An addictive thriller about a case gone cold and the dangers lurking on our doorsteps.
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"What if you knew the truth but couldn’t remember? "
Synopsis
What if you knew the truth but couldn’t remember?
Over a decade ago, Heidi was the victim of a brutal attack that left her hospitalised, her younger sister missing, and her best friend dead. But Heidi doesn’t remember any of that.
She’s lived her life since then with little memory of her friends and family and no recollection of the crime. Now, it’s all starting to come back.
As Heidi begins retracing the events that lead to the assault, she is forced to confront the pain and guilt she’s long kept buried.
But Heidi isn’t the only one digging up the past, and the closer she gets to remembering the truth, the more danger she’s in.
When the truth is worse than fiction, is the past worth reliving?
My Review
I have to first address this book in the way of a trigger warning, this whole read is based around abuse and the corruption surrounding the events.
There are some shocking and haunting elements to this read that I feel warrant a warning yet I feel it is worth noting that there are no graphic descriptions either.
As an abuse survivor myself I found this read beautiful in its sensitivity and the need to bring events like this to the forefront of people's minds.
In this read we meet Heidi at 13 years old she was the lone survivor of a brutal attack that left her severely injured her best friend Nina dead and her little sister Anna missing.
Her injuries were such that she has no memories of that day or that part of her life. but now many year later small memories are starting to come back, it starts with smells and flashes of images but it leads Heidi to want to know more, finally she needs answers not just for herself but for Nina and Anna too.
But people are watching and is Heidi really ready and prepared to fight for the truth at any cost?
This book this story is one that kept my heart in my mouth the whole time, the read is a mishmash of narrators jumping from the past in 2001 to the present day in the book in 2016, we hear and feel Heidi's thoughts and her determination and we read the events of 2001 along with the hints of the evil that are behind the murder of Nina and the shocking abuse these 2 male characters give nothing away about themselves but their thoughts and callous nature sing volumes and add a really seedy vibe and underlying element of fear and tension to the read.
As everything slowly combines to a chilling and gripping climax I was blown away by the revelations and my initial thoughts on the ending were destroyed as the author threw a huge twist and I was left almost in shock.
I can say not much more as a spoiler free blog but the end was so powerful the loss of childhoods, level with which this abuse ring went to and the sickening feeling to feel sorry and almost understand his actions due to the trauma for one of the characters and yet hate his actions all at the same time, this ending was just so powerful.
This is not a read for the faint of heart as the author explores difficult subject matters, abuse, grooming, murder and fear but does all of this while avoiding graphic descriptions yet the intent and fear and overall horror still shines through. I found the descriptions of the feelings of abuse sufferers so fitting and true to life, the guilt and the shame is something I have lived with myself and know that many do, it really is something that really should be spoken of more. So many abuser's just like those in this book make the victim feel like they are in the wrong or that they would be in trouble, Its time that so many of us stand up like Nina and take back that control.
Monstrous Souls is an outstanding, emotional, heart breaking, and gripping debut with an earthshattering twist, It that will pull you in from start until like Heidi you are searching for the answers too. I am beyond shocked that this is the authors debut, the passion in her writting leaps from the pages and I cannot wait for more.
Author Bio
Rebecca Kelly was brought up with books but denied the pleasure of a television.
Although she hated this at the time, she now considers it to have contributed to a life-long passion for reading and writing.
After a misspent education, Rebecca had a variety of jobs. She’s spent the last years raising her children but has lately returned to her first love – writing.
Rebecca lives in the UK with her husband and youngest son and an over-enthusiastic black Labrador, who gives her writing tips.
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Blog Tour
Thank you to the Publisher and Author for sending me an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel and for the opportunity to review these works.
All reviews are my own unbiased opinion.