The River Child
Standing beside Elise's grave, Siobhan Montrell remembers how her mother finally blew the perfect smoke ring on the day that Elise disappeared. Remembers the day that would change and define her life forever. The toddler's body was found in the river near Gables Guesthouse. Only eleven years old at the time, Siobhan has carried the guilt of Elise's death with her since that day. Twenty-eight years later, Siobhan returns to Rachley Island, having inherited Gables - guesthouse and family home - from her aunt. Cleaning the property to prepare it for sale, she discovers an old book in which her aunt used to draw and write, revealing the truth about tragic drowning. The River Child is a tale of grief and guilt, deceit and secrets, and ultimately forgiveness.
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3.5 Rounded to 3
I had a hard time deciding how to rate this one. While it starts off strong, it quickly became hard for me to stay invested in. The formatting and writing style threw a wrench in the flow.
I love a good dual timeline, as we get to see both past and present while the secrets and mysteries are unraveled. Too often with this one, however, I was confused as it jumped around so much and without any cohesion from one point to the next. I had to stop and reread a few different places to understand where I was in the story...past or present.
The writing style was often hard for me as well. I love descriptive writing, when the story calls for it. There were a few times where, for me, the writing was overly descriptive and wordy. This also made it hard to stay focused.
That being said, I enjoyed parts of this one and it made for a quick and easy read. The characters are well-written and the struggle the MC goes through as she deals with her past is interesting in itself.
Even though this wasn't a complete love for me, I would still say give it a shot. Readers are different, and what doesn't work for one may work for another.
I sincerely appreciate Odyssey Books for providing me with a review copy. All opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone.