BLOG TOUR & #CJSReads REVIEW: Bring Her Home by David Bell @berkleypub @davidbellnovels
Bring Her HomeBy David Bell
Berkley Pub
Uff... you guys. David Bell is SO good. After reading the Cemetery Girl (you can find my review for that here, I was delighted to get an early copy of Bring Her Home and today is my stop on the blog tour. Another FANTASTIC book - I need to run out and buy all the other ones now. See what #CJSReads thought of this thriller below!
Synopsis from Goodreads:
"In the breathtaking new thriller from David Bell, bestselling author of Since She Went Away and Somebody I Used to Know, the fate of two missing teenage girls becomes a father's worst nightmare....
Just a year and a half after the tragic death of his wife, Bill Price's fifteen-year-old daughter, Summer, and her best friend, Haley, disappear. Days later, the girls are found in a city park. Haley is dead at the scene, while Summer is left beaten beyond recognition and clinging to life.
As Bill holds vigil over Summer's bandaged body, the only sound the unconscious girl can make is one cryptic and chilling word: No. And the more time Bill spends with Summer, the more he wonders what happened to her. Or if the injured girl in the hospital bed is really his daughter at all.
Just a year and a half after the tragic death of his wife, Bill Price's fifteen-year-old daughter, Summer, and her best friend, Haley, disappear. Days later, the girls are found in a city park. Haley is dead at the scene, while Summer is left beaten beyond recognition and clinging to life.
As Bill holds vigil over Summer's bandaged body, the only sound the unconscious girl can make is one cryptic and chilling word: No. And the more time Bill spends with Summer, the more he wonders what happened to her. Or if the injured girl in the hospital bed is really his daughter at all.
When troubling new questions about Summer's life surface, Bill is not prepared for the aftershocks. He'll soon discover that both the living and the dead have secrets. And that searching for the truth will tear open old wounds that pierce straight to the heart of his family...
My Review:
Bill's wife dies tragically, in an accident falling off a ladder. A year and a half later, his daughter and her best friend are found beaten - his daughter practically comatose, her friend, dead - both beaten beyond recognition. As he digs further to try and catch whoever put his daughter in such a predicament, he learns more than he ever wanted to know.
This is my second Bell book and I just LOVE his writing style. While I usually like faster paced books, I find myself FLYING through his pages because he is SO good at keeping your interest even with a slower, suspense building format. How does he do this? His impeccable way of building the characters - you REALLY get inside the head of the main character, in this case, Bill. You get maddened when he gets maddened, you cry inside when his grief gets to be too much, you're basically a ball of emotion on a dark roller coaster, being guided to who knows where.
If you read as many thriller books as I do, the big reveal can be tough and can be figured out pretty readily because really, just how many different scenarios can someone bring about that's original? David Bell doesn't do this, however, and it's quite refreshing. There are two reveals just within the first half of the book... which hooks you in because you're thinking just what ELSE will surprise me. Sometimes it's about the journey rather than the conclusion, no?
Basically, he is now a definitely auto buy author for me. Give me more Bell! Even for those of you who like the faster plot, I think you should do yourself a favor and get into these if you haven't had a tasting of his work yet.
Jessica's Thoughts:
This was my introduction to David Bell's writing - I've always heard great things and I was not disappointed with this one! BRING HER HOME is a thriller being described as tense, twisty, and completely immersive. I couldn't agree more with this! This was one that I picked up and didn't want to put down (but responsibilities made it so I had to take an intermission)
I give this one 4/5 stars!
This story is about Bill Price's worst nightmare. His daughter, Summer, and her best friend, Haley, go missing. Days later, they're found. Haley is dead at the scene while Summer is left for dead and nearly unrecognizable. As the days pass after they're found, Bill begins to wonder if this is really his daughter. She will only repeat the chilling word, "no", over and over again.
As questions arise about Summer and what the girls endured, Bill finds himself unprepared for the answers. He quickly discovers that everyone, living or dead, has secrets that can tear families apart.
I thought this was a great thriller. It was a slower build up, but it was so worth it. Bell does a great job pulling in the readers and making them want more. Bill was so well developed - he felt real, like someone you knew. As for the twists and turns, they were unexpected and kept me guessing throughout the book. This is something that feels like it could really happen, which made it even more unsettling.
As questions arise about Summer and what the girls endured, Bill finds himself unprepared for the answers. He quickly discovers that everyone, living or dead, has secrets that can tear families apart.
I thought this was a great thriller. It was a slower build up, but it was so worth it. Bell does a great job pulling in the readers and making them want more. Bill was so well developed - he felt real, like someone you knew. As for the twists and turns, they were unexpected and kept me guessing throughout the book. This is something that feels like it could really happen, which made it even more unsettling.
If you're a fan of a more real life thriller with a main character you can really get invested in, then this the book for you! If you like a thriller that keeps you thinking then this is one you'll have to pick up! I'll be out finding more of Bell's novels now.
Sam's Thoughts:
I read a lot of mystery and thriller books (obviously!) so, when I come across one that impresses me, I feel like shouting from the rooftops. Bring Her Home,by David Bell, was one of those books that made me want to shout. Fast paced and entertaining, I found myself completely invested to our protagonist and his struggles.
The novel opens with Bill, a widower, facing every father’s worst nightmare. His fifteen-year-old daughter, Summer is missing (along with her best friend, Haley). Days later, the girls are found in the park. Haley is dead on the scene and Summer is badly beaten. Bill is left begging his daughter to fight for her life but also begins to wonder if he knows his daughter at all. As Bill searches for the truth, he discovers more than what he thought.
Instead of going for the gusto, Bell opens subtly and slowly draws his reader in. I felt instantly intrigued. From the first pages, Bell does a superb job at setting up lots of questions for the reader to continuously ask. I really loved this; when I read, I love to be active in my thought process trying to figure out the plot and where the author plans on going.
One of the other things I enjoyed was the plethora of twists in the middle of the novel. Especially since I am completely tired of the big, shocking, one moment twists that so many thrillers have these days. I felt like this made the story even more eerie and ominous because it felt so real; this truly could have been a story that could happen to anyone.
As for characterization, I felt like Bill was relatable and the story felt very real; I really appreciated that!
I was able to guess pretty early on parts of the resolution of the novel but Bell did bring in some complex details that I would never have guessed that amped up the ending for me.
Overall, I feel like fans of the “feels real” thriller will enjoy this novel; think authors like Mary Kubica. I absolutely relished in this one. 4/5 stars from me!
Big thank you to Berkley Pub for these copies in return for our honest opinions.
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