Genre: mystery/thriller/dystopian
Release Date: May 9th, 2023
Pages: 288
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Publisher’s Synopsis:
“The truth doesn’t always set you free…
Ess wakes up alone on a sailboat in the remote Pacific Northwest with no memory of who she is or how she got there. She finds a note, but it’s more warning than comfort: Start over. Don’t make yourself known. Don’t look back.
Ess must have answers. She sails over a turbulent ocean to a town hundreds of miles away that, she hopes, might offer insight. The chilling clues she uncovers point to a desperate attempt at erasing her former life. But why? And someone is watching her…someone who knows she must never learn her truth.
In Ess’s world, the earth is precariously balanced at a climate tipping point, and she is perched at the edge of a choice: which life does she want? The one taken from her―and the dangerous secret that was buried―or the new one she can make for herself?
A galvanizing riddle that is just as unmooring as it seems, this sharp character-driven odyssey explores a future challenged by our quickly changing world and the choices we must make to save what matters most.”
My Review:
Ess wakes alone and adrift on a boat in the ocean, with no memory of who she is or anything that happened to her. She finds a note telling her to not look into her past and instead, make a new life for herself, because it is the only way to stay alive.
This is a wonderful debut that brings a fresh perspective to the mystery/thriller genre, with its added science-fiction elements. It’s the perfect dystopian, near-future setting, in a world that has been devastated by natural disasters. The plot is eerie and suspenseful. Even with no memories of who she is, Ess’s struggles and desires will endear you to her character. The new relationships she makes along the way are fun and sweet, and I was rooting for her the entire journey.
The story touches on intriguing topics, like the science behind memories and how we define our sense of self. It also considers important themes such as the policies and treatment of refugees. Ess’s search for answers begs the question of whether the truth will really set you free. And the answers go so much deeper than I could have predicted.
Highly recommend this book for anyone who loves a dystopian thriller with a deeper message and a splash of science. I enjoyed this book and will definitely be watching this author for any future releases.
Disclaimers:
Huge thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me an early copy of this amazing story! I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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