E.B. Vickers

Very intriguing and complex plot that unravels each layer perfectly. Calli is tough, but hurting after her veterinarian father is killed in a barn explosion. When she goes along the edge of her property, she discovers a skinny, frightened, and filthy girl hiding under a piece of burlap. The girl, who she comes to call Ash, needs someone to care for her. That's the role Calli assumes and in the process of healing Ash, she finds herself having strong sisterly feelings toward the younger girl. Those are sorely tested as revelations about her father's death and his secrets come to light. All of the action is nicely paced and I found myself completely immersed in this book.… (altro)

Usually, I start reviews with a tagline, but I'm going to skip over that with this one, since I have a package of thoughts. Calli's dad has passed away, and she's surrounded by people, who are there for her in every way. He was well-liked and up to the point where her mother passed away a few years before, the Bishop of their congregation. When she discovers an injured girl, who's been horribly traumatized on the edge of her property, she does her best to take care of her despite pressure from those around her to turn to the authorities. The girl thrives under Calli's care, which helps with Calli's own mourning process...until strange things begin to occur. The girl is afraid, and it appears that there's much more behind everything then Calli believed.

I picked this one up without any expectations of any kind (extremely neutral) and was surprised to find myself caught up to the point that I read this in one go. The author does tension very well, and masterfully weaves Calli's personality and thoughts. It grabs and draws in with wonderful pacing and glimpses of dark secrets and moments to come. The other characters add a variety of personalities and intentions, mixing in humor, care, and even uncertainty and enough mistrust to wonder what is truly going on. For the most part, this is written from Calli's point-of-view and it works very well. I say 'for the most part' because the author adds poetry in at the beginning of each chapter (and at other times as the story continues), which wasn't quite my thing but adds a nice touch of mystery. About two-thirds of the way through, threads started to loosen, and while I did finish this in one sitting, it felt as if something was a little off.

The writing is grabbing, but the plot weave loosened as the tale went on. Calli often draws her support from Bible verses or memories from her father's sayings (which was carefully and well done, too). His voice in her head was very prominent, which made me wonder if this was going to take a paranormal twist, but it works considering Calli's circumstances. There's a cult on the edge of the desert (which introduces more verses along the way), but while this grabbed attention, it missed the mark for me. There were several other plot/character paths, which had the same effect...and were built up and could have been so much more. Several moments/events fell into the same trap, where they 'worked' but seemed a bit tailored and not completely logical. But only a bit, so that the read still remained interesting. The conclusion ties up all the knots nicely and left with satisfaction.

As said, I did read this in one sitting and was hooked by the writing and tension enough to keep me drawn to the pages until the end. I do recommend this for especially Christian fiction fans, who are ready to dive into a more thrilling novel, which also spends times on issues such as grief, abuse, and discovering others flaws. I received a DRC and found it to be more grabbing than I expected.… (altro)