4 out of 5 stars
Anna Bailey’s debut novel is a well-written, slow-burning, character-driven suspense story. It alternates between then and now to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of Abigail, a teenager who vanishes after hanging out in the woods with her best friend, Emma.
Bailey’s strengths as a writer are providing just enough descriptive detail to immerse you in the story without being overly flowery. Her story captures life in a small town well. Like a polite small-town gossip queen, she has a way of telling you about bad things that happened without spelling it out.
Be prepared for a disturbing, heavy read. The book contains numerous episodes of domestic violence, racist and homophobic scenes, and several characters with no redeeming qualities.
Despite the heaviness, it was a compelling read. I would definitely read another book by this author.
I received a free ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
