitates to get too attached, Carmela finds herself at a crossroads where she has to force herself to become an adult in more ways than one. She has always trusted her father, but now he is behaving oddly and she begins to question everything she always believed — even her own love for her recently-deceased husband.

I loved the premise of the story and was quickly drawn in by Carmela’s story, as it is one that will resonate with many young women. Our fathers are often our heroes, and if we never have reason to doubt, would we follow them blindly over a cliff? I also really liked the inclusion of the supernatural, which was naturally blended into the story without making it totally about these elements — a kind of “magical realism” effect. This was lovely to read, as it is unusual to have an action/thriller that also has fantasy elements casually thrown in! The supernatural powers of her friends made it an interesting read, particularly when Carmela learns (quite humorously!) of her own special skill. The dialogue of their banter is great, and the dashes of romance and drama liven up what might have otherwise been a grittier read. These were all nicely done and I could see myself reading an entire series of this just to see the stories of the other girls!

Though I enjoyed the novel and read it quickly, I did wish it explained more of the plot. For me, it wasn’t enough to just have “elements” of crime that we learn took place in the background — for this genre, there needed to be more story development in the foreground, or an original shocking twist to blow me away. Also, though I absolutely loved all the friendships with her flatmates and Carmela’s developing relationship with a new guy, I was also aching for a bit more on the “action” side of things — it does happen, but the biggest action scene comes and goes so quickly! Nevertheless this is a great, swift read that will titillate readers who like an easy-to-follow thriller with a gutsy girl lead.

Conclusion

Overall I quite enjoyed the story, particularly the original aspects with the interweaving of the supernatural. Though it fell short for me a bit personally in some ways, I would still recommend to other readers — however, I think it would be most suitable for younger readers (teenage girls especially) as it is focuses more on Carmela’s journey to adulthood rather than leaning heavily into the action/thriller aspects. It was a nice balance of multiple genres that made for a pleasing ride. This was a new author for me, and I look forward to reading more of her work.

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