Intrigued is the best word to describe how I felt when I first read the title and blurb. Disappointed is the word as I finish the last page. There was so much promise throughout the storyline and I did enjoy the reading journey through the body of the book, but the ending was just messy, rushed and confusing.
There was a lot of switching between the past and present road trips plus the inserts from a diary so at times it was a bit overwhelming to follow which timeline the reader was in, but this did also help to add background to the characters. The trio of siblings each have their own secret agenda and the constant atmosphere of trying to deceive each other is exhausting. As an only child, I can’t relate, so maybe this is standard family practice but for me I found it petty and annoying.
The author’s writing style was good; she used interesting and varied language, I just have an issue with the plot. For me, it felt as though she planned a twist near the end (great!), which then turned into a whirlwind of “let’s get this person to shoot them all” and I just struggle with the motive she gave the character.
But, hey it’s not my story to write, so all in all it was well-written from a literary perspective, maybe I’m putting too much emphasis on the ending. Maybe Downing was trying not to be cliche and create something really “out-there”, but it just missed the mark for me. I’m glad I started it, and glad I finished it, now to begin the next one on my To Be Read… – GJ
ThrillerSeekers 