Pretty original in terms of voice and atmosphere. When I read this I was damn sick of books with young people acting like they were 5 years old all the time. The two young women (18 and 26) in this book aren’t sucking black holes of needy or flighty half-wits that can’t make a decision without consulting their bestie or husband or whatever. Instead we get a couple of strong, scarred people who have been through the wringer, but don’t hang their intelligence, responsibility, accountability or resolve out to dry because of it. So many young people just give up when something gets difficult or hard to attain - they use it as an excuse to do nothing. Sometimes it gets a bit overbearing to be constantly reminded both have prosthetics, but it’s part of why they are so scarred; literally and emotionally.

The writing was fluid, but if you don’t like short and hanging sentences, Heaberlin’s style may get on your nerves. She also does a pretty abrupt shift in time and POV about ½ way through and that threw me at first. I really liked the way she dropped breadcrumbs of hints, allegations and clues throughout, but I felt the villain was an easy out with very little in the way of explanation. She did it because she needed someone I suppose, and without a bit more editorializing about the fact that most murdered women are killed by a man close to them just because he can kill them (and can't control his emotions, gee I thought that was a women thing??), it feels a bit less important. Plus, the crazy preacher thing has been done before. I guess everything has so it’s not surprising.

Another reviewer hated Odette because of her duplicity and recriminations about it saying she should just suck it up when she lies. Oh how easy it is to say and how hard it is to do. Living with the emotional backlash of betrayal is so hard no matter which end of it you're on. Betrayal and lies kick up strong emotions in humans no matter what, so her just ignoring them isn’t possible because she’s normal. Not a sociopath. And she didn’t whine that much. She put it on herself because she knew she was to blame. I quite liked her husband despite his silly name.

Wyatt is an enigma for the ages. The first part featuring his POV is riveting and simmers with danger. He’s a pot just at boiling and so much fun to read because he conceals way more than he reveals. The finding Angel scenes are just so weird - how the hell did he see her?, where did she come from?, what’s with the dandelions?, what happened to Trumanell that she stays home with her brother when they are adults?, so many questions and most go unanswered which can be frustrating, but also feels kind of lifelike. As if we know everything about anything.

Anyway…it’s not a perfect book since I felt like we did need a few more answers, but overall it’s engrossing and just distinctive enough to feel different and fresh. ( )

Sometimes I shake my head at how good people write - this is one of those times.

We are All the Same in the Dark is a wonderfully crafted murder mystery about a small town in Texas where their beauty, Trumanell Branson, and her father go missing, and 16-year-old Wyatt Branson is the only one who knows their story. On this same night, Wyatt's high school sweetheart, Odett Tucker, loses a leg in an auto accident.

Ten years later, Odett is a deputy in her hometown, Wyatt is still considered for suspicion of murder, and a one-eye girl is found in a field of dandelions, clinging to life.

The twists and turns take shape through the next five years, with another person going missing and several more mysteries cropping up. When Angel, a Trumanell groupie, comes to town, all bets are off as she works to solve not only the missing person cases but the mysteries of this town.

Fabulously written from multiple points of view, there isn't a dull moment or page throughout. I was even pleasantly surprised by whodunnit.

Well done, Julia Heaberlin! ( )

I have not loved a book this much in a long time. Excellent writing, plot, character development, kept me really invested the whole way through. A unique sense of place, as well, and well-researched on the characters she covers. Definitely reading more of Julia Heaberlin! ( )

One of my best books of the year. Longer review to come. ( )

Lots of books are billed as a slow burn - this one truly is. Set in a small, rural Texas town, this is loaded with family secrets/trauma, a 'famous' cold-case murder, hardscrabble people, childhood traumas, and small-town gossip. It's atmospheric and gothic in tone, with excellent and well-drawn characters - towards the end I was turning pages with a feel of dread of where the narrative would go.

There was a scene preceding a narrator switch that I wasn't expecting and was very well done and felt just right for the story being told.

Though this doesn't have the fast pacing of a thriller, it's definitely well-written and multilayered in a way that many thrillers don't bother with. Hard to recommend a book like this built on trauma and pain - this is certainly not the right book for every reader. But, if you're drawn to it, it's well worth the read. ( )