I will say that this was a page burner. It quickly turns into an incredibly fast read. Once the story is laid out, you become totally engrossed in what happened to 12-year old Lisa, who, by all accounts, seemed to disappear into a magical Fairy World. She vanished from the woods behind her home. Should I also mention that she was willing? I’ll leave that piece alone…
For 15 years, Lisa was missing. The story then bounces back and forth between present day, and “15 years ago.” Present day revolves around the missing girl’s adult brother Sam, and his longtime girlfriend Phoebe (Phoebe will become your favorite character). “15 years ago” revolves around young Lisa, her brother Sam, and their oddball cousin Evie. I can’t write too much without giving the story away. I can’t talk about the end of the book at all, which I ultimately found to be frustrating. The writing toward the end became almost frantic, as the author hurriedly tied up the many loose ends that she created. What resulted was a whirlwind that left me disappointed, and wondering if the author could actually make up her mind which way to go. There’s also great sadness at the end, which is never fun to read in fiction.
I’m giving this 3.75 stars, because I found myself cracking it open at every available opportunity. I wish, however, that the story turned out differently, if only to allow the reader more satisfaction after the roller coaster ride. I would recommend this for anyone who wants to enjoy a mysterious read that keeps you guessing, and then I would love to hear what you thought of the story’s close. ;)
