Genre: Psychological Suspense / Mystery
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Date of Publication: November 1, 2017
Pages: 332
In the deep woods of East Texas, Henry supports his family by
selling bootleg liquor. It’s all he can do to keep his compassionate but ailing
mother and his stepfather—a fanatical grassroots minister with a bruising
rhetoric—from ruin. But they have no idea they’ve become the obsession of the
girl in the woods.
Abandoned and nearly feral, Eve has been
watching them, seduced by the notion of family—something she’s known only in
the most brutal sense. Soon she can’t resist the temptation to get close. Where
Henry’s mother sees a poor girl in need, his father sees only wickedness. When
Henry forges an unexpected bond with Eve, he believes he might be able to save
her. He doesn’t know how wrong he is.
Eve is about to take
charge of her own destiny—and that of Henry’s family. As both their worlds spin
violently out of control, Henry must make an impossible choice: protect the
broken young woman who’s claimed a piece of his soul, or put everyone he loves
at risk in order to do the right thing.
"An emotional powerhouse of a story that will leave readers reeling from the beginning to the end.” ~Christena Stephens, Forgotten Winds
"Beautiful and intoxicating.” ~Chelsea Humphrey, The Suspense is Thrilling Me
"Haunting. Lyrical. Beautiful. Dark. At times, sickening.” ~Julia Byers, Books in the Garden
“This is dark psychological suspense that skillfully inspires a slow-dawning dread. . .It will shred you.” ~Michelle Newby, Lone Star Literary LifeMy Review:
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
If I had one word to summarize the overriding theme of The Unremembered Girl by Eliza Maxwell it would be sacrifice. If I had one word to describe the creativity of this story and the beautiful way in which it was told, I wouldn't be able to do it because it is worthy of so much more than one word.
The Unremembered Girl starts off with a preview of a future dark, yet sacrificial activity involving the main character, Henry. The introduction creates a bit of confusion, but with her enchanting and captivating writing, Maxwell quickly draws the reader into this story setting the foundation for a suspense-filled novel. This piece of fiction covers a lot of ground including human trafficking, rape, cancer, death, infertility, grief, guilt, and more.
Henry is tasked with doing the right thing for Eve, a stranger his mother rescued for the back woods of east Texas. Like most real-life families, there’s a bit of dysfunction involving the secondary characters of Henry’s stepfather, stepbrother, and his stepsister-in-law. Maxwell portrays Henry as a most sympathetic protagonist, so much so that even when he commits seemingly amoral acts, you as the reader, still root for him to win. The story is very easy to follow, and even with so many complex topics being presented, the overall pace of it is rather fast. No spoilers, but the ending will leave you with a myriad of feelings that will have you thinking about the characters long after you’ve turned the last page.
Recommendation: Do something nice for yourself today: Get a copy of this book, and carve out some time to indulge yourself. You won't need much because it is a quick read. This slow reader was able to finish it in 3 days. Oh! And don't forget to enter the giveaway below. Not only do you have a chance to win an autographed copy of the book but some vodka, a cake stand, and a gift card too!
Until next time ... Read on!
Buy Now:
About the Author:
Grand Prize ($90 value): Autographed copy of The Unremembered Girl, 1.75 mL bottle of Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka, Jusalpha white porcelain decorative cake stand, recipe for "Caroline's Coconut Cake" (featured in the book), $20 Amazon Gift Card.
2nd Prize: Autographed copy of The Unremembered Girl, $10 Amazon Gift Card
3rd Prize: Autographed copy of The Unremembered Girl
October 5-October 14, 2017
(U.S. Only; proof of age 21 or older required to receive vodka)
| 10/5 | Notable Quotable 1 | Texas Book Lover |
| 10/5 | Notable Quotable 1 | Reading by Moonlight |
| 10/6 | Review | Forgotten Winds |
| 10/7 | Top Ten List | The Librarian Talks |
| 10/7 | Top Ten List | Blogging for the Love of Authors & Their Books |
| 10/8 | Review | Texan Girl Reads |
| 10/10 | Excerpt | Chapter Break Book Blog |
| 10/10 | Author Interview | Books in the Garden |
| 10/11 | Review | StoreyBook Reviews |
| 10/11 | Guest Post | Missus Gonzo |
| 10/12 | Review | Tangled in Text |
| 10/13 | Notable Quotable 2 | Books and Broomsticks |
| 10/13 | Notable Quotable 2 | Margie's Must Reads |
| 10/14 | Review | The Page Unbound |
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Thank you so much for posting, and what a lovely review!
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing it. Your story gave me all the feels! :-)
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