Synopsis
A gripping slow-burn psychological horror filled with paranoia, suspense, and emotional tension from debut Canadian novelist Simon F. Godin.
Gracie Boone’s small-town life has always felt safe and comfortable. She has a doting father, a steady relationship, and a promising future at university. But the illusion of security begins to crumble the moment she moves into her new dorm room.
Before long, a motionless figure looms in the darkness outside Gracie’s window, silent and watching her in the night. But no one else sees it, and no one else believes her. Gracie’s world further unravels when she faces evidence suggesting she may have been abducted as a child by her hometown’s police chief, the man she calls Dad.
Driven by her rising paranoia, Gracie must unearth the truth about herself and determine who keeps watching her in the dark. But she has to tread lightly, as alerting her father could ruin their relationship forever, or even put her in danger.
Most of all, Gracie fears uncovering her darkest reality, that she’s been manipulated for years, and that her life is nothing more than a carefully constructed façade.
Review
RELEASING TOMORROW! Check it out
Huge thanks to the author who reached out to offer me an eARC. Debuts for indies can always be a bit scary, and with such a cool cover, I could never say no!
Gracie Boone has just arrived at college, her first real time away from home. After one last teary hug from her dad, she’s finally free. Her roommate hasn’t arrived yet, so she’s got the dorm to herself. Her neighbors across the hall invite her over for a drink, and in the hopes of making some fast friends, she agrees. But after stumbling back to her room, she sees someone watching her through her window, in dark clothes, with no facial features, and the glint of something she thinks is a knife. From there, it’s just one thing leading to the next, in this psychological whirlwind of suspense and misdirection. When her roommate shows her a photo of a missing girl, suggesting it’s actually Gracie herself, absolutely all bets are off.
So this is one hell of a premise. And while it is definitely on the slow-burn end, it is pulled off in stellar fashion. The writing is smooth, the prose flows, and at no point did I feel like the author lost sight of his plot or main character. Gracie acts like a girl her age, makes poor decisions, does things she wouldn’t do otherwise in the hopes of making friends, just how you’d imagine someone impressionable from a small town would. And while I am obviously not the person to make this call, I thought she read like a normal young woman, not like the telltale “man writes woman.” As a fellow writer with a female lead, I feel like this is something we strive for. Godin doesn’t sexualize or describe her body in detail; she just exists, and in a good way.
As a psychological thriller, especially one spanning what this one covers, it’s so hard to talk about this without going into spoilers. I’d love to go on in detail about the supposed kidnapping, the family drama and trauma, the mental health issues, manipulation, and abuse, but I’d much rather you experience them yourself by reading the book. What I will say is that I thought the mystery, the red herrings, the twists, were all deftly handled. While I knew some part of the thread being pulled would have to be the truth, I never felt fully invested in what it would be one way or the other. It kept me on my toes. And can you seriously imagine that possibility actually entering your headspace? Every hug, every kiss, every single moment spent with the person you thought was your safety? What if they were actually your captor? What if they took you away from what’s real? Even if her roommate is wrong, how do you unthink it?
And while I do mention this is a slow burn above, trust me, the ending goes absolutely HAM. If you’re going to build up slowly, you might as well blast off, and the author certainly delivers. It feels real while still maintaining its dangerous sheen, and I was so on the edge of my seat I had to finish it all at once as soon as I entered the climax. It’s suspenseful, tense, gory madness. Personally, I would have liked it a little more definitive, but with the subject matter, it makes perfect sense to leave it. I also like to leave readers wondering. So good for her…
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