One of the best novels I've read in 2023 is What Happens Next by Christina Suzann Nelson. Set primarily in present day Oregon, a considerable portion of the novel is written in flashbacks. The story is told by three characters: Faith, our main character and a popular true crime podcast host; Heather, her best friend in the summer of 1987; and Dora/Mrs. Crane, Heather's mother.
Ten-year-old Heather disappeared on a summer day in 1987 with no trace of her in the past 36 years. Dora has been devastated since that horrible day, and the Crane family bond is badly damaged. Desperate to help her mother, Heather's sister/Dora's daughter asks Faith to use her true crime connections in a last attempt to find answers.
I was quickly drawn into the story and appreciated its pacing, all the way to the conclusion. The novel is suspense rather than a thriller, and I cared as much about the characters in the present time as I did about learning the truth about the details of Heather's disappearance. From the first chapter, readers know what happened so how and why are the questions to be answered. My heart ached for Dora who was captive to her overwhelming grief for decades. She believed that moving on with her life would cause her to forget Heather, and she resented her husband and daughter who processed their grief differently.
The chapters from Heather's 1987 perspective were lighthearted, dealing with first crushes, sibling fights, sneaking out past curfew, etc. Since I was a teen in the 1980s, I loved (and related to) the many pop culture references to the decade. There's also a 'second chance romance' storyline that was of secondary interest to me but tied well into the story.
After loving this and her 2022 novel Shaped by the Waves, Christian Suzann Nelson is an auto-read author and I'm eager to read her earlier titles so I can be a completist of her books.
Thank you to the author and Bethany House Publishing for the print and digital review copies of this compelling novel.
Ten-year-old Heather disappeared on a summer day in 1987 with no trace of her in the past 36 years. Dora has been devastated since that horrible day, and the Crane family bond is badly damaged. Desperate to help her mother, Heather's sister/Dora's daughter asks Faith to use her true crime connections in a last attempt to find answers.
I was quickly drawn into the story and appreciated its pacing, all the way to the conclusion. The novel is suspense rather than a thriller, and I cared as much about the characters in the present time as I did about learning the truth about the details of Heather's disappearance. From the first chapter, readers know what happened so how and why are the questions to be answered. My heart ached for Dora who was captive to her overwhelming grief for decades. She believed that moving on with her life would cause her to forget Heather, and she resented her husband and daughter who processed their grief differently.
The chapters from Heather's 1987 perspective were lighthearted, dealing with first crushes, sibling fights, sneaking out past curfew, etc. Since I was a teen in the 1980s, I loved (and related to) the many pop culture references to the decade. There's also a 'second chance romance' storyline that was of secondary interest to me but tied well into the story.
After loving this and her 2022 novel Shaped by the Waves, Christian Suzann Nelson is an auto-read author and I'm eager to read her earlier titles so I can be a completist of her books.
Thank you to the author and Bethany House Publishing for the print and digital review copies of this compelling novel.
