This started out as a so-so "suspense" novel whose main secret was apparent almost from the get-go. Then, about three-quarters of the way through, Young threw in a murder. I initially thought she was just trying to goose up a story that was staggering to stay on its feet. What I wasn't ready for was a particularly nasty twist. I was still ready to give the book a "C" rating, despite both "mysteries" -- why the main character was having PTSD-like flashbacks and who the killer was -- being fairly transparent. In the end, though, I have to downgrade this to a "D".
WARNING: SPOILER AHEAD
As a reviewer, one normally doesn't reveal crucial plot points. And while the details won't be spelled out here, in case someone really does want to read this otherwise-adequate tale, this review, and the down-rating of the book, cannot be completed without noting that Young allows a pedophile to walk away unscathed, even though at least two law-enforcement officials know what happened. Not one single character in the book seems to acknowledge that statutory rape repeatedly occurred. That the acts were consensual and done off-page don't excuse this.
In a word -- eew.
WARNING: SPOILER AHEAD
As a reviewer, one normally doesn't reveal crucial plot points. And while the details won't be spelled out here, in case someone really does want to read this otherwise-adequate tale, this review, and the down-rating of the book, cannot be completed without noting that Young allows a pedophile to walk away unscathed, even though at least two law-enforcement officials know what happened. Not one single character in the book seems to acknowledge that statutory rape repeatedly occurred. That the acts were consensual and done off-page don't excuse this.
In a word -- eew.
