I liked the first half a LOT. Very brutal and nerve wracking depiction of mental illness and the ease with which they're abused or neglected by authority figures. Wish the second half held up as well. ( )

3.5 stars.

Set during the mid 1980s, Hunting Annabelle by Wendy Heard is a suspenseful mystery featuring an unreliable narrator who is desperately searching for a missing woman.

Recently relocated from San Francisco, Sean Suh lives in Austin, TX with his neurosurgeon mother. Sean spent several years in a psychiatric facility after he was convicted of murder. He has been diagnosed with schizophrenia but a strict medication regime appears to be keeping most of his symptoms at bay. Sean spends his days in a local amusement park where he eventually meets Annabelle Callaghan. Completely enamored by the young women, Sean is horrified when she is kidnapped right in front of him. Sean immediately reports the incident to the police who initially do not take her disappearance seriously. Sean is certain Annabelle is in danger and while he is attempting to locate her, the police begin to view him as a suspect after they learn about his past. Although he sometimes doubts his recollections, Sean remains convinced Annabelle is in grave danger. He uncovers some very shocking information about her but how does this revelation figure into Annabelle's disappearance?

Sean is a surprisingly sympathetic character considering his background. He is rather aimless since he has not made any attempt to plan for his future. He is a gifted artist but his daily cocktail of antipsychotics and antidepressants leave him foggy and prone to losing time. Sean works hard to keep his memories of his horrific crime at bay as he battles the occasional murderous impulse. He is immediately enchanted by Annabelle but Sean is well aware there is no chance of a future with her.

Following Annabelle's disappearance, Sean turns amateur sleuth as he tries to find her. His investigation takes on a bit of a nostalgic feel due to the time period. Without cell phones or the internet, Sean utilizes phone books and maps to track down the people in Annabelle's life. Going to her small hometown is the obvious place to find answers and Sean unearths unsettling details that do not jibe with his vision of Annabelle. But can this information help him find the missing woman?

Hunting Annabelle is a slow-paced mystery with a dark storyline. Sean is trying to keep out of trouble and his mother keeps him on a fairly tight leash. By all appearances, Annabelle is a charming young woman with a bright future ahead of her. The novel is well-written with a clever plot, but Sean's search for Annabelle becomes a bit tedious and repetitious. Wendy Heard brings this unique mystery to a twist-filled yet improbably conclusion. ( )

This was a fantastic story told completely from Seans POV.
Embarking on a journey together and as the story unfolded I felt I really got an insight into what made him tick.
There was almost an air of obscurity, intrigue and mystery enveloping the whole narrative and this made for such compulsive reading with some real shockers thrown in along the way.
I found myself questioning the hidden motives of every single individual here and as we are almost drip fed the answers this was almost at times like a journey of discovery: a kind of mystery tour with Annabelle the ultimate destination.
I was there questioning along with Sean his state of mind as each occurrence happened to further muddy the already murky waters.
Who is sending the notes?
Is someone messing with Sean and also his meds?
If so: who and why?
Is sean's own sense of vulnerability and powerlessness about himself also being a victim as well as a predator feeding his own internal rage?
Then there's his almost co-dependent relationship with his mother and also his obsession with Annabelle herself.
This story has so much going on in terms of content and each thread is kind of connected on a much deeper level until a complete visage is eventually formed for the reader.
I felt that I forged a connection along the way with Sean himself actually feeling an almost sense of sympathetic familiarity towards him.
It was almost like getting to know the monster living in his head and making a sense of peace with it despite its compulsion of ultimate wrongness.
There were also such contrasts between Sean and Annabelle: they were so different in terms of upbringing but also had such similarities that you could see why they ultimately gravitated towards each other.
I also must confess to being slightly shocked at the blatant racism and intolerance portrayed here: such injustices I know exist but as it is something I have no hands-on experience with I found it sickening to behold.
So I liked where this eventually took us and though I did guess some twists other reveals were complete surprises.
My only criticism of this story Is that I thought the ending here was slightly abrupt but that's actually it.
This is a story that captured my imagination almost instantly and once this journey started there was no getting off this train until final destination was reached: a fabulous read that I recommend highly.
I voluntary reviewed an Arc of Hunting Annabelle.
All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com ( )

This was a fantastic story told completely from Seans POV.
Embarking on a journey together and as the story unfolded I felt I really got an insight into what made him tick.
There was almost an air of obscurity, intrigue and mystery enveloping the whole narrative and this made for such compulsive reading with some real shockers thrown in along the way.
I found myself questioning the hidden motives of every single individual here and as we are almost drip fed the answers this was almost at times like a journey of discovery: a kind of mystery tour with Annabelle the ultimate destination.
I was there questioning along with Sean his state of mind as each occurrence happened to further muddy the already murky waters.
Who is sending the notes?
Is someone messing with Sean and also his meds?
If so: who and why?
Is sean's own sense of vulnerability and powerlessness about himself also being a victim as well as a predator feeding his own internal rage?
Then there's his almost co-dependent relationship with his mother and also his obsession with Annabelle herself.
This story has so much going on in terms of content and each thread is kind of connected on a much deeper level until a complete visage is eventually formed for the reader.
I felt that I forged a connection along the way with Sean himself actually feeling an almost sense of sympathetic familiarity towards him.
It was almost like getting to know the monster living in his head and making a sense of peace with it despite its compulsion of ultimate wrongness.
There were also such contrasts between Sean and Annabelle: they were so different in terms of upbringing but also had such similarities that you could see why they ultimately gravitated towards each other.
I also must confess to being slightly shocked at the blatant racism and intolerance portrayed here: such injustices I know exist but as it is something I have no hands-on experience with I found it sickening to behold.
So I liked where this eventually took us and though I did guess some twists other reveals were complete surprises.
My only criticism of this story Is that I thought the ending here was slightly abrupt but that's actually it.
This is a story that captured my imagination almost instantly and once this journey started there was no getting off this train until final destination was reached: a fabulous read that I recommend highly.
I voluntary reviewed an Arc of Hunting Annabelle.
All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com ( )

Sean is schizophrenic. His mom thinks he should just get over it. Sean meets Annabelle and is immediately drawn to her. Annabelle gets kidnapped and no one believes Sean so he goes off to find her on his own. What could possibly go wrong?

This book is VERY dark with a very creepy twist. I recommend it for thriller lovers who aren't easily creeped out (or who enjoy being creeped out). ( )