You Are Not Alone

This is one of those reads that I didn't see coming from a mile away. When I first started reading I was thinking that this was going to be the first novel by this genius pair of authors that I was disappointed with. The whole idea made me so sad. Since I was so impressed with the two books that came before this one. I am so glad I gave it time because the Big Reveal paid off and everything I thought didn't make sense came together beautifully.

“You Are Not Alone” is a suspense novel, told in first person by the heroine Shay, who shares the storytelling duties with a few of the other main characters. The tale begins innocently enough, and early on I could feel the danger that was creeping up on Shay. She is not ordinary and has a few character quirks that are endearing and understandable, traits that cause a reader to identify with her and easily pull the reader into the story even more. I will say that I was not a fan of some of the characters and found myself waiting for the Shay chapters.

The story is told differently than others, with the pertinent facts slowly revealed through flashback chapters. Shay's character, while mostly revealed in the text, is also spotlighted in her chapters by allowing readers a glimpse into her Data Book. Crammed with facts that she considers important, this “fact diary” shares the inner workings of Shay's statistically-oriented brain. I felt as though the fact diary added more depth to the story and actually enjoyed the concept.

I am a big fan of slow burn kind of reads where the author drops clues that could be deciphered if you pay close attention. This was one of those reads where the confusion added to my enjoyment of the story. While I followed the events that tied everything together, the authors dropped enough clues in plain sight while somehow still blocking the ending from my sight line. The brilliant work of both Ms. Hendricks and Ms. Pekkanen makes storytelling look effortless and should be applauded for this contribution into this genre of books. A five star read with no question. My sincerest apologies for my delay with this review; it is not a reflection of this book at all. Thank you Netgalley and all parties involved in my receiving this arc.