REVIEW: Before She Was Found by Heather Gudenkauf @parkrowbooks @hgudenkauf @tlcbooktours
Before She Was Found
by Heather Gudenkauf
Thank you to Park Row Books and TLC Book Tours for this amazing read.
Publisher: Park Row Books
Publish Date: April 16, 2019
Paperback
368 Pages
Standalone
Genres: Psychological Thriller, Suspense
My Review:
I have been a fan of Gudenkauf since I read Not A Sound. There's just something about her writing style that really resonates with me and keeps me glued to each and every word. I was actually surprised to find that this was a YA thriller - but it's only YA in terms of the twelve-year old girls that are the main three kids involved in this creepy storyline. Outside of that, I did not feel that it read like your typical YA at all. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of YA books, and also psychological thrillers (as you all well know) - have them marry up and here we are folks!
There were definite Slender Man undertones that I thoroughly enjoyed along with a bit of sinister Mean Girls vibe. At the age of twelve, you're going through that awkward stage, and if you're not one of the "popular" people at school, then you are unfortunately a target for bullying and this is largely a big subject throughout this book. Are they really your friends? Why are they so nice one day and a complete asshole the next? Who can anyone really trust at that age? All of these girls have got something going on. Jordyn, the popular mean girl. Violet, the new girl that just moved into town and Cora, the townie who is quiet, bullied and just want to know what it feels like to have a friend. Enter the world of the internet and this can take bullying to a whole new level. It's scary how much you need to try and monitor your children, but it's impossible to track their every single move.
The book is written in various formats, text messages, police interviews, journal entries, etc. Personally, when this is done well (and it is here), I absolutely love this kind of format to read. And listen, this is a very somber, dark read. The issues within the book may be triggering for some people, or could be just a little bit too much. Wasn't for me but I could see how possibly could be. I actually didn't see that ending coming. It didn't give me that overall OH SHIT moment, but I was definitely a bit surprised. I also appreciate that Gudenkauf doesn't veer away from some cringe worthy scenes - uff that bathroom scene kinda got to me (yay!).
I don't know if this is my favorite by Gudenkauf but I'm still giving it 5 stars because I absolutely loved the intricacy in which Gudenkauf pulled everything together. Unfortunately, this is also an all to realistic read.. and that's pretty damn scary. (And I love it).
★★★★★
YA thrillers are kind of becoming the rage and I'm all for it. I grew up on R.L.Stine and I think that's cool for the middle grade crowd but when they get to high school/college- they haven't been well served and I'm excited to see more books coming into this. I'm excited to read this one myself! Thanks for being on the tour.
ReplyDeleteSara @ TLC Book Tours