Synopsis:

When Fern Douglas sees the news about Astrid Sullivan, a thirty-four-year-old missing woman from Maine, she is positive that she knows her. Fern’s husband is sure it’s because of Astrid’s famous kidnapping—and equally famous return—twenty years ago, but Fern has no memory of that, even though it happened an hour outside her New Hampshire hometown. And when Astrid appears in Fern’s recurring nightmare, one in which a girl reaches out to her, pleading, Fern fears that it’s not a dream at all, but a memory.

Back home in New Hampshire, Fern purchases a copy of Astrid’s recently published memoir—which may have provoked her original kidnapper to abduct her again—and as she reads through its chapters and visits the people and places within it, she discovers more evidence that she has an unsettling connection to the missing woman. As Fern’s search becomes increasingly desperate, she hopes to remember her past so she can save Astrid in the present…before it’s too late.

Rating:

Review:

**Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books!**

This book was epically good! The premise of it drew me in immediately. We have all had recurring nightmares before. We have all had dreams that we are terrified of. But, what if you later found out that those recurring nightmares might actually be memories? Memories of a woman who was abducted for a second time and might be in peril from the same perpetrator all over again?

Fern is an anxious and fearful individual. Which makes complete sense given her history. Her mother is an artist who never really wanted to be a mother. As her mother puts it, she got pregnant and they decided to keep the baby and that was good enough. She was disinterested and detached. Fern’s father is a professor. He studies the psychology of fear. He viewed Fern’s childhood as the perfect vehicle for his “research”. For example, leaving her alone in a town that she isn’t familiar with and then waiting until she’s crying and terrified before coming back for her. The more I read about Fern’s family the more I understood her. Of course she’s an anxiety ridden, fearful individual. How could she end up any other way given the parenting she received?

As Fern searches for answers we meet more people from her past who all seemed to prey on her fearful nature. Like her best friend’s older brother. Who bullied them as kids and can’t seem to resist doing it, even as a middle aged adult man. I became rather convinced that Fern didn’t know anyone who wasn’t a completely twisted person, except perhaps her husband. He seemed to be a good quality individual that Fern could rely on. The book quickly turns to Fern’s search for answers about her dreams, and her conviction that they are actually memories. As we went along I developed a theory about who the kidnapper was. I was pleasantly surprised that my theory was correct. It was the right choice. Sometimes a predictable conclusion is the right one. This one was the choice that made the most sense considering everything we learned about the world and these characters.

Even though I guessed who the kidnapper was, the book still had a surprise for me at the end. I didn’t see it coming a mile away. But, it was also perfectly lined up with who these characters are. I always enjoy a story that can surprise me. This book was riveting from cover to cover. I read the last 60 pages in one sitting after spending 12 hours at a theme park. I just couldn’t put it down. So I sat in a dark hotel room and read to the end. It was worth it.