Search This Blog
2024 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (Hosted by Yours Truly)
December Reviews Link-Up
2024 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama (1)
- Alaska (1)
- Arizona (1)
- Arkansas (1)
- California (11)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut (2)
- Delaware (1)
- Florida (3)
- Georgia (4)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho (3)
- Illinois (4)
- Indiana (4)
- Iowa (1)
- Kansas (1)
- Kentucky (2)
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (4)
- Michigan (1)
- Minnesota (2)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri (1)
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska (1)
- Nevada (2)
- New Hampshire (1)
- New Jersey (1)
- New Mexico (1)
- New York (10)
- North Carolina (4)
- North Dakota (1)
- Ohio (3)
- Oklahoma (2)
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania (2)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina (1)
- South Dakota (1)
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (4)
- Utah (5)
- Vermont (2)
- Virginia (2)
- Washington (3)
- West Virginia (1)
- Wisconsin (1)
- Wyoming (2)
- Washington, D.C.* (2)
International:
- Argentina (1)
- Australia (6)
- Austria (1)
- Bolivia (1)
- Canada (4)
- China (2)
- England (27)
- France (2)
- Ghana (1)
- India (1)
- Indonesia (1)
- Ireland (4)
- Italy (1)
- Poland (2)
- Russia (2)
- Scotland (4)
- The Netherlands (1)
2024 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
Booklist Queen's 2024 Reading Challenge
2024 52 Club Reading Challenge
2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge
2024 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge
2024 Medical Examiner's Mystery Reading Challenge
2024 Mystery Marathon Reading Challenge
Mount TBR Reading Challenge
2024 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge
Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge
Disney Animated Movies Reading Challenge
The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge
The Life Skills Reading Challenge
Thursday, September 10, 2020
Gudenkauf Thriller Keeps Me Up Way Past My Bedtime
11:48 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
When it comes to scaring the kids of little Pitch, Iowa, the tale of Joseph Wither—an alleged murderer who lived locally decades ago—is right up there with Bloody Mary and The Vanishing Hitchhiker. So, when a junior high school teacher gives her class an assignment to research an urban legend, 12-year-old Violet Crow and two of her classmates decide to look more closely at the Wither story. Obsessed with the creepy tale, the girls agree to a late-night meeting at an abandoned rail yard with someone claiming to be Joseph. Hours later, one of them is found beaten near to death. The other two are in shock, refusing to speak about the incident. What really happened that night in the rail yard? Was Cora attacked by a supernatural entity? Or someone much more corporeal?
Despite its simple premise, Before She was Found by Heather Gudenkauf is a taut, twisty thriller with an ending I didn't see coming. Populated with interesting characters, the novel also poses some intriguing questions about the dangers of hysteria and groupthink as well as asking how far a parent will go to protect their child. Atmospheric and engrossing, this one kept me reading late into the night, desperate to know what was going to happen next.
(Readalikes: Hm, nothing is coming to mind. You?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (a couple F-bombs, plus milder expletives), violence, blood/gore, and mild sexual content
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
6 comments:
Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.
P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)
Reading
Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie
Listening
The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth
Followin' with Bloglovin'
Followin' with Feedly
-
-
Bookshelf Bounty4 hours ago
-
-
Stacking The Shelves9 hours ago
-
Holiday Weekend Book Deals in December15 hours ago
-
Happy Crossword Puzzle Day!!!16 hours ago
-
-
The Shadowed Land By Signe Pike23 hours ago
-
Love Coupons for Bookworms23 hours ago
-
What your inside cats miss1 day ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
106. Little Christmas Carol2 days ago
-
Swordheart2 days ago
-
-
A Review of The Christmas Mourner3 days ago
-
-
-
-
Review: 1984 by George Orwell4 days ago
-
Hide by Tracy Clark4 days ago
-
-
I have been reading...1 week ago
-
-
-
Sunday Post 5583 weeks ago
-
-
I'm Still Reading - This Was My October5 weeks ago
-
Open for Murder by Mary Angela1 month ago
-
Reading Recap September 20242 months ago
-
-
Review: The Duke and I4 months ago
-
Girl Plus Books: On Hiatus4 months ago
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Design by:
Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ▼ 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)
2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction
2023 - Middle Grade Fiction
2022 - Middle Grade Fiction
2021 - Middle Grade Fiction
2020 - Middle Grade Fiction
I thought this one was a good twisty thriller, too. And I liked how Gudenkauf wove the separate narratives together. :)
ReplyDeleteI just read my first Gudenkauf in a long time and loved it, I will add this one. Great review Susan.
ReplyDeleteI have this one but haven't picked it up as yet. I've read other books by this author and liked them a lot. This one sounds like a good 'fall' read - spooky enough...
ReplyDeleteI haven't read anything by Gudenkauf and I've been wanting to. This definitely sounds like one that would keep me up way too late!
ReplyDeleteThe plot sounds like something I've read a few times before, but from your review the author nailed it. I know there are only so many plots out there and that it's the variations of those plots that make books seem fresh, but I would have probably not given this one a chance just based on the bare facts. Good review.
ReplyDeleteI liked this one, too. I don't remember loving it, but it kept my attention.
ReplyDelete