Everything She Forgot
by Lisa Ballantyne
on Tour September 14 - October 17, 2015
Synopsis:
Driving home, Margaret Holloway is rear-ended and trapped in the wreckage of her car. Just as she begins to panic, a stranger pulls her free and disappears. Though she escapes with minor injuries, Margaret feels that something's wrong. Flashbacks to the crash are dredging up lost associations from her childhood. And somehow, Margaret knows that it's got something to do with the man who saved her life. As Margaret uncovers a mystery with chilling implications for her family and her very identity, Everything She Forgot winds through a riveting dual narrative and asks the question: How far would you go to hide the truth-from yourself?
Book Details:
Genre: Suspense
Published by: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: October 6, 2015
Number of Pages: 432
ISBN: 0062391488 (13: 978-0062391483)
Purchase Links:
Review: I had been wanting to read this for a while, so I jumped at the chance to join this blog tour. While I enjoyed it, I didn't really feel that it lived up to all the hype.
The story alternates between 2013, when Margaret is involved in a near-death accident, and 1985, where most of the story's action takes place (and I can't say much about it without giving away the suspense!). Let's just say that Ballantyne gives us a look into family life, warts and all.
The story is very well-written, and the characters realistically and strongly developed. Even the characters you might not like so much have depth.
One of the main themes of this story is nature vs. nurture. Is who you are determined by your DNA, or can it be impacted by how you are raised?
Fair warning--the book gets off to a slow start, and I almost gave up on it, which would have been a mistake. If you can power through to the point where it grabs you, it is well worth it.
Rating: Four stars
Critical Praise:
“Ballantyne’s effortless prose took me across the Atlantic and didn’t let me return until its surprising and satisfying conclusion. A tight story that comes full circle and keeps you reading.” — Bryan Reardon, author of Finding Jake
Author Bio:
Lisa Ballantyne was born in Armadale, West Lothian, Scotland and studied English Literature at University of St Andrews. She lived and worked in China for many years and started writing seriously while she was there. Before being published, Lisa was short-listed for the Dundee International Book Prize. Her debut novel, The Guilty One was translated into over 25 languages, long-listed for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and short-listed for an Edgar Allan Poe Award. The Guilty One was also the Autumn 2012 Richard and Judy Book-club Winner. She lives in Glasgow.
1 comment:
Sometimes books that start slow are merely setting the stage for something more grand later. Sounds like this is one of those books! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on it with us.
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