Author: Chevy Stevens
Genre: Thriller, Standalone
Published: 2011
Personal Rating: 4/5 (very good)
Format: Book
Yearly Count: 65
From Chevy Stevens' Website:
All her life, Sara Gallagher has wondered about her birth parents. As an adopted child with two sisters who were born naturally to her parents, Sara’s home life was not ideal. The question of why she was given up for adoption has always haunted her. Finally, she is ready to take steps and find closure.
But some questions are better left unanswered.
After months of research, Sara locates her birth mother—only to be met with horror and rejection. Then she discovers the devastating truth: her mother was the only victim ever to escape a killer who has been hunting women every summer for decades. But Sara soon realizes the only thing worse than finding out about her father is him finding out about her.
What if murder is in your blood?
Never Knowing is a complex and compelling portrayal of one woman’s quest to understand herself, her origins, and her family. That is, if she can survive…
I have to say that I loved Still Missing and knew that any book to immediately follow would have a difficult time beating it. Ultimately, it did cause a bit of a problem in my rating because I compared. I just couldn't help it. Even though I felt the plot was a little repetitious, I thought the writing was terrific. No matter when I picked it up, I was immediately placed back in the action. I was right in the thick of it and felt like I never put it down. That was awesome.
My complaints (or why I didn't like it as much as Still Missing) come from two major areas: characters and some plot points. I didn't really like Sara or any of her family. I think the only person I actually liked was Sara's fiancé. I didn't dislike anybody; I just didn't like them. As for the plot, I mentioned that above - the repetition (phone calls, decisions made, etc.). I'm disappointed that it didn't make my "best reads" list, but I did really, really enjoy it and can't wait for another Stevens' thriller. I think she's fabulous.
My thanks go to St. Martin's Press and Shelf Awareness for sending me this ARC.
You're not the first person to say this isn't as good as Still Missing. It sounds like it's still worth reading though.
ReplyDeleteI can see where the repetitiveness was a little annoying but I think I liked this if not the same then more than Stull Missing LOL!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read either book yet, so I guess I should start with Still Missing. This one seems pretty good to me though.
ReplyDeleteBermudaonion ~ Oh, absolutely!
ReplyDeleteJenny ~ I wonder if she's writing her third yet? She definitely has talent, and I look forward to reading more.
Diane ~ I think you'll like both, so it's all good. :)
I had Still Missing in my basket at Borders yesterday but took it out to make room for other stuff I wanted :) Next trip!
ReplyDeleteStacybuckeye ~ I hope that "next trip" is soon, because you don't want to miss out on that book! :)
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed Still Missing as well so I'll be interested to see how I feel after reading this one. I'm looking forward to picking it up sometime soon!
ReplyDeleteSamantha.1020 ~ I hope you like it lots! :)
ReplyDeleteI had a hard time not comparing the two books too. But I think your reasons for not loving it are valid. I felt the phone calls were repetitious also and Sara was someone I wanted to kick in the butt a few times!!!
ReplyDeleteStaci ~ I'm eager to see/read what she comes up with next!
ReplyDeleteI gave Still Missing a 4.5/5 so I wonder what I'll think of this one? Maybe I should leave the ARC on my shelf for a few years. Maybe by the time I read it, I will have forgotten how much I liked Still Missing. ;)
ReplyDeleteLes ~ I think no matter when you read it, you're going to have the same result. You'll probably enjoy it, but know it's not Still Missing. :)
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