Twenty-Seven Minutes

Book Review: Twenty-Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate

Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

As I delved into Ashley Tate's novel, Twenty-Seven Minutes, I was immediately drawn to the intriguing mystery surrounding Phoebe Dean's untimely death and the secrets that unfolded in the small town of West Wilmer. The cover art of the book is captivating and sets the tone for a suspenseful read that promises to unravel dark truths and hidden motivations.

The story revolves around the aftermath of a tragic car accident that claimed Phoebe's life, raising questions about her brother Grant's delayed call for help and the lingering mystery surrounding that fateful night. Tate skillfully weaves a narrative filled with grief, ambition, and secrets, all set against the backdrop of a town haunted by a past tragedy.

While the writing in Twenty-Seven Minutes is engaging and easy to follow, I found myself somewhat underwhelmed by the predictability of the plot. Despite the multiple points of view that offer insight into the characters' lives and emotions, the storyline felt lacking in surprises and twists that would have elevated the reading experience.

However, one aspect that stood out in the book was the well-developed characters, each with their own distinct personalities and motives. Tate excels in portraying the complexities of human nature, making the interactions between the caretaker, secret girlfriend, missing bad boy, and former football star both compelling and realistic.

In conclusion, Twenty-Seven Minutes is a decent debut novel that showcases Ashley Tate's talent for crafting relatable characters and exploring themes of grief and hidden truths. While the plot may fall short in terms of originality and suspense, the strength of the character development makes this book worth a read for fans of contemporary literary suspense.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

This book was so intriguing and I was so excited to read it the minute I read the synopsis.

The story is told from multiple points of view from the main characters and follows two timelines to help you get a grasp on what is happening and what happened in the past to lead up to that point.

Grief is a very dark and hard thing to go through, we each have our own reactions and emotions when going through it and I personally loved that this book showed that.

I am usually great at guessing what the big reveals are in books but I was nowhere near right for this one.

This was a fun read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily