Book Comments: Never Let You Go
Never Let You Go by Chevy Stevens is a suspense/thriller about thirty-nine year old Lindsey Nash and a mysterious stalker who attempts to destroy her life. The survivor of an abusive marriage, her ex-husband, Andrew was sent to prison after being convicted of vehicular manslaughter. Lindsey had drugged him in order to escape with their daughter, Sophie but without imagining he'd regain consciousness and drive. As such, she carries guilt for the woman killed. When the book opens, she and her now teenage daughter, are trying to make a life; after Andrew is released from prison, however, bad things start to happen.
As twists and turns play out, the reader is left to wonder the identity of the stalker. Is it Andrew; Jared, Sophie's possessive boyfriend; Greg, Lindsey's romantic interest with whom she breaks up during the course of the story; or perhaps, Marcus, the therapist who volunteers at her support group. At various points, I thought it might have been any of them. The revelation is a shocker and though the reader is relieved he is found out, the extenuating circumstances stir our empathy as well.
Chevy Stevens does an excellent job of depicting the mother-teen daughter relationship and the tensions/conflicts when a child transitioning to adulthood. Also, the myriad feelings Lindsey experiences processing her emotions towards Andrew: anger and rage yet a sense of gratitude for her daughter.
There are forty-seven chapters in this book; it is divided into three parts and spans a twenty year period beginning prior to Lindsey's marriage and culminating in 2017 when Sophie begins college. Both Lindsey and Sophie narrate and the story unfolds in a non-linear style so that we learn about the past while the present in process. Well-paced, the backstory never overwhelms the action or diminishes the suspense.
A top notch novel, Chevy Stevens ends with a letter of thanks from Sophie to her mother dated December 2017; four months into her first year of college. It is poignant and elevates Never Let You Go to one of those books that linger in a reader's mind and heart for a long time.
A terrific read and an author whose other books I will read.
Marianne Perry
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
www.marianneperry.ca
As twists and turns play out, the reader is left to wonder the identity of the stalker. Is it Andrew; Jared, Sophie's possessive boyfriend; Greg, Lindsey's romantic interest with whom she breaks up during the course of the story; or perhaps, Marcus, the therapist who volunteers at her support group. At various points, I thought it might have been any of them. The revelation is a shocker and though the reader is relieved he is found out, the extenuating circumstances stir our empathy as well.
Chevy Stevens does an excellent job of depicting the mother-teen daughter relationship and the tensions/conflicts when a child transitioning to adulthood. Also, the myriad feelings Lindsey experiences processing her emotions towards Andrew: anger and rage yet a sense of gratitude for her daughter.
There are forty-seven chapters in this book; it is divided into three parts and spans a twenty year period beginning prior to Lindsey's marriage and culminating in 2017 when Sophie begins college. Both Lindsey and Sophie narrate and the story unfolds in a non-linear style so that we learn about the past while the present in process. Well-paced, the backstory never overwhelms the action or diminishes the suspense.
A top notch novel, Chevy Stevens ends with a letter of thanks from Sophie to her mother dated December 2017; four months into her first year of college. It is poignant and elevates Never Let You Go to one of those books that linger in a reader's mind and heart for a long time.
A terrific read and an author whose other books I will read.
Marianne Perry
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
www.marianneperry.ca
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