Happy Wednesday, everyone. We are to the half way point in the week. Deep breaths.... almost there. To help get you through, I have something fun to share. Today's audiobook review is courtesy of a new Audiobook Company called eStories. This new service has everything you love about the other audiobook sites you know and love, but it is a little bit cheaper. Who doesn't like to save money, right? Here is what you need to know:
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I was lucky enough to check out this audiobook courtesy of the folks at eStories and it was spectacular! Here is my review:
All The Missing Girls by Megan Miranda
Like the spellbinding psychological suspense in The Girl on the Train and Luckiest Girl Alive, Megan Miranda’s novel is a nail-biting, breathtaking story about the disappearances of two young women—a decade apart—told in reverse.
It’s been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared from Cooley Ridge without a trace. Back again to tie up loose ends and care for her ailing father, Nic is soon plunged into a shocking drama that reawakens Corinne’s case and breaks open old wounds long since stitched.
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.
Like nothing you’ve ever read before, All the Missing Girls delivers in all the right ways. With twists and turns that lead down dark alleys and dead ends, you may think you’re walking a familiar path, but then Megan Miranda turns it all upside down and inside out and leaves us wondering just how far we would be willing to go to protect those we love.
Audiobook, 10 pages
Published June 28th 2016 by Simon & Schuster Audio
Source: eStories
Four and half stars: A suspenseful and engaging thriller told backwards that will keep you on edge until the final revelations.
Nic is reluctantly heading home. Her father's latest letter tucked in her purse, the one where he mentions the missing girl. Nic's aging father is suffering from dementia, and he is now living in a care facility. Nic's brother, Daniel, urged her to come home to help him sell their father's house. Nic has avoided Cooley Ridge for ten years, ever since her best friend, Corinne, disappeared without a trace. Once Nic returns home, she is quickly pulled back into the past when another girl goes missing. Is the past repeating itself? Can someone just disappear without a trace? Told in reverse order, this book is a thriller that will grab you and hold you captive until the end. Do you dare learn the truth?
What I Liked:
- Whoa! All the Missing Girls was one heck of a read. This is a book that constantly has you thinking as you try and decipher the clues as the story unwinds backwards. You are thrown into the mystery with a jarring scene, and then time rewinds taking you back to the beginning, going backwards day by day until you are back to where Nic started. This is a brilliant, taut, suspenseful thriller that is smartly written and utterly entertaining. Without a doubt, one of the best thrillers I have read since Gone Girl.
- I admit, the backwards gimmick takes some time to get used to. At first, I felt totally lost and it was an adjustment to wrap my head around the story as it unwound backwards. However, it works, and Ms. Miranda pulls if all off. If you want something unique and thrilling, this is worth the read, I would recommend this book just to experience the tale being told in reverse. So much fun.
- The writing itself was amazing. It is smart, sophisticated and enthralling. I was caught up numerous times by the brilliant remarks on the passage of time, and I loved how the author wove the whole story together. I will definitely be reading more books by Megan Miranda.
- I liked that this book featured two mysteries, both surrounding a missing girl. The story moves back and forth through time. You get snippets of the past with Corrine before she went missing, and then it moves to the present as the plot thickens around the latest missing girl. There are many, many clues intricately woven into the plot, I did have it figured out as to who killed Corrine, but I was surprised by how it all went down. It was so much fun to chase down the clues and conjecture my guesses. A top notch suspenseful thriller.
- I was mostly satisfied with the ending. No cliffhangers, but I did have a few niggling questions. Still I loved how it all played out and how it all came together.
- I listened to the audiobook version of the book narrated by Rebekkah Ross. I highly recommend the audiobook. Ms. Ross does a brilliant job with the narration, and I loved every minute of this one. I couldn't put it down.
And The Not So Much:
- I was left scratching my head after all was revealed. I felt like I was missing a some information. I wish that more was explained as far as Daniel and Laura were concerned, and I also wasn't sure of Corrine's father's role.
- This is a book where none of the characters were likeable. The more I learned about each of the characters the less I liked them. Yet, it still works. However, it is always harder to love the book when you don't really like or connect with the characters.
- I have to admit, I was completely lost at first when the story started going backward as I wasn't aware of the reverse narration going in. It was jarring to jump back and forth in time, but once the story settles into the backward narration, it moves smoothly. It takes a lot of gumption to pull it off, and for the most part, Ms. Miranda executes the tactic well.
All the Missing Girls is a brilliantly executed story that takes the reader backward day by day to the beginning. I loved the story, the writing and the suspense. This is one of the best thrillers I have read in a long time. If you want a suspenseful book that you won't be able to put down, this is one to grab. I can't wait to read more from Ms. Miranda.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of eStories in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Head on over to eStories to check out this title or many of the other thousands of books they have to offer! Happy Reading.
