Before We Were Strangers

First things first, I want to thank the author Brenda Novak for contacting me on Instagram, in order to send me a free copy of her book!! This is the story of a young woman, Sloane, who travels back to her hometown after she exiled herself a decade ago. However, she isn't going back in order to reconnect with her high school friends. She's going back because she wants to solve the mystery behind her mother's disappearance, once and for all. According to her father, her mother abandoned them when she was 5 years old, never to be heard from again. However, Sloane always disagreed with that explanation. Despite her young age, her memories of that night are frightfully clear. This is how Sloane embarks on a suspenseful journey, as she uncovers many hidden truths in her childhood town. Her father, who is now the Mayor, tries to hinder her every step of the way. She then has to form unlikely allies, as well as rekindle her old high school romance. So. This book started off pretty amazing! I used to read a lot of suspense / thriller / mystery novels when I was in high school. It felt nice to read something other than my usual genres. If you're into some possible murder-solving books, you'll definitely enjoy this one. It is also obvious this is not Novak's first book, because the sentences are well written and there are no grammatical errors, yay!! The dialogue was also believable, and I loved how forgiveness for past mistakes isn't readily offered. These things take time, and that's what the author illustrated. Also, Novak brilliantly depicted the small-town dynamic, with the overly-controlling mayor, and all the gossiping! However, I started having issues with this book about two thirds through. I felt like the author was focusing too much on the love triangle between Sloane, her high school best friend (Paige), and her high school boyfriend (Micah). I felt like the disappearance of Sloane's mother became just a background story. ALSO. The first intimate scene. It lasts for a whole chapter. And the people involved keep chatting throughout, having conversations about everyone in the town that is possibly involved in the suspected murder case (total turn-off, no? ahaha) I was also a bit annoyed with Paige's deep jealousy surrounding the relationship between Sloane and Micah. I have a problem with the fact that she constantly blames Sloane for every mistake she has made in her life, never once admitting her own fault (except towards the end, yay!) At the beginning of the book, Sloane mentioned a close non-romantic relationship with a man named Clyde I loved how she described her love for him, however I wish that relationship was explored a little bit more. Despite all of this, this story was definitely enjoyable. I loved the unexpected turn of events towards the end, as well as how all the problematics throughout the book are resolved. Who doesn't enjoy a nice conclusion?