The premise of this book is a fascinating one. The idea that consciousness can survive, fully intact, outside of the physical body and even share the same “rental” space within one single body has long since interested me. The theory of reincarnation is one that has been validated many times. I reviewed Leslie Kean’s book, Surviving Death a while back and Wyatt and Siwar’s story in many ways closely echoes Kean’s reincarnation case studies.

Siwar Salaiha is a twenty-five year old Jordanian college student studying writing at the University of Maryland. She has travelled to the United States on a visa. Siwar is known back home as being somewhat wild, running around with boys and bringing shame upon her family. She struggles to reconcile the oppression that she is born into as a woman within her culture and coming to terms with her own beliefs. Home is the last place to gather clarity. Her family is dismayed that she insists that becoming a writer is the only thing she wants to do. With Siwar, writing is as essential as breathing. After becoming fed up with her, Siwar’s mother reluctantly allows her to move to the United States. On the night of her twenty-fifth birthday celebration, Siwar is celebrating with friends in a local bar. She dies after falling from the roof of that building.

A child is born the same night named Wyatt Shepard. By the time Wyatt turns three years old, Siwar’s consciousness, memories and all, dominate Wyatt’s undeveloped little body. Wyatt’s own consciousness is in a dormant state during this time. Siwar is tasked with having all the typical three-year old physical limitations, including being unable to utter more than a word or two and occupying a body of opposite gender. Wyatt often acts out as a result of this occupation which is confusing to his parents, especially his mother Krista. Siwar enters Wyatt’s body obsessed with finding out who pushed her off the roof, the one thing she cannot seem to remember.

I liked the first part of the story more so than the second. Siwar’s voice is bright and bubbly and her journey into becoming the woman she will be is fascinating. The story moves back and forth between her home in Jordan where she grew up, her college years in Maryland, and Wyatt’s home in Seattle. She is both observant and humorous. Her observations on Wyatt’s parents’ marital breakdown is one of the best aspects of the story.

I struggled to feel the same way about the second part. In it, Wyatt is now a twenty-five year old man with an overwhelming interest in the Middle East and its conflicts. He speaks fluid Arabic and is dating Siwar’s niece, Hoda, the daughter of Siwar’s oldest sister. Wyatt has always been a sensitive child prone to extreme panic and a host of mental challenges. He is still unaware that Siwar shares space in his physical body and the strange images, thoughts and visions he experiences are washed away with a lot of beer and pills, also running, his lone healthy vice. It is when he is under the influence that Siwar’s voice penetrates his awareness as she now has the ability to fully express herself. In time, Wyatt becomes intently focused on learning the truth behind Siwar’s death after her youngest sister posts a message on social, media about getting justice for her sister. Wyatt decides to put his thesis aside to find justice for Siwar. His search leads him to meeting and interviewing some of the people that Siwar knew from her past in an attempt to find out the cause of her death. Though ruled a suicide, there are some related to Siwar who never believed she would knowingly take her own life.

Wyatt eventually does figure out what has happened to him and comes to fully accept Siwar’s presence in his head. He learns to integrate her existence with his own and take direction from her. Interestingly, even Siwar suffers from a lack of remembering all of what happened to her on the fateful night of her death. This component of the story informs most of Siwar’s suffering and unrest, even in death. She in turn causes Wyatt to suffer greatly because of her relentless need to find out what really happened. In the end, the truth comes out but it is anticlimactic.

The writing is somewhat uneven and emerging. Siwar’s voice easily drowns out Wyatt’s and dominates as the strongest character. All of the male voices did not ring true for me. I found the women to be far better written characters. Though an ARC, the book is riddled with typos, misspelled names, incorrect identities, and awkward phrases. Though not a part of reviewing the actual story, these issues do affect the flow of reading and serve as a distraction. I would have preferred that the ARC was better edited before going out to reviewers.

Overall, the story is unique and the subject matter fascinating. The author provokes some interesting questions regarding the afterlife and the cultural comparisons are significant.

BRB Rating: Read It.

Siwar, an immigrant from Jordan moves to the US to attend university. On her 25th birthday, she is pushed off a roof and murdered, but her consciousness survives in the body of a Seattle baby boy, Wyatt.

22 years later, Wyatt is in university, has an affinity towards the Middle East, and a fear of heights. When he learns of Siwar's death through his girlfriend, he becomes obsessed with Siwar and investigates her death, which has been erroneously ruled a suicide. He feels a deep connection to Siwar, and thinks he can solve the mystery.

I was lucky enough to be given an ARC of this book by the author, Natasha Tynes, and I finished it in 24 hours. It pulled me in immediately with it's original premise and the compelling character driven story. This book sits in the middle of genres - fiction, mystery, and supernatural. I found it very informative and educational on the Middle East & Arab customs and way of life. This is the type of story that stays with you when you're finished reading - I'll miss Siwar, Wyatt, Hoda and Krista.

Natasha Tynes did a beautiful work in the story with an original plot line and gray, and compelling characters.
It is about 25 year old Siwar from Jordan who wants to live her life in freedom, she is brave and a bit dramatic but she doesn't shy away from what she wants and feels the need to fight for everything she deserves. When she is tragically killed on her 25th birthday itself, her consciousness gets trapped in the body of a new born baby, Wyatt, who was born on the same day. Being trapped in his mind, Siwar experiences her second chance at life but she can't rest until she finds her murderer. By the help of Wyatt or by manipulating his decisions she finally remembers what happened and gets justice for herself.
I loved how the story was portrayed through the characters. But it was also very confused at times. The voice of Wyatt grew and became more mature as the time went, but the narrative grew more confused and edgy. Sometimes the side characters were proud of what Wyatt did and sometimes they weren't supportive. Even Wyatt was not very clearly portrayed and the tone was quite hazy. The question of who did it kept the book driving forward and the pages turning. It was confusing and indefinite but it was also unique and captivating.
I am grateful for getting a chance to read the advanced copy of this book.
My rating : 4/5

4.5 rounded up to 5 🌟 A novel of so many facets and faces, supernatural and a bit futuristic. Beautiful in its complexity of thought and plotting, yet very easy to read and down to earth.

I was hooked from the very first chapter: the amazing story of Sriwar aka. her murder mystery unfolded slowly, carefully, with ease and wickedness. I cannot really write mkre without giving out spoilers. Truth is I really feel the need to talk about this noe and its implications.

First of all, there is the Jordanian- Arab world with all its restrictions for women versus the Land of the Free, the USA where freedom is like magic. Then there is the life and hopes of young Sriwar with its cliches and dreams. Last but not least, the supernatural element of a conscience residing a living body, two conscience in one so to say. Well this was mind blowing.

Many thanks to Natasha Tynes and Netgalley for inviting me to read and review this arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Siwar Salaiha is a student from Jordan who is living in Maryland, working toward her dream of becoming a writer. On her 25th birthday she is inexplicably murdered. But even more shocking, she finds herself “reawakening,” as her consciousness is trapped inside the body of a three-year-old boy named Wyatt. Frustrated and fueled to learn the identity of her murderer, Siwar uses Wyatt over the years to unravel the case that was never solved.

This novel was a quick read and has the most unique concept of any book that I have read this year so far. I had no problem suspending my disbelief at the plausibility of this situation, and joining Siwar and Wyatt for the ride. The characters were both equally interesting to me - a great deal of background is given about Siwar’s life in Jordan and Wyatt’s unique struggles, such as his speech delay, kept me wondering what would ultimately happen with him.

Overall, I really enjoyed the storyline, but there were a few things that didn’t quite work for me. There are sections of the book that are really well executed, that immersed me in the story and in the world of Siwar and Wyatt. However, there are other sections that I did not connect as well with - for example, Siwar’s narrative from inside Wyatt at times. There are also portions of the book where I felt that there is too much “telling” and not enough “showing” going on, too much direct explanation when it is not always needed.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley, California Cold Blood Books, and Natasha Tynes for the opportunity to read this advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own. They Called Me Wyatt will be released on June 11th, 2019.

This is what I knew before starting this book: Jordanian Siwar Salaiha moves to the US to study and suddenly she is murdered, but turns out her spirit survived inside baby boy Wyatt.

Being that said, I immediately wanted to read this story and definitely wanted to solve the mystery myself!

I absolutely enjoyed this one, I got immediately invested in the story from page one and found the story refreshing, original and unique.

It was a pleasure to read this one! And I definitely recommend it!

Siwar Salaiha is a college student in her 20s in Maryland, enjoying her life as an immigrant from Jordan and experiencing new things. Or at least she was, before she fell to her death on the night of her 25th birthday. Siwar's consciousness remains alive, however, and she wakes up in the body of a toddler boy named Wyatt. Because of his speech delays, Siwar's attempts at communicating with Wyatt's parents repeatedly fail. Siwar knows her death was no accident, and it most definitely was not a suicide, as the police wrongly determined. After a medical procedure, she remains dormant in Wyatt's body, awakening every now and then when she can, trying to get his attention as he ages. Can she get Wyatt to understand and communicate, and bring herself to justice?

They Called Me Wyatt is a murder mystery unlike any I've ever read before. The plot and storyline is so original and unique. I couldn't read fast enough to satiate my desperation to know what happens next. I devoured this book! This novel also delves into Jordanian culture, what it means to be an immigrant, identity struggles and the need to fit in, family, and love and women's issues. I loved learning about Jordan and the city of Amman.

The one part that bothered me about this book was a detail that may be a spoiler, so I won't reveal it, but I will say that it is about the ending. It was satisfying, but it did feel a bit rushed.

Overall, an excellent read and definitely recommend if you enjoy murder mysteries with ordinary citizens attempting to solve cases that the police couldn't. 4/5 stars

This book intrigued me from the moment I read the synopsis. A murder mystery solved by the murder victim is certainly a unique perspective.
So this book starts with Siwar, and essentially cuts straight to the last few moments of her life, we learn more about her story in the latter chapters of the book; flashbacks, or related storylines. What is particularly strange, is to hear Siwar’s thoughts whilst Wyatt is just a child – adult opinions coming from a child’s viewpoint and Wyatt’s parents’ relationship nearly entirely takes away from what this book is truly about. This seemed to take up a relatively large portion of the book – for what it was.
However the mystery is gripping, particularly in that Siwar, Wyatt, and the reader all want to know what happened and are discovering this story at the same time. I would’ve liked a more obvious set of clues because although I like a surprise, looking back I still can’t make much of a path and the culprit came entirely out of the blue. However I’m here for the story as a whole which is compelling, gripping, and vibrant.
This book doesn’t just focus on the murder, but also on Siwar’s struggles as a Jordanian woman in the US, feeling like she should belong in the US but is someone who will always be seen as an outsider. Though whilst living in Jordan she wanted the thrill the US seemed to offer, the relaxed attitudes towards friendships and relationships.
Part of the charm of this book is the narrative, particularly later on when Siwar’s voice can only prevail when Wyatt is weak – i.e. drunk or tired, and her influences become not so subtle. It is in these moments that you realise how flawed each member of the cast is, yet this is something I love in a book – no one is perfect and I love seeing more authors do this.
Overall I’m awarding this a rating of 4/5; the voice was a bit of a love/hate for me, it came across strange in places and sometimes limited the range of what the reader saw, but it was unique and provided a gripping and exciting new perspective on the classic murder mystery. This book also explored much deeper social issues seamlessly, and provided an extremely satisfying conclusion. It’s a quick read too – in both length and in that you won’t be able to put it down!

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review from the author. The book was definitely a different and unique idea for a story and I was interested to see where it went. I also am excited when books are set locally as this on is partially set in Maryland where I live. The book was problematic for me in a couple of ways right from the beginning.. I reached a certain point not very far into the book where I found elements that were incredibly offensive/insensitive but have been assured that the concerning part was edited from the final copy of the book. The author was very responsive, professional, and kind and completely understood my concerns with the text. Based on my feelings and personal DNF review policy with any book containing these specific elements I did not continue on with the book.

A murder mystery with a twist! This novel is fast-paced with a unique concept that pulls you right in. I enjoyed the characters and their distinct voices, and I found the overall plot interesting as well. I loved how the author exhibited extreme culture differences throughout the chapters and also used the concept of déjà-vu in the second part of the novel to show the connection between Siwar and Wyatt. I would recommend this novel for anyone looking for a good mystery/thriller (plus the author is super nice and responsive!).

It was a great read! Natasha gave us insight into the world of women in the middle east. Their kinds of traditions and roles. What they really have to do to fight for their rights. It was a little slow in the beginning for me, but it picked up after Wyatt turns 25, and he starts investigating. I liked the glimpses you get of Siwar's life, and her relationships. She is an interesting woman, wanting more out of life. I liked that about her. She was passionate, and creative.

This is a very strange book of the kind I don't think I've read before. I was very intrigued by the synopsis given I'm from a middle eastern background but not from the same country as the main character, Siwar. I found the beginning a little long as the first part of Siwar's story (and her background) dragged on, but I quite enjoyed how the story was set out. From Siwar's family life and childhood, waking up in baby Wyatt's body to what happens later. I felt sorry for Wyatt once he realised why he'd grown up feeling different from others.

This reminds me of Sarah Pinborough's book 'Behind Her Eyes' which is also mystery mixed with the supernatural and also done very well. Another aspect I enjoyed was Natasha's integration of Arabic words and the culture. I love it when authors do this as I feel it educates readers on a small scale.

The story focuses on the life and untimely death of Siwar. A Jordanian born student who makes an escape to the US in search for a better life. Siwar is a strong, independent woman who longs for a taste of the western life but soon realises the grass is not always greener on the other side. *
When Siwar dies, her unconsciousness is transferred into the body of Wyatt (What?! I know that’s what I was thinking) and she can’t move on until she finds out who pushed her. *
This book is definitely unique and different to any others I had read so far this year. It has a good concept, combining a murder mystery with an underlying tone of sci-fi. I enjoyed the cultural background to this story and Natasha draws upon her own experiences of Jordan to make them come alive to the reader. However there were lots of Arabic words in the book I couldn't read, and guessed at unless I looked them up on google.
A unique read for those interested in after life, sci-fi and murder mystery.

Thank you Netgalley and Natasha Tynes for the review copy. Unfortunately I did not finish this book. It was not for me. I heard great things but it fell alittle flat for me and way to fast.

"You know what they say about birthmarks?"
"No, I don't." he said, his eyes closed.
"They are the wounds of your previous lives."
Wyatt chuckled.

Oh.. My.. Word!! Words simply cannot explain how much I liked this book, and it's not even a horror! This little murder mystery (with a supernatural element) is a true gem and simply unputdownnable, YES... as in really, really. This book had me so intrigued from the start that I simply had to finish most of it in one day (received it a bit late on the first day I started). I didn't care about kids, dinner or beddy-bye time... I JUST HAD TO FINISH IT! It's been months since I picked up a book that had me so fervently reading to the end. This is Natasha Tynes' debut novel (which I find hard to believe) and trust me, when it comes to debut novels this one's as good as they get...
Things I absolutely loved about this book:
1:What is worse than a 25-year-old's mind stuck in a 3-year-old's body? Very few things I suppose. This is a concept I've never read before, it's very unique.
2:The author has a wicked sense of humor and some of the funniest comments come from the first part of this book when Siwar is stuck in Wyatt's body. Example:" I thought about ending it all, but how? A knife? Krista keeps sharp objects out of my reach. I won't be able to get pills or even a rope. A gun? No way, Krista doesn't even allow water guns around the house." LOL.... This is horrifying, but funny at the same time.
3: I loved that this story had two points of view, both male and female. The female POV has been just as hilarious at times. The comments she makes about certain things are just so typical female, I could absolutely relate (we all seem to have a little bit of bitch inside of us).
4: Thoroughly enjoyed the fact that she incorporated her Jordanian heritage and Arabic words into this story. Had to Google some things whilst I was reading and that was quite the learning experience.
5: Best of all.... I could never quite figure out the whodunit in this mystery. Not until right at the end of course... And then (ha-ha) she threw me a curve ball. I LOVED THAT!!! Very sneaky indeed....
Would I recommend this book? Hells yeah, I would!! This has been a fantastic reading experience for me and I would strongly recommend anybody to put this on their TBR-list.
The publishing date on They Called Me Wyatt is 6/11 and I would just like to thank the author, Rare Bird Books and NetGalley for giving me this opportunity to read and review this novel.

“They Called Me Wyatt,” by Natasha Tynes, is not your typical murder mystery. For one thing, the murdered heroine is only physically dead. After being pushed off a roof, 25-year-old, Jordanian, Siwar Salaiha, awakens inside the body of a three-year-old, American boy named Wyatt. Frustrated by her limited control over Wyatt’s body, and her hazy memory of the series of events that lead to her death, Siwar determines that her only chance at finding peace is to solve the mystery of her murder. Told through the first person narrative of both Siwar and Wyatt, “They Called Me Wyatt,” is a thrilling mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end.

I was surprised to discover that what I appreciated most about this story was not the mystery itself, but the internal monologue of Siwar. Throughout the story, Siwar reflects on her Jordanian upbringing, and compares it to that of Wyatt’s. This provides the reader with a truly unique experience. I was not expecting to gain so much insight into the life of a young Jordanian woman.

I’m usually pretty good at figuring out “who done its,” but I did not see this one coming! However, I will say that the resolution left me wanting more. I’d like to have seen a deeper meaning behind Siwar and Wyatt’s connection. There was also a romantic element that I felt was a bit too convenient.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy mysteries and women’s fiction. Tynes is a talented writer and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Thank you Natasha Tynes and NetGalley for providing me with a free review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. “They Called Me Wyatt” releases June 11th, 2019.


https://www.instagram.com/p/BuByUSLHRRx/

This is not a book I would have picked up on my own and I appreciate getting the opportunity to read the story before it's available for the masses. This is the story of Siwar and Wyatt. When Siwar's life meets an unfortunate and early end she is reincarnated in Wyatt's body. The two different cultures juxtaposed throughout the story along with each character's narrative was interesting and made for a very different take on the genre. I found the mystery surrounding the murder progressed well, however some interactions and dialogue for the characters I found a bit unnatural or forced which took me out of the story a bit. The novel also needs a bit of editing before the final version, there are still quite a few typo's and grammatical errors, while not uncommon for ARC's there were more than usual.

For fans of mystery's and reincarnation, this is a very interesting story that I would recommend they give a read.

alright, for how short this is it took me what felt like forever to finish. and it's not even because i didn't enjoy it, this was really well written, i love siwar a lot, and i enjoyed reading about wyatt a lot more when he was 3 than when he was older, but even so. there were a lot of grammatical errors but i understood regardless what was being said. i loved siwar's voice so much, it needed to be heard and it was, by wyatt and the reader both. i didn't really like wyatt so much when he was himself, but admired the drive siwar put into him, makes me curious how he will live on his own. this book at it's core was about incels and they rate they will go to when they feel threatened or don't get their way. learning about other cultures so intensely was amazing and also heart breaking with what they must endure. being a woman can be extremely difficult but being a woman of color is something i'll never understand personally but my heart goes out to all of them, and all my positive thoughts to get them through even every day life.

I can't even describe how original this book is of all the books I've read!

They Called me Wyatt is a speculative novel developed between the United States and Jordan. This novel deals with topics such as immigration, identity, different kinds of love and the constant need to integrate into a foreign land.

In this book we are introduced to the story of Siwar Salaiha, a Jordanian student, who was murdered on the day of her 25th Anniversary, and whose conscience migrated to the body of a boy named Wyatt who was born the day she died.

Three years later, Siwar emerges from the subconscious of this little boy and that's where she begins to tell us her story through Wyatt's eyes, focusing on the present as a 25-year-old woman in the body of a 3-year-old, in a family that is not hers, and focuses mainly on the past, in the life she lived and left incomplete.

The story is divided into two parts. In the first part, while Siwar despairs of her condition of having "reincarnated" in the body of a baby, who does not even know how to speak and read, flashbacks are presented about her life in Amman and later in the US.

Siwar has known a lot of "trash boys" throughout her life, and even Wyatt after growing up is a bit of an idiot, but on the bright side, at least he's not a complete idiot and helps to solve the mystery of her murder .

Siwar is a strong protagonist, full of life and dreams. And that's why her family does not believe that her death was suicide.

Siwar has a presence that is impossible to ignore. And that's what Wyatt will find out. The blue-eyed blond boy grows up and realizes that he is different, that something inside him changes his choices, that something makes him feel familiar with things that he shouldn't be familiar with, that something compels him to visit Arab countries, that something attracts him to a Jordanian girl whom he does not even find very attractive.

So in the second part of the book, the story unfolds around what happened to Siwar and about the whirlwind of emotions that exist within Wyatt's body.

Natasha writes so well, even criticizes herself in some way through the main character and creates a very interactive narrative, which has to be mencionated because the first part of the story is practically told only by Siwar.

I confess that history took a path that I did not expect, it adopted a futuristic plot and it pleased me very much. It was more of a quirk that made this book so original.

One of the things that struck me most was the fact that Siwar said that she never thought much about the color of her skin in the country where she lived, but when she went to the US she realized that her skin and her accent would always be a differential. And that made me think of all the hate crimes that happen around the world where people are excluded, injured or murdered just because they come from another country.

They Called Me Wyatt will be released on June 11st by California Coldblood Books and I cannot wait to buy it and offer it to my bookfriends.

I would like to thank the author Natasha Tynes for reaching out to me via Instagram and asking if I would be interested in receiving a copy of her novel via Netgalley to review.
Once I read the synopsis I couldn’t help but be intrigued.

I could not put this novel down, the plot line had me hooked straight away, as soon as we start the first chapter we are reliving Siwar’s death and the moments leading up to it.

This novel is told in 2 sections- the first being Siwar’s consciousness inside 3 year old Wyatt, her anger at not being able to communicate and tell her story, her frustration at being a 25 year old Jordanian woman inside the body of a 3 year old white male, noticing the difference in their lives, her discomfort at being a “male”.

A lot of the first section is Siwar comparing the differences between Wyatt’s life and what her life used to be like, comparing his parents to her parents, remembering her life back in Jordan. Throughout this we are introduced to various friends and a couple of romantic interests, and we learn more and more about Siwar’s personality, interests and struggles to find somewhere she belongs.

Throughout the first section we also find out that Wyatt’s family life isn’t that great, his mother and father are constantly bickering, we learn that his father Noah is racist and there are hints towards an affair, his mother Krista is trying to give him the best life possible despite the friction between her husband and herself.

The second section takes place 22 years later, Wyatt has been dating a young woman Hoda (who we learn would have been Siwar’s niece) and has a keen interest in the Middle East.

Siwar doesn’t have as much control as she did when Wyatt was younger, but she is still able to have some control of his actions every now and then- usually when he has been drinking.
Something which she does take advantage of sometimes- I can’t say I agree with her method but I can understand why she would do it, after all her death had been ruled as a suicide for 25 years and she Needed the truth to be known.
Unfortunately this does cause a lot of friction between Wyatt and Hoda throughout their relationship as neither of them can really understand his obsession with finding out what happened to her Aunt, but by the end of the novel they do appear to be in a better place.

It was quite interesting to read from Siwar’s perspective 25 years on as she still has the mentality of her 25 year old self- albeit even more frustrated that she is still stuck in limbo.

This was definitely a “whodunnit” novel, any time I thought I had guessed who the culprit was, I ended up second guessing myself, I wouldn’t say that Siwar had any enemies, but there were definitely a few people that I had listed as possible suspects.

I was definitely on the edge of my seat the whole time reading this, I was so invested in Siwar’s story, I actually heaved a sigh of relief once the truth was out there and Siwar was able to find peace and move on.
Not only for Siwar though, her family finally knew the truth and they could finally find their own peace as well.

One thing I found very interesting was the differences in cultures, I am learning more as a 30 year old adult through reading than I ever did at school.

Tynes created such a unique story, that will definitely stay with you.

Natasha Tynes is one to look out for.