UNSPEAKABLE THINGS BY JESS LOURNEY

1/2/2020

Unspeakable things that all the makings of an excellent read. However, it fell short for me in so many areas. I think the blurb is deceiving as well and doesn't live up to what it says it will be.

Rating: ★★★
Release Date: January 1, 2020
Genre: Mystery. Thriller. Suspense. Crime.
Series: None. Complete standalone.
Pages: 296 pages
Format: eBook. Amazon First Reads.

Inspired by a terrifying true story from the author’s hometown, a heart-pounding novel of suspense about a small Minnesota community where nothing is as quiet—or as safe—as it seems.

Cassie McDowell’s life in 1980s Minnesota seems perfectly wholesome. She lives on a farm, loves school, and has a crush on the nicest boy in class. Yes, there are her parents’ strange parties and their parade of deviant guests, but she’s grown accustomed to them.

All that changes when someone comes hunting in Lilydale.

One by one, local boys go missing. One by one, they return changed—violent, moody, and withdrawn. What happened to them becomes the stuff of shocking rumors. The accusations of who’s responsible grow just as wild, and dangerous town secrets

start to surface. Then Cassie’s own sister undergoes the dark change. If she is to survive, Cassie must find her way in an adult world where every sin is justified, and only the truth is unforgivable.

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Release Date: January 1, 2020
Actual Rating: 3 stars

Small Town | Crime | Thriller

Unspeakable Things has a good concept, but I didn't care for the way the book was executed. The author left too many unanswered questions about a LOT of things that were going on in the book and I fear that some readers may become confused because of it. On the other hand, I think the author did this to show just how naïve the main character Cassie was. There were some MAJOR issues taking place in the story and we were able to get a firsthand account of it through her eyes. A lot of reads may really like this as it’s unique, but it didn’t work for me. I wanted to be SHOWN and directly TOLD what was happening rather than trying to piece it all together.

Another thing that didn’t really work for me is the books actual description. I went into this book thinking it would be all about the kidnappings that took place and the aftermath of it all yet, it wasn’t. It felt like more of a filler for the story and was fleetingly discussed. Sure, the story has the kidnappings in it but the book was way more about Cassie, her family, and their dirty little secrets rather than the abductions. I really wish the author incorporated it more in the story.

Other than this, Jess Lourey does a good job with prose and pacing. I felt like I was a part of this small town and I felt shame from the secrets being kept. She sure knows how to immerse her readers into her world and for this reason I gave the book 3 stars rather than 2 like I was thinking.