Faith Gardner

THREE STARRED REVIEWS "Remarkable."--VOYA "Genre-defying."--Booklist "Deeply compelling."--BCCB "A beautiful, moving, and thoughtful story about how far we're willing to go for family." -Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces Vera Rivers' life is split in two: before her twin sister Ava disappeared twelve years ago and after. Before was hot Junes and ice cream trucks, dancing in sprinklers, loud Christmas mornings and pancakes on Saturdays. The after is everything else: police officers, investigators, tips, theories, leads, but never any answers. The case made headlines, shocked Vera's Northern California community, and turned her family into tragic celebrities. Now, at eighteen, Vera is counting down the days until she starts her new life at college in Portland, Oregon, far away from the dark cloud she and her family have lived under for twelve years. But all that changes when a girl shows up at the local hospital. Her name is Ava Rivers and she wants to go home. Ava's return begins to mend the fractures in the Rivers family. Vera and Ava's estranged older brother returns. Vera reconnects with Max, the sweet, artistic boy from her childhood. Their parents smile again. But the questions remain: Where was Ava all these years? And who is she now? Powerful and gripping, The Second Life of Ava Rivers is equal parts thriller, mystery, and haunting meditation on grief, family, and forgiveness.

The Second Life of Ava Rivers

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this book from Penguin Random House. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Rating: 5/5

Publication Date: August 28th, 2018

Genre: YA Mystery
 
Recommended Age: 16+ (TRIGGER WARNINGS: rape, sexual assault, child rape, child molestation, child abduction, romance, suspense, language, drugs, death)

Pages: 368

Author Website

Amazon Link

Synopsis: Ava's disappearance was the crack in the Rivers family glacier. I wish I could explain to you how we were before, but I can't, because the before is so filmy and shadowed with the after.

The after is all Vera remembers. When her twin sister, Ava, disappeared one Halloween night, her childhood became a blur of theories, tips, and leads, but never any answers. The case made headlines, shocked Vera's Northern California community, and turned her family into tragic celebrities. 

Now, at eighteen, Vera is counting down the days until she starts her new life at college in Portland, Oregon, far away from the dark cloud she and family have lived under for twelve years. But all that changes when a girl shows up at the local hospital. 

Her name is Ava Rivers and she wants to go home.

Ava's return begins to mend the fractures in the Rivers family. Vera and Ava's estranged older brother returns. Vera reconnects with Max, the sweet, artistic boy from her childhood. Their parents smile again. But the questions remain: Where was Ava all these years? And who is she now? 

Oh boy, where do I begin? I was instantly drawn into this book and I felt an almost immediate connection. I read 265 pages in one day. One. Day. Holy crap. Anyways, I felt that the story was AMAZING and that the plot, the pacing, the writing… all very well done. The character development was also well done and I just want to read this book over again.

However, I do feel that there are some holes in the book that I can’t talk about because of spoilers. I feel that the book took a sharp left turn from where I was expecting it to go and I don’t think I like where it went. I also feel that some of the side characters were just left off at the end. Nothing felt complete or wrapped up… but maybe that’s how the book was supposed to feel? If you’ve read the book it does perfectly match the tone, but the realisticness of the book might feel very offputting to readers who might expect happy endings.

Verdict: A book you’ll think about for the rest of your life.

The Second Life of Ava Rivers

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