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You Were Here
Readers of Kate Atkinson will delight in this suspenseful debut novel about a woman haunted by nightmares and her grandmother's role in a doomed love triangle almost seventy years before.
What if the past is never buried?
Death, accidental and early, has always been Abby Walters's preoccupation. Now thirty-three and eager to settle down with her commitment-shy boyfriend, a recurring dream from her past returns: a paralyzing nightmare of being buried alive, the taste of dirt in her mouth cloying and real. But this time the dream reveals a name from her family's past. Looking for answers, Abby returns home to small-town Minnesota for the first time in fourteen years, where she reconnects with her high school crush, now a police detective on the trail of a violent criminal. When Abby tries on her grandmother's mesmerizing diamond ring, a ring she always dreamed would be hers, she discovers a cryptic note long hidden beneath the box's velvet lining. What secret was her grandmother hiding? And could this be the key to what's haunting Abby? As she begins to uncover the traces of a love triangle gone shockingly wrong nearly seventy years before, we, too, see that the layers of our lives may echo a past we’ve never known. With mesmerizing twists and a long-buried secret that may finally rise to light, You Were Here weaves together two worlds separated by decades, asking if the mistakes made in past lives can ever be corrected in the future, and if some souls are meant to find one another time and time again.
What if the past is never buried?
Death, accidental and early, has always been Abby Walters's preoccupation. Now thirty-three and eager to settle down with her commitment-shy boyfriend, a recurring dream from her past returns: a paralyzing nightmare of being buried alive, the taste of dirt in her mouth cloying and real. But this time the dream reveals a name from her family's past. Looking for answers, Abby returns home to small-town Minnesota for the first time in fourteen years, where she reconnects with her high school crush, now a police detective on the trail of a violent criminal. When Abby tries on her grandmother's mesmerizing diamond ring, a ring she always dreamed would be hers, she discovers a cryptic note long hidden beneath the box's velvet lining. What secret was her grandmother hiding? And could this be the key to what's haunting Abby? As she begins to uncover the traces of a love triangle gone shockingly wrong nearly seventy years before, we, too, see that the layers of our lives may echo a past we’ve never known. With mesmerizing twists and a long-buried secret that may finally rise to light, You Were Here weaves together two worlds separated by decades, asking if the mistakes made in past lives can ever be corrected in the future, and if some souls are meant to find one another time and time again.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 16, 2017
47 people are currently reading
1730 people want to read
About the author
Gian Sardar
5 books250 followersI'm the author of the upcoming novel LAND OF DREAMS, as well as the novels WHEN THE WORLD GOES QUIET, TAKE WHAT YOU CAN CARRY and YOU WERE HERE. In addition, I co-authored the book PSYCHIC JUNKIE.
Currently I live in Los Angeles, but have also lived in Colorado and Minnesota, two states that are big in my heart. I'm obsessed with reading, gardening, football, baking, and any form of procrastination.
If you have any questions, I'd love to answer them. :)
Currently I live in Los Angeles, but have also lived in Colorado and Minnesota, two states that are big in my heart. I'm obsessed with reading, gardening, football, baking, and any form of procrastination.
If you have any questions, I'd love to answer them. :)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
February 10, 2017
This book transfixed me. I was given an advanced copy and was floored by the new author's talent. The way she wove together the different times and voices was seamless and made me feel that I was IN their story, and made it impossible for me to do anything but read. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants not only a compelling and page-turning story, but also stunningly beautiful language.
I want to say more, but without spoiling it for the first-time reader, let me just say that it is the kind of book that will keep you hooked with the turns it takes ... it leaves you guessing until the end and the way the reveals keep coming makes it a true page turner.
I want to say more, but without spoiling it for the first-time reader, let me just say that it is the kind of book that will keep you hooked with the turns it takes ... it leaves you guessing until the end and the way the reveals keep coming makes it a true page turner.
April 24, 2017
This was a fantastic mystery that kept me turning pages well into the night to find out how the story would end. The first 50 pages or so were kind of slow but keep on reading because once things start to happen, you won't want to put it down.
The story is told in two time periods. The modern story is Abby's. Abby lives in LA and keeps having the same dream that she's had for years but this time she hears a name in her dream and when her mother knew of the person that she dreamed about she decided that she needs to go home to Minnesota for the first time in years to try to find out what was causing her dreams. While she is home, she meets one of the first boys that she had a crush on. He is now a police detective working on the case of a serial rapist in their town. So Abby's story is all about her dreams and her history and the case of the serial rapist. Her grandmother's story takes in her best friend, whose husband is having an affair and plans to leave her. The author did a fantastic job of interweaving these two time lines and two plots and her characters are great.
I really enjoyed this novel - there was a lot of mystery, a major bad guy and a bit of romance - how can you go wrong?
The story is told in two time periods. The modern story is Abby's. Abby lives in LA and keeps having the same dream that she's had for years but this time she hears a name in her dream and when her mother knew of the person that she dreamed about she decided that she needs to go home to Minnesota for the first time in years to try to find out what was causing her dreams. While she is home, she meets one of the first boys that she had a crush on. He is now a police detective working on the case of a serial rapist in their town. So Abby's story is all about her dreams and her history and the case of the serial rapist. Her grandmother's story takes in her best friend, whose husband is having an affair and plans to leave her. The author did a fantastic job of interweaving these two time lines and two plots and her characters are great.
I really enjoyed this novel - there was a lot of mystery, a major bad guy and a bit of romance - how can you go wrong?
March 1, 2017
Release Date: May 16, 2017
SPOILER FREE!!!
4 stars--Shewww, what a ride! The beginning dragged a bit at times, but the middle-end was so full of drama and suspense that I couldn't stop reading!
Death, accidental and early, has always been Abby Walters's preoccupation. Now thirty-three and eager to settle down with her commitment-shy boyfriend, a recurring dream from her past returns: a paralyzing nightmare of being buried alive, the taste of dirt in her mouth cloying and real. But this time the dream reveals a name from her family's past.
Abby has bad anxiety. So much so that she could be riding in the car and obsessing about how she could die via a car crash. Her boyfriend, Robert, has promised to "upgrade" their life and fulfill her dreams as soon as he sells his next script, but Abby is starting to wonder if that will ever happen...And she feels stuck in a way.
Her best friend, Hannah, has moved forward and bought a house; meanwhile, Abby is being drawn back 10 years by a nightmare that won't go away.
The writing was spot-on, along with the delivery of creative metaphors that, at times, had me close to pissing my pants. The narrative is told from a third person POV and tends to stay in a dark tone throughout the book, but there were descriptions of memories and previous wants that lightened the mood and evened everything out.
Although the romantic plot of this book didn't play as big of a role as I would've hoped, I still walked away from this SATISFIED. (Which for me is a BIG thing.) I hate finishing a book and feeling like pieces are missing or that there should've been more.
Final thoughts
Cover: 7
Writing: 10
Character Development: 10
Romance: 7
Suspense: 10
I definitely plan on reading more books from this author in the future. I would recommend this to anyone who loved "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn. The plot's are different, obviously, but I felt similar tones throughout.
LINK TO PREORDER: Amazon
Many thanks to Putnam/Penguin Random House for sending this to me. :)
My blog
Instagram: Booklish_Reviews
SPOILER FREE!!!
4 stars--Shewww, what a ride! The beginning dragged a bit at times, but the middle-end was so full of drama and suspense that I couldn't stop reading!
Death, accidental and early, has always been Abby Walters's preoccupation. Now thirty-three and eager to settle down with her commitment-shy boyfriend, a recurring dream from her past returns: a paralyzing nightmare of being buried alive, the taste of dirt in her mouth cloying and real. But this time the dream reveals a name from her family's past.
Abby has bad anxiety. So much so that she could be riding in the car and obsessing about how she could die via a car crash. Her boyfriend, Robert, has promised to "upgrade" their life and fulfill her dreams as soon as he sells his next script, but Abby is starting to wonder if that will ever happen...And she feels stuck in a way.
Her best friend, Hannah, has moved forward and bought a house; meanwhile, Abby is being drawn back 10 years by a nightmare that won't go away.
The writing was spot-on, along with the delivery of creative metaphors that, at times, had me close to pissing my pants. The narrative is told from a third person POV and tends to stay in a dark tone throughout the book, but there were descriptions of memories and previous wants that lightened the mood and evened everything out.
Although the romantic plot of this book didn't play as big of a role as I would've hoped, I still walked away from this SATISFIED. (Which for me is a BIG thing.) I hate finishing a book and feeling like pieces are missing or that there should've been more.
Final thoughts
Cover: 7
Writing: 10
Character Development: 10
Romance: 7
Suspense: 10
I definitely plan on reading more books from this author in the future. I would recommend this to anyone who loved "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn. The plot's are different, obviously, but I felt similar tones throughout.
LINK TO PREORDER: Amazon
Many thanks to Putnam/Penguin Random House for sending this to me. :)
My blog
Instagram: Booklish_Reviews
April 24, 2017
This was another story where I just need more. I'm so sad that it's over.
I loved pretty much everything about this. Gian Sardar created a character, Abby, that I so resonated with. Her fear of the unknown, of being constantly afraid of some tragic circumstance just around the corner that cannot be prepared for. "...a mind that's never been easy on its owner." Abby is so real to me. Her relationship with her long-term boyfriend, her best friend, her mother, her childhood crush, her hometown, I'm sorry to keep repeating myself but it all felt so real.
Sardar has a darkly poetic way of writing that drew me in. Her words were powerful, but that power isn't presented with huge, daunting words. Rather, her descriptions of houses and weather and feelings seem to be written from experience. For example, a description I loved: "There's nothing so beautiful, she once told Hannah, as a parking lot late at night when the snow has just begun." Simple, yet I instantly understood and recognized the beauty. There is a complexity in its simplicity, and I felt that consistently in Sardar's writing throughout this book.
What an amazing, slow-burning whodunnit, with so many minor clues hidden that made me go, 'Oh my god, of course,' more than once. I loved the two time-periods that were interconnected, loved the characters from both time-periods, and probably obvious, but I loved this book.
Thank you to Penguin First to Read for the opportunity to read this book in advance.
I loved pretty much everything about this. Gian Sardar created a character, Abby, that I so resonated with. Her fear of the unknown, of being constantly afraid of some tragic circumstance just around the corner that cannot be prepared for. "...a mind that's never been easy on its owner." Abby is so real to me. Her relationship with her long-term boyfriend, her best friend, her mother, her childhood crush, her hometown, I'm sorry to keep repeating myself but it all felt so real.
Sardar has a darkly poetic way of writing that drew me in. Her words were powerful, but that power isn't presented with huge, daunting words. Rather, her descriptions of houses and weather and feelings seem to be written from experience. For example, a description I loved: "There's nothing so beautiful, she once told Hannah, as a parking lot late at night when the snow has just begun." Simple, yet I instantly understood and recognized the beauty. There is a complexity in its simplicity, and I felt that consistently in Sardar's writing throughout this book.
What an amazing, slow-burning whodunnit, with so many minor clues hidden that made me go, 'Oh my god, of course,' more than once. I loved the two time-periods that were interconnected, loved the characters from both time-periods, and probably obvious, but I loved this book.
Thank you to Penguin First to Read for the opportunity to read this book in advance.
May 15, 2017
So this book just reinforced my inability to DNF books. Let me explain.... This book starts out really slow. So slow that I was seriously considering DNF'ing which I never do. Yet, I read on and after I read the first 100 pages or so, I became so engrossed in the book that I read the remainder 260ish pages in one evening. So see, if I HAD DNF'd this book, I'd have missed out on what really was quite an enjoyable read.
Abby left her hometown almost 17 years ago and has never returned. Prior to her leaving, she would have horrible nightmares where she was in a grave being covered by soil. Abby's life is not what she wants. Her boyfriend is working desperately at trying to sell his screenplay and he tells Abby if he does, they can finally get married and all the rest of the pieces will fall into place. Abby feels that Robert is just continuing to put her off and that marriage isn't a priority for him. Suddenly, Abby's nightmares return so she decides to go to her class reunion and try to figure out what is behind her dreams once and for all. While in town, Abby reconnects with her teen crush, Aiden, who is now a detective trying to solve a serial rapist case. She also begins to investigate the disappearance of grandmother's best friend and see if it somehow ties in to her horrible nightmares.
As mentioned, I found the first 100 pages or so of this book to be extremely slow and almost dull. The reader gets a little insight into Abby's past and the nightmares which have haunted her for years. Also during this time the reader is introduced to all of the major players. The story is told in dual timelines and once the story picks up, it really is quite an interesting tale. There are several twists and turns throughout and the resolution of the mystery was extremely satisfying. I enjoyed Abby's character for the most part and found her fascination with death creepy yet wonderful.
Besides the slow start, there is one other element to this book which really bothered me. It is full of cheating. Spouses, paramours, boyfriends, girlfriends, best friends...you name it and they are either cheating or hiding the secret for someone else. I am not a huge fan of cheating and yet I still found this book to be interesting and tolerable. Just be aware if that is something that usually puts you off on reading a book.
"You Were Here" is a strong debut and one of the better thrillers I've read lately. I feel that it's probably going to get a lot of comparisons to "Gone Girl" which I hope isn't the case because I actually consider that the kiss of death. If you have been curious about this one from the start, I would recommend you go ahead and pick it up. However, if you easily DNF books, please realize you have to get through the first 100-120 pages for it to get good. If that's too long a wait, then you might want to pass this one by.
Abby left her hometown almost 17 years ago and has never returned. Prior to her leaving, she would have horrible nightmares where she was in a grave being covered by soil. Abby's life is not what she wants. Her boyfriend is working desperately at trying to sell his screenplay and he tells Abby if he does, they can finally get married and all the rest of the pieces will fall into place. Abby feels that Robert is just continuing to put her off and that marriage isn't a priority for him. Suddenly, Abby's nightmares return so she decides to go to her class reunion and try to figure out what is behind her dreams once and for all. While in town, Abby reconnects with her teen crush, Aiden, who is now a detective trying to solve a serial rapist case. She also begins to investigate the disappearance of grandmother's best friend and see if it somehow ties in to her horrible nightmares.
As mentioned, I found the first 100 pages or so of this book to be extremely slow and almost dull. The reader gets a little insight into Abby's past and the nightmares which have haunted her for years. Also during this time the reader is introduced to all of the major players. The story is told in dual timelines and once the story picks up, it really is quite an interesting tale. There are several twists and turns throughout and the resolution of the mystery was extremely satisfying. I enjoyed Abby's character for the most part and found her fascination with death creepy yet wonderful.
Besides the slow start, there is one other element to this book which really bothered me. It is full of cheating. Spouses, paramours, boyfriends, girlfriends, best friends...you name it and they are either cheating or hiding the secret for someone else. I am not a huge fan of cheating and yet I still found this book to be interesting and tolerable. Just be aware if that is something that usually puts you off on reading a book.
"You Were Here" is a strong debut and one of the better thrillers I've read lately. I feel that it's probably going to get a lot of comparisons to "Gone Girl" which I hope isn't the case because I actually consider that the kiss of death. If you have been curious about this one from the start, I would recommend you go ahead and pick it up. However, if you easily DNF books, please realize you have to get through the first 100-120 pages for it to get good. If that's too long a wait, then you might want to pass this one by.
March 27, 2017
As I said in my blurb, this is a beautiful puzzle box of a book — a page-turner that manages to also be strikingly poetic. I was gripped from the very first page, and moved by the time I made it to the last.
May 2, 2017
I really enjoyed reading this book. And that is exactly what I did. Anything else that went on around me, (seriously?), I was absorbed and mesmerized. I loved everything about this book, well, except for a certain ending. I knew early on who was really in the nursing home, but it still did not deter me.
Abby's dreams had me stumped. Was it that she was seeing something in her future or something she had erased from her memory in the past? Not only was that mystery going on, but Abby having lived with a man for four years was wondering "is that all there is"? Meeting up with her old boyfriend put another plot twist into the story, however, for those who care, there were no sex scenes that I remember. If there were they were not detailed.
There was also several other stories going on in this book. I won't spoil them for you, but I will tell you the author did a great job going back and forth between all the stories. I was never confused and able to follow easily which provided even more additional entertainment.
Huge thanks to Penguin Group Putnam for approving me for this wonderful story and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Abby's dreams had me stumped. Was it that she was seeing something in her future or something she had erased from her memory in the past? Not only was that mystery going on, but Abby having lived with a man for four years was wondering "is that all there is"? Meeting up with her old boyfriend put another plot twist into the story, however, for those who care, there were no sex scenes that I remember. If there were they were not detailed.
There was also several other stories going on in this book. I won't spoil them for you, but I will tell you the author did a great job going back and forth between all the stories. I was never confused and able to follow easily which provided even more additional entertainment.
Huge thanks to Penguin Group Putnam for approving me for this wonderful story and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
April 25, 2017
All I can say is wow. I was able to read this book as an advanced copy and I'm not sorry. This book had peaked my interest from the little excerpt I read before requesting a copy. The sheer momentum of the book kept the interest flowing. I couldn't put it down. I wanted to know the correlation between the characters, what they were thinking, what was going to happen next. This book was a breath of fresh air in the monotonous lull I was in. Anyone who is looking for a new book to read, You Were Here is one you need to pick up.
March 15, 2017
This is a mystery that jumps back and forth seamlessly from modern day police drama and a young woman's strange nightmares to her grandmother's time and a love gone wrong. Abby is having the nightmare again - the one where she feels like she is drowning in sand. Somehow she now feels like going home might help her find the answers. She travels back to Minnesota and reconnects with her old boyfriend who is a detective dealing with a repeat rapist/serial killer. Aiden wants to help Abby solve her nightmares and there might still be a spark between them that peaks his interest. Abby is going through her grandmother's things and find an old ring and note that is the key to the secret.
I loved the parallel love triangles - Abby, her current sluggish boyfriend and Aiden and the young lover's kept apart by marriage in her grandmother's time. A debut author with heart and soul - this is one to watch. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
I loved the parallel love triangles - Abby, her current sluggish boyfriend and Aiden and the young lover's kept apart by marriage in her grandmother's time. A debut author with heart and soul - this is one to watch. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
February 9, 2017
I was given an advanced copy of this book. First of all, the writing in this book is amazing. The transitions between the past & the present is a refreshing style.
I loved the characters & related to them. I also loved the mystery of it & trying to figure it all out while reading.
It was a page turner & I could not put it down. Highly recommend this book.
I loved the characters & related to them. I also loved the mystery of it & trying to figure it all out while reading.
It was a page turner & I could not put it down. Highly recommend this book.
Want to read
June 4, 2017I have unfortunate news. I wasn't a huge fan of this book. It was good, but not mindblowing. Here are my thoughts:
Let me start by stating that the Goodreads description of this book claims that "Readers of Kate Atkinson will delight in this suspenseful debut novel about a woman haunted by nightmares and her grandmother's role in a doomed love triangle almost seventy years before." I'm a fan of Kate Atkinson and in my opinion, this is why she doesn't write suspenseful novels. Pick one or another and commit. There was just SO MUCH DESCRIPTIVE WRITING going on that I often found myself confused or bored or indifferent. Especially in the first half of the book. BUT THEN.....
Everything picked up in the second half and everything was magnificent. I was ready to call it quits and apologize to NetGalley and the publisher and then all of a sudden WHOA! Now we're getting started here! The characters were fascinating. There were twists and turns I did NOT see coming. And the writing remains strong all the way until the end. So ultimately, if you have the patience to wade through at least 120-150 pages of reading before a plot really thickens, then this book will really satisfy you and you will not regret picking this up. However, if you are someone who needs a beginning to end page-turner (i.e. Dan Brown or the likes?).....move on.
Let me start by stating that the Goodreads description of this book claims that "Readers of Kate Atkinson will delight in this suspenseful debut novel about a woman haunted by nightmares and her grandmother's role in a doomed love triangle almost seventy years before." I'm a fan of Kate Atkinson and in my opinion, this is why she doesn't write suspenseful novels. Pick one or another and commit. There was just SO MUCH DESCRIPTIVE WRITING going on that I often found myself confused or bored or indifferent. Especially in the first half of the book. BUT THEN.....
Everything picked up in the second half and everything was magnificent. I was ready to call it quits and apologize to NetGalley and the publisher and then all of a sudden WHOA! Now we're getting started here! The characters were fascinating. There were twists and turns I did NOT see coming. And the writing remains strong all the way until the end. So ultimately, if you have the patience to wade through at least 120-150 pages of reading before a plot really thickens, then this book will really satisfy you and you will not regret picking this up. However, if you are someone who needs a beginning to end page-turner (i.e. Dan Brown or the likes?).....move on.
March 24, 2017
I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of this novel. The imagery is beautiful and haunting. The story is mesmerizing and the characters feel real. I loved the transitions between the present and the past, the Author really put me there. As I neared the end, I could not turn the pages fast enough to keep up with my desire to know how it turns out. Thrilling to the very end. Cannot wait for the next one!
April 17, 2017
Never start a novel with a dream, budding authors are told, but a dream opens YOU WERE HERE. But it's not just a dream, for the dream here is as much a character in the story as the protagonist Abby Walters.
Those budding authors are also told to kill their darlings, and that's a bit of advice that Gian Sardar should have taken, but I digress.
The novel starts out slow, slow, slow, and I was close to abandoning the thing as I waited for something to happen. Abby is wretchedly annoying, obsessed with death and dying to the point that you wish the manuscript had been edited a bit more tightly to cut out some of the constant repetition. We the readers get it, she's afraid of things to the point of nearly being crippled, always thinking she's about to get killed in some accident.
However....
Don't give up on this one. In time, Abby will leave Los Angeles and her committment-phobic lover to attend her high school reunion, where she reconnects with the boy she once adored from afar. Turns out he's a police detective on the trail of a violent serial rapist. And while Abby is back in her former stomping grounds, she goes snooping around to uncover the meaning of a cryptic note she finds tucked into a ring box that once belonged to her grandmother.
Woven into Abby's narrative is the tale of a woman connected to the grandmother, a woman who is having an affair with a married man. That subplot is interesting in itself, and the tension that builds as the man plans to leave his wife, who has uncovered the illicit romance, will have a reader turning the pages to see what comes next.
That serial rapist is still on the loose in the present day, so there's tension building in that section of the narrative as well, enough to keep your eyes glued to the book.
After a slow start through a tangled thicket of pretty prose that feels quite unnecessary the story gets down to business, and YOU WERE HERE proves to be an intriguing read. Just skip over all the darlings that the editor was unable to kill and you'll find a well-crafted novel for a weekend's entertainment.
As usual, it's all thanks to Penguin Random House.
Those budding authors are also told to kill their darlings, and that's a bit of advice that Gian Sardar should have taken, but I digress.
The novel starts out slow, slow, slow, and I was close to abandoning the thing as I waited for something to happen. Abby is wretchedly annoying, obsessed with death and dying to the point that you wish the manuscript had been edited a bit more tightly to cut out some of the constant repetition. We the readers get it, she's afraid of things to the point of nearly being crippled, always thinking she's about to get killed in some accident.
However....
Don't give up on this one. In time, Abby will leave Los Angeles and her committment-phobic lover to attend her high school reunion, where she reconnects with the boy she once adored from afar. Turns out he's a police detective on the trail of a violent serial rapist. And while Abby is back in her former stomping grounds, she goes snooping around to uncover the meaning of a cryptic note she finds tucked into a ring box that once belonged to her grandmother.
Woven into Abby's narrative is the tale of a woman connected to the grandmother, a woman who is having an affair with a married man. That subplot is interesting in itself, and the tension that builds as the man plans to leave his wife, who has uncovered the illicit romance, will have a reader turning the pages to see what comes next.
That serial rapist is still on the loose in the present day, so there's tension building in that section of the narrative as well, enough to keep your eyes glued to the book.
After a slow start through a tangled thicket of pretty prose that feels quite unnecessary the story gets down to business, and YOU WERE HERE proves to be an intriguing read. Just skip over all the darlings that the editor was unable to kill and you'll find a well-crafted novel for a weekend's entertainment.
As usual, it's all thanks to Penguin Random House.
May 11, 2017
You Were Here is a mystery & a horror novel all rolled into one. Think Gone Girl meets the Goosebumps series (#tbt anyone?). It is written in a Then & Now style, which I surprisingly really enjoyed! Gian Sardar's ability to clearly weave the two stories together was incredible! I can't lie, this book was actually terrifying & I couldn't sleep if I read it right before bed resulting in my boyfriend begging me to give it up. BUT, it was a PHENOMENAL story that kept you sucked in right to the very last page. Not a book I would typically pick up but a shocking 5/5 nonetheless📚
April 19, 2017
Omg this was such an amazing book. Mix of suspense, romance, mystery and a splash of the paranormal rolled all up into one. I needed to savor every chapter because I didn't want this book to end and leave this book universe. Everything I look for and enjoy in a book was here. All the characters were so well developed and so easy to fall in love with them all. Read this book
April 5, 2017
This time-hoping thriller got me hooked from the very first chapter and didn’t let go until I got to the tragic ending.
Sardar does a fantastic job of weaving a tale between two very different eras without it ever feeling forced. The jumps from “then” to “now” and back again all happen in moments within the story where it makes sense to explore another character or location; like little sanity breaks in the intensity.
My one gripe is that leading lady Abby felt a bit weak character-wise, but I can sort of excuse it if you only look at her as a catalyst for telling the story of the more interesting characters.
Overall, it’s a solid story with interesting mystery and suspense elements.
Sardar does a fantastic job of weaving a tale between two very different eras without it ever feeling forced. The jumps from “then” to “now” and back again all happen in moments within the story where it makes sense to explore another character or location; like little sanity breaks in the intensity.
My one gripe is that leading lady Abby felt a bit weak character-wise, but I can sort of excuse it if you only look at her as a catalyst for telling the story of the more interesting characters.
Overall, it’s a solid story with interesting mystery and suspense elements.
July 19, 2018
Loooooooove. I finished this book in one sitting. It was absolutely one of the most compelling books I've read this year. My review will be vague because there is no way to give real details without giving away the plot and spoiling the ending.
The book centers around Abby, a jeweler specializing in antique rings, and the mystery surrounding her grandmother's ring, her fascination with death, and her recurring nightmare of being buried alive. The story weaves between Abby's present-day investigation and the past mystery surrounding the ring. And that's about all I can give you without ruining it. It is a beautiful, atmospheric story. Highly recommended to everyone.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The book centers around Abby, a jeweler specializing in antique rings, and the mystery surrounding her grandmother's ring, her fascination with death, and her recurring nightmare of being buried alive. The story weaves between Abby's present-day investigation and the past mystery surrounding the ring. And that's about all I can give you without ruining it. It is a beautiful, atmospheric story. Highly recommended to everyone.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 25, 2017
I felt a little disoriented at first, trying to keep track of all the characters and if they belonged in the 'now' or 'then', but I'm so happy that I stuck with it. This novel is filled with pleasantly surreal moments and intriguing mysteries.
August 26, 2020
I quite liked it. :)
May 31, 2017
Debut novelist Gian Sardar takes us on a journey through the murky world of dreams where the past weaves with the present in a chilling crime, told in a very lyrical prose.
I have such a fascination with dreams--nightmares, too--and wonder just what do they reveal about our conscious selves, but most of all--our past. That's what YOU WERE HERE seeks to do; it pulls us into that dream world and reads almost as if you *are* in a dream, but not quite.
Abby Walters is originally from Minnesota but living in L.A. with her screenwriting boyfriend who's a bit (okay, a lot) commitment shy). She works at an estate jewelry shop appraising and selling antique baubles, yet no ring for her. Like all good stories, we get called away from the known and thrust into the world of the 'unknown.' So when Abby starts having those old dreams, the ones she only had in Minnesota, she feels she needs to go back home to attempt to uncover their meaning.
Unbeknownst to her, there's a grisly slew of rapes and murders happening in her home state. It makes national news within a day or so of her arrival. Her longtime crush from H.S. is there, working now as a detective. This piece of the story is a bit predictable, but it's not all there is to the story.Trust me, it's a multi-layered, literary mystery that sweeps you into its arms, pulling you into a sleepy spell.
Back in 1947 there's another mystery brewing. Sardar does a lovely job of piecing these two time periods together that doesn't feel jaunty. It's smooth and effortless. We learn about several characters from this time period: Claire, Edith, Eva, William and how they are all tied to the present. Or are they? I found I really enjoyed this piece of the novel--and almost always do in these split-time frame stories.
Having lived in Minnesota for about six years, I also really enjoyed the setting: the Twin Cities and the Lake District (Lake Calhoun, Lake of the Isles, Lake Harriet) and also Rochester, two places I see completely in my mind's eye.
YOU WERE HERE is at once a mystery, but it's also a crime novel, literary historical fiction, a love story...it's a gorgeous melding of several genres, because life just happens to be that way.
Ultimately at the heart, is a story of what is unseen. It's a little obscure, even occult, with flavors of Gothic ruin that might resemble a Poe story and maybe even a little of GONE GIRL (I know, I dislike the comparisons, but there's a character that just might remind you a bit of GONE GIRL's Amy).
For all my reviews, including author interviews, please see: www.leslielindsay.com
Special thanks to Putnam for this review copy. All thoughts are my own.
I have such a fascination with dreams--nightmares, too--and wonder just what do they reveal about our conscious selves, but most of all--our past. That's what YOU WERE HERE seeks to do; it pulls us into that dream world and reads almost as if you *are* in a dream, but not quite.
Abby Walters is originally from Minnesota but living in L.A. with her screenwriting boyfriend who's a bit (okay, a lot) commitment shy). She works at an estate jewelry shop appraising and selling antique baubles, yet no ring for her. Like all good stories, we get called away from the known and thrust into the world of the 'unknown.' So when Abby starts having those old dreams, the ones she only had in Minnesota, she feels she needs to go back home to attempt to uncover their meaning.
Unbeknownst to her, there's a grisly slew of rapes and murders happening in her home state. It makes national news within a day or so of her arrival. Her longtime crush from H.S. is there, working now as a detective. This piece of the story is a bit predictable, but it's not all there is to the story.Trust me, it's a multi-layered, literary mystery that sweeps you into its arms, pulling you into a sleepy spell.
Back in 1947 there's another mystery brewing. Sardar does a lovely job of piecing these two time periods together that doesn't feel jaunty. It's smooth and effortless. We learn about several characters from this time period: Claire, Edith, Eva, William and how they are all tied to the present. Or are they? I found I really enjoyed this piece of the novel--and almost always do in these split-time frame stories.
Having lived in Minnesota for about six years, I also really enjoyed the setting: the Twin Cities and the Lake District (Lake Calhoun, Lake of the Isles, Lake Harriet) and also Rochester, two places I see completely in my mind's eye.
YOU WERE HERE is at once a mystery, but it's also a crime novel, literary historical fiction, a love story...it's a gorgeous melding of several genres, because life just happens to be that way.
Ultimately at the heart, is a story of what is unseen. It's a little obscure, even occult, with flavors of Gothic ruin that might resemble a Poe story and maybe even a little of GONE GIRL (I know, I dislike the comparisons, but there's a character that just might remind you a bit of GONE GIRL's Amy).
For all my reviews, including author interviews, please see: www.leslielindsay.com
Special thanks to Putnam for this review copy. All thoughts are my own.
February 21, 2020
I feel like I'm getting worse at reviewing thrillers because I'm so tired of saying the same things. This was an okay thriller. Not great, but passable enough that I didn't dislike the reading process. Yet another book I won't remember in a couple of days. Most of my specific thoughts are negative, though.
Not a fan of this author's style. To me it felt overwritten, too many unnecessarily pretty metaphors or weird similes to say simple things. "The water gleaming like Saran Wrap in the sun." Characters were constantly saying things like "grief is a tarnish that only gets darker." And she had odd phrasing that felt almost backward sometimes, so I'd have to reread sentences to realize what they were saying. "Hannah seemed to not even glimpse her own beauty, so accustomed was she to the sight." Like sure it makes sense once you realize how it's meant to be read, but it doesn't feel natural.
I also struggled with the point of views. The story alternates between "Then" (1948) and "Now" (present day). Within each time period there are a few different POV characters. By the end of the book I had figured out all the characters and relationships, but it took me a good bit to get there and I almost DNFed this right at the beginning because I couldn't follow along. It does get better, but waiting for a book to get better sucks.
The whole focus on cheating was weird to me, especially since it took such a positive view on cheating. How can you blame them if they're now with the one they love??? It was meant to be and all that. I don't mind cheating in books, but it's irritating when the book tries to justify it and keep you from thinking too poorly of the main character. It usually doesn't bother me that much, but it was such a major focus of both timelines that it really just made me hate all the characters more.
Also didn't like the supernatural elements. I went in thinking it was a straight thriller, but there were constant odd premonitions, or characters having memories from generations before. Almost like they were kind of meant to be reincarnations or something. I dunno if it was metaphorical or literal or just supposed to suggest the idea, but it was weird.
The ending felt anticlimactic. Not unresolved or open ended because you, the reader, know what happened to everyone in the story. But the whole book is Abby trying to figure out what happened. And then it just kind of ends with a shrug. I wanted something a little more. Like it wasn't a terrible ending. It didn't make me angry like some thriller endings do, but I expected something more.
I dunno, I found this irritating but also it was fine. Just okay. Another passable thriller where I could sit here and nitpick every tiny thing I disliked for hours, but does it really matter? If it sounds good to you and you don't mind alternating timelines or hella cheating, go ahead and pick it up. But it wasn't for me and I'm mostly just glad that I finished it quickly.
Not a fan of this author's style. To me it felt overwritten, too many unnecessarily pretty metaphors or weird similes to say simple things. "The water gleaming like Saran Wrap in the sun." Characters were constantly saying things like "grief is a tarnish that only gets darker." And she had odd phrasing that felt almost backward sometimes, so I'd have to reread sentences to realize what they were saying. "Hannah seemed to not even glimpse her own beauty, so accustomed was she to the sight." Like sure it makes sense once you realize how it's meant to be read, but it doesn't feel natural.
I also struggled with the point of views. The story alternates between "Then" (1948) and "Now" (present day). Within each time period there are a few different POV characters. By the end of the book I had figured out all the characters and relationships, but it took me a good bit to get there and I almost DNFed this right at the beginning because I couldn't follow along. It does get better, but waiting for a book to get better sucks.
The whole focus on cheating was weird to me, especially since it took such a positive view on cheating. How can you blame them if they're now with the one they love??? It was meant to be and all that. I don't mind cheating in books, but it's irritating when the book tries to justify it and keep you from thinking too poorly of the main character. It usually doesn't bother me that much, but it was such a major focus of both timelines that it really just made me hate all the characters more.
Also didn't like the supernatural elements. I went in thinking it was a straight thriller, but there were constant odd premonitions, or characters having memories from generations before. Almost like they were kind of meant to be reincarnations or something. I dunno if it was metaphorical or literal or just supposed to suggest the idea, but it was weird.
The ending felt anticlimactic. Not unresolved or open ended because you, the reader, know what happened to everyone in the story. But the whole book is Abby trying to figure out what happened. And then it just kind of ends with a shrug. I wanted something a little more. Like it wasn't a terrible ending. It didn't make me angry like some thriller endings do, but I expected something more.
I dunno, I found this irritating but also it was fine. Just okay. Another passable thriller where I could sit here and nitpick every tiny thing I disliked for hours, but does it really matter? If it sounds good to you and you don't mind alternating timelines or hella cheating, go ahead and pick it up. But it wasn't for me and I'm mostly just glad that I finished it quickly.
January 27, 2018
That ending
This was also kind of a confusing audio because of the 5 POVs, as well as the 2 different time periods (past and present). The change in the narrators voice was the only hint at who was narrating, and it really didn't make clear what time period each person was in.
This book was honestly a book about It didn't make sense why that was the focus. It was horrible! I know seeing the different POVs around the issue was interesting, but still stupid.
Eva
Claire
William
Abby
Rick
I really did enjoy this book, incredibly pleased with the focus I put in as well :p It all made sense. I have lots of driving to thank for that haha.
This was also kind of a confusing audio because of the 5 POVs, as well as the 2 different time periods (past and present). The change in the narrators voice was the only hint at who was narrating, and it really didn't make clear what time period each person was in.
This book was honestly a book about It didn't make sense why that was the focus. It was horrible! I know seeing the different POVs around the issue was interesting, but still stupid.
Eva
Claire
William
Abby
Rick
I really did enjoy this book, incredibly pleased with the focus I put in as well :p It all made sense. I have lots of driving to thank for that haha.
April 4, 2017
I started and finished this novel in one day. Riveting. Suspenseful. Atmospheric. It took me a while to figure out the chapter titles, "Then" and Now," putting us in the past, or in the present, and keeping straight all the characters we meet. Within each chapter, Point of View changes from one character to another. After a while, I was keeping everyone straight, but I'd still trip over the name Dorothy (Edith's daughter, Abby's mother; Dorothy with the monarch butterflies), and the names of Willliam's parents, and "Davis" - and Eva's sister. This is a large cast of characters. Hannah, the young wife and mother in LA. Robert, the wimpy boyfriend of Abby. Then the cases Aiden works on: the sister whose brother allegedly forged their mother's will to leave everything to him. The fisherman. The serial rapist. Minor characters that would come and go, and sometimes enough time lapsed betweeen appearances, I'd be double checking names again. Rebecca is.... oh yeah.
I had high hopes for Eddie. I was rooting for Eva. I kept wanting to see that doll who got buried dug up and returned to her owner, no matter how old the owner may have become. I wanted to see what became of the boy in the black room. I wanted to see Abby put all the pieces together and learn the story behind the diamond ring her grandma kept hidden. It doesn't look as though she'll ever find out, which is doubly sad, because her occupation is estate sales, and her specialty is knowing the stories that go with vintage engagement/wedding rings.
It takes the whole novel for us, the readers, to see this story unfold. Various clues led me to hope for one thing or another. Every hope of mine was dashed. The reality was that several adult characters behaved very badly. For good reason, secrets were kept. Well, for "bad" reasons, considering what these people had to hide.
People in real life can be so selfish, superficial, banal, ego-centric, and downright evil, I read fiction to escape that. Novels that remind us of how ignoble we can be just disappoint me, no matter how well they may be written. I see why the much-maligned Disney ending has enduring popularity.
More than once, it seemed Aiden has a resemblance to William, but apparently, that was nothing but coincidence. I was hoping he and Eva might have had a child together, or something. This is one of several examples of a red herring that seems to serve no purpose, or, some editor chopped out some page or chapter and left a few unfinished edges (threads dangling).
William is something like a draft-dodger. I hate war, hate it hate hate it, and hate how many good young men go off valiantly, only to come in in little pieces. Or intact, but in a body bag. On the one hand, I don't blame William. On the other hand, he squanders all that he has been given. I found myself wishing he'd enlisted and gotten himself blown up in Europe.
Claire. After the doll scene, I had so much empathy for her. Later, I was wishing that hive of bees in Abby's nightmare would put an end to Claire before she could sink to the level she sank to.
Abby's grandmother: she lost all my respect, sympathy, and capacity to like her or care about her. Normally I cannot stand to see protagonists getting bumped off, but this one should have been hit by a truck before she crossed the street to Claire's house one ill-fated evening.
Aiden is understandably traumatized after finding the boy in the black room (this is back story), but he just gives up, goes back home to small town Minnesota, licking his wounds, so to speak, seeking an easier life. (Little does he know the crime rate in rural Minnesota isn't what he thinks.) Handsome, popular Aiden has used a lot of women. He has some good points, sure, but overall, he needed more than just Abby's infatuation to make him worthy of a romance novel. For Abby to have some paranormal talent for dreaming things that come true is not sufficient to make me sigh and think "Ah, yes, this is true love." It just makes me wonder how Abby, who has a history of devastatingly thoughtless, heartless comments or choices, should be so sensitive as to have prophetic dreams Abby seemed insecure, envious of others, and a little self-pitying. The character arc I was hoping she'd make seemed a little flat to me.
The fact that I'm rattled enough to talk about these characters, on and on, as if they were real people, is a testament to the author's talent. She writes well. Despite some lapses into murky prose, a lot of lines just shine. I highlighted dozens of them in my Kindle, but right now, I'm too angry about the ending to say anything very nice. Maybe I'll come back to this, eventually, and point out the good stuff.
Maybe.
I'm off in search of a tale full of heroic people and happy endings.
Gian Sardar has spun a riveting debut novel, with many lovely lines of memorable prose. Brutally honest and accurate, she captures people at their worst, I wish she'd found more of the *best* to focus on.
**Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel.
I had high hopes for Eddie. I was rooting for Eva. I kept wanting to see that doll who got buried dug up and returned to her owner, no matter how old the owner may have become. I wanted to see what became of the boy in the black room. I wanted to see Abby put all the pieces together and learn the story behind the diamond ring her grandma kept hidden. It doesn't look as though she'll ever find out, which is doubly sad, because her occupation is estate sales, and her specialty is knowing the stories that go with vintage engagement/wedding rings.
It takes the whole novel for us, the readers, to see this story unfold. Various clues led me to hope for one thing or another. Every hope of mine was dashed. The reality was that several adult characters behaved very badly. For good reason, secrets were kept. Well, for "bad" reasons, considering what these people had to hide.
People in real life can be so selfish, superficial, banal, ego-centric, and downright evil, I read fiction to escape that. Novels that remind us of how ignoble we can be just disappoint me, no matter how well they may be written. I see why the much-maligned Disney ending has enduring popularity.
More than once, it seemed Aiden has a resemblance to William, but apparently, that was nothing but coincidence. I was hoping he and Eva might have had a child together, or something. This is one of several examples of a red herring that seems to serve no purpose, or, some editor chopped out some page or chapter and left a few unfinished edges (threads dangling).
William is something like a draft-dodger. I hate war, hate it hate hate it, and hate how many good young men go off valiantly, only to come in in little pieces. Or intact, but in a body bag. On the one hand, I don't blame William. On the other hand, he squanders all that he has been given. I found myself wishing he'd enlisted and gotten himself blown up in Europe.
Claire. After the doll scene, I had so much empathy for her. Later, I was wishing that hive of bees in Abby's nightmare would put an end to Claire before she could sink to the level she sank to.
Abby's grandmother: she lost all my respect, sympathy, and capacity to like her or care about her. Normally I cannot stand to see protagonists getting bumped off, but this one should have been hit by a truck before she crossed the street to Claire's house one ill-fated evening.
Aiden is understandably traumatized after finding the boy in the black room (this is back story), but he just gives up, goes back home to small town Minnesota, licking his wounds, so to speak, seeking an easier life. (Little does he know the crime rate in rural Minnesota isn't what he thinks.) Handsome, popular Aiden has used a lot of women. He has some good points, sure, but overall, he needed more than just Abby's infatuation to make him worthy of a romance novel. For Abby to have some paranormal talent for dreaming things that come true is not sufficient to make me sigh and think "Ah, yes, this is true love." It just makes me wonder how Abby, who has a history of devastatingly thoughtless, heartless comments or choices, should be so sensitive as to have prophetic dreams Abby seemed insecure, envious of others, and a little self-pitying. The character arc I was hoping she'd make seemed a little flat to me.
The fact that I'm rattled enough to talk about these characters, on and on, as if they were real people, is a testament to the author's talent. She writes well. Despite some lapses into murky prose, a lot of lines just shine. I highlighted dozens of them in my Kindle, but right now, I'm too angry about the ending to say anything very nice. Maybe I'll come back to this, eventually, and point out the good stuff.
Maybe.
I'm off in search of a tale full of heroic people and happy endings.
Gian Sardar has spun a riveting debut novel, with many lovely lines of memorable prose. Brutally honest and accurate, she captures people at their worst, I wish she'd found more of the *best* to focus on.
**Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel.
January 31, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. I listened via audio. I actually listened to more than half and got so lost that I went back and started again. So glad that I did, as the storyline was quite complex and the characters interwoven.
January 27, 2018
This book wasn’t bad. It had enough of a creep factor to keep me from reading it at night before bed, but not enough to keep me from reading the book.
May 10, 2017
I enjoyed the shifting back and forth between times and trying to piece together clues to figure out what had happened, what was going to happen, and how everything would all fit together. This was an enjoyable read that kept me thinking and reformulating ideas until the end, where I hated interruptions until I finally came to the conclusion. A good read!
I received an ARC from firsttoread.com in retire for an honest review.
I received an ARC from firsttoread.com in retire for an honest review.
February 14, 2017
via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
“Ghosts. The usual reason for fears of basements, attics, or closets at the ends of long halls. But Abby’s never believed in ghosts. Nothing flits in the corner of her eye; her rocking chair never moved on its own. For her, the fear is suffocation, breath faster and shorter, world compressing, everything heavier and heavier til she’s gasping, an open-mouthed futile plea.”
Abby Walters has a reoccurring nightmare of being buried alive, the nightmarish terror so genuine that she can taste the dirt. Memories bite, and the terror is real but isn’t hers. So who then? Is it just a nightmare, or something darker, far more sinister? Abby loves stories, the forgotten memories of others, lost in death, in time. Maybe time is reaching out to her. The dream changes when she hears a name, a name that pulls her family’s history in. It’s time for Abby to return home, maybe pillage the place for answers. There she will reunite with her high school crush, now a detective knees deep in the violence of chasing a criminal much in the way she is chasing her family’s secrets. Leaving behind her boyfriend, a screenwriter who is not quite ready for marriage, Abby is conflicted by her feelings towards Aidan. They have a natural connection, but should she explore this attraction when she already has Robert?
Trying on a ring her grandmother owned, Abby remembers the anger her grandmother had when she tried it on as a little girl. Why such a hot reaction? What is it about this ring, what is the mystery? She finds a note, and the claws of the past grab the present. There is more than one love story, but they are entwined- everything turned ugly, gnarled, twisted. This love calls from the grave and maybe only Abby can hear it’s death knell. What we hide, the secrets we bury have an uncanny way of rising to the surface.
Not all love that blooms is healthy, some love turns when it alters and jealousy whether rightful or not, feeds on us from the inside out and threatens everything in its path. We do things we wouldn’t otherwise, only to end up wondering how we became so weak and clingy. If it’s love, it should be natural. We shouldn’t have to manipulate or ‘arrange’ anything. There is so much I want to say, but I will give the story away. I enjoyed it, and yes, it’s okay to feel bad for both women. Sigh… The novel kept me up late wondering how it would end. Such a disturbingly sad story that lives in the past and present. Strange I finished it on Valentine’s Day… but love is a strange beast. You have to wait until May to get your hands on it.
Publication Date: May 16. 2017
Penguin Group Putnam
“Ghosts. The usual reason for fears of basements, attics, or closets at the ends of long halls. But Abby’s never believed in ghosts. Nothing flits in the corner of her eye; her rocking chair never moved on its own. For her, the fear is suffocation, breath faster and shorter, world compressing, everything heavier and heavier til she’s gasping, an open-mouthed futile plea.”
Abby Walters has a reoccurring nightmare of being buried alive, the nightmarish terror so genuine that she can taste the dirt. Memories bite, and the terror is real but isn’t hers. So who then? Is it just a nightmare, or something darker, far more sinister? Abby loves stories, the forgotten memories of others, lost in death, in time. Maybe time is reaching out to her. The dream changes when she hears a name, a name that pulls her family’s history in. It’s time for Abby to return home, maybe pillage the place for answers. There she will reunite with her high school crush, now a detective knees deep in the violence of chasing a criminal much in the way she is chasing her family’s secrets. Leaving behind her boyfriend, a screenwriter who is not quite ready for marriage, Abby is conflicted by her feelings towards Aidan. They have a natural connection, but should she explore this attraction when she already has Robert?
Trying on a ring her grandmother owned, Abby remembers the anger her grandmother had when she tried it on as a little girl. Why such a hot reaction? What is it about this ring, what is the mystery? She finds a note, and the claws of the past grab the present. There is more than one love story, but they are entwined- everything turned ugly, gnarled, twisted. This love calls from the grave and maybe only Abby can hear it’s death knell. What we hide, the secrets we bury have an uncanny way of rising to the surface.
Not all love that blooms is healthy, some love turns when it alters and jealousy whether rightful or not, feeds on us from the inside out and threatens everything in its path. We do things we wouldn’t otherwise, only to end up wondering how we became so weak and clingy. If it’s love, it should be natural. We shouldn’t have to manipulate or ‘arrange’ anything. There is so much I want to say, but I will give the story away. I enjoyed it, and yes, it’s okay to feel bad for both women. Sigh… The novel kept me up late wondering how it would end. Such a disturbingly sad story that lives in the past and present. Strange I finished it on Valentine’s Day… but love is a strange beast. You have to wait until May to get your hands on it.
Publication Date: May 16. 2017
Penguin Group Putnam
April 18, 2017
i really enjoyed this book because it was filled with action and suspence and discovery. i would recommend it to anyone
March 31, 2017
You Were Here by Gian Sardar is two mysteries in one and a ghost story. Abby Walters suffers from paralyzing nightmares about being buried alive. When she wakes with the name Claire Ballantine on her lips, she decides to leave her home and boyfriend in L.A. and look for answers in the Minnesota town where she grew up. Aidan Mackenzie is also on Abby’s mind. Aidan was “the boy who got away in high school” and is now a police officer in Makade, pursuing a mystery of his own. Who’s raping women in this otherwise quiet town?
Told in alternating stories, almost seventy years apart, You Were Here attempts to fit a lot into one book. Claire’s story and its connection to Abby are interesting and in itself, would have made a good gothic mystery. I found the Aidan-Abby reconnection and the modern-day crime drama less effective and add-ons.
Told in alternating stories, almost seventy years apart, You Were Here attempts to fit a lot into one book. Claire’s story and its connection to Abby are interesting and in itself, would have made a good gothic mystery. I found the Aidan-Abby reconnection and the modern-day crime drama less effective and add-ons.
March 21, 2017
1 star = I did not like it.
I found the writing awkward and difficult to read. It was a struggle to read it. The words just don't flow well, the sentences don't follow one another. I read a long paragraph but it doesn't really say anything. Perhaps I'm just not the readership this author is writing for. Either way I didn't like it and according to GR's rating system, that's 1 star.
I got this book free as a review copy, uncorrected proof.
Edit: I just read the other reviews and they all rave about it. Guess I'm the odd one out. (I don't read the other reviews until I've written mine.)
I found the writing awkward and difficult to read. It was a struggle to read it. The words just don't flow well, the sentences don't follow one another. I read a long paragraph but it doesn't really say anything. Perhaps I'm just not the readership this author is writing for. Either way I didn't like it and according to GR's rating system, that's 1 star.
I got this book free as a review copy, uncorrected proof.
Edit: I just read the other reviews and they all rave about it. Guess I'm the odd one out. (I don't read the other reviews until I've written mine.)
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