Happy Monday everybody!
Thrilled to share with you today my review for this chilling thriller! A huge thank you to Lisa for my invitation to the tour!🌻
My Thoughts
𝓒𝓻𝓮𝓮𝓹𝔂 𝓤𝓷𝓼𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓐𝓭𝓭𝓲𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓿𝓮
Heather Gudenkauf has constructed a clever and compelling thriller with a mean girls vibe. Three 12 year old girls at a sleepover sneak out at midnight to the railyard. Cora is found stabbed and beaten, Violet is found soaked in blood, and Jordan is nowhere to be found. As the book progresses we get to know the girls better and understand the relationships between them. The girls had been working on a class project about urban legends, could that have something to do with this tragedy? Three girls with three different stories, what really happened that night? Who is lying? Who is telling the truth? And who can’t remember?
This book had such a creepy feel to it. Not only was there the scary urban legend, but it was so creepy how real this was. As a parent it is definitely scary that a school project could lead to a complete creeper talking to your child online. I remember how vulnerable and insecure I was at 12, so eager to fit in. Thank goodness my own kids were a little more savvy than me, I would’ve been a prime target I’m sure. The story is told from many perspectives and multiple forms of media. There are journal entries, text messages, private messaging on a message board, as well as doctors notes. In addition to this we get the point of view of a mother and a grandfather, I thought this was extremely impactful. There really is no limit to what we will do to protect our children, made me think what I would have done in the same situation. Cora’s journal entries were so heartbreaking and telling. I also felt the doctor’s thoughts added another layer to the story.
This was a riveting story with an unpredictable unsettling end. I had no idea who the guilty party was. Was it the bitchy popular girl? The sweet quiet girl who was easily swayed by her peers? Or was it something far more sinister? This is a thriller that I think will appeal to all thriller lovers. The characters are real and relatable and if you are a parent I think you will really understand where these parents/grandparents were coming from. The book was well paced, I was completely engaged throughout this entire book. Simply put this is an addictive thriller with a riveting plot and relatable characters.
*** many thanks to Harlequin/Park Row for my copy of this book ***
About the Book
A gripping thriller about three young girlfriends, a dark obsession and a chilling crime that shakes up a quiet Iowa town
For twelve-year-old Cora Landry and her friends Violet and Jordyn, it was supposed to be an ordinary sleepover—movies and Ouija and talking about boys. But when they decide to sneak out to go to the abandoned rail yard on the outskirts of town, little do they know that their innocent games will have dangerous consequences.
Later that night, Cora Landry is discovered on the tracks, bloody and clinging to life, her friends nowhere to be found. Soon their small rural town is thrust into a maelstrom. Who would want to hurt a young girl like Cora—and why? In an investigation that leaves no stone unturned, everyone is a suspect and no one can be trusted—not even those closest to Cora.
Before She Was Found is a timely and gripping thriller about friendship and betrayal, about the power of social pressure and the price of needing to fit in. It is about the great lengths a parent will go to protect their child and keep them safe—even if that means burying the truth, no matter the cost.
Berit Talks Books 