Review: The Last Good Day of the Year by Jessica Warman

Summary:

Ten years ago, seven-year-old Samantha and her next door neighbor Remy watched helplessly as Sam's little sister was kidnapped. Later, Remy and Sam identified the man and he was sent to prison.

Now, Sam's shattered family is returning to her childhood home in an effort to heal. As long-buried memories begin to surface, she and Remy wonder what they really saw. The more they re-examine the events of that fateful night, the more questions they have about what happened to Turtle . . . and they become more certain that Turtle's killer is still out there, hidden amongst the members of their tight-knit community.

Master storyteller Jessica Warman keeps readers guessing in an arresting page-turner that questions whether the potential for evil lurks within us all.

Publication Date: May 12, 2015

I read another book by the author and remembered really enjoying it, so I was extremely excited to get my hands on a copy of The Last Good Day of the Year. The premise sounded chilling and I expected to get really drawn into the story of a young girl’s abduction. I did end up liking The Last Good Day of the Year, but more so as a character study of how a family deals with tragedy than an actual suspense novel.

The beginning of the book was so fantastically good! I was so scared over the scene in the basement and the way Turtle was taken. Actually most of the flashback sections were much more intriguing than the parts that took place ten years later. The scenes with older Sam just didn’t resonate as much with me and I didn’t feel much toward her as a character. I guess I wanted more emotion from her about her sister’s abduction and the part she and her childhood friend Remy played in naming the purported murderer.

The pacing was a little uneven in my opinion. The beginning and end were very suspenseful, but the middle was mostly about how Sam’s family was falling apart because of the abduction. The book did a good job of showing how people can react dramatically different when faced with unspeakable tragedy. I only wish there was more clues given about the central mystery. The conclusion seemed to come out of nowhere and was wrapped up way too quickly.

I did find the book unputdownable at times, so I was definitely drawn into the story. The novel wasn’t what I expected, but still a good read nonetheless.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!