Gripping thriller despite some frustrating tropes (esp. depictions of unexplained female 'madness').

"𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 -- 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭?" So the beginning of this book was very intriguing. There's a lot of mystery around the story of Lucy and her mother; Who are they running from? Why?
It did have some slow points, and I'll admit, it took me a few days longer to read this because of the dips in the story.
At one point, Lucy meets a young girl named Gretchen. Gretchen is a little strange, doesn't have any friends and seems to cling on to Lucy and tries to force a friendship on her by always just being there.
Let's face it, we've all known a 'Gretchen' at some point in our lives, haven't we?
Things come to a head about halfway through when Lucy finds out the truth from her past. But wait... There's still half a book left? What more could happen?
This is where it gets really really weird. About 75% into the book, it's as if someone knew has started writing the story. Things go from slightly strange and creepy to full on bizarre. At this point, it's hard to put the book down. Purely because you want to see where this new storyline is leading. I can't help but feel slightly disappointed and confused by the last 25%.
However, that isn't to say it isn't a good book. It is, but the ending definitely could have been done better.
Thank you @NetGalley for my copy.

I have mixed feelings about this one, which I requested having seen some intriguing and quite polarised reviews. I’m not sure that I can say I enjoyed it, but I was certainly glued to my kindle to find out what the hell was going on, and then how it would all turn out. I’d bought and enjoyed Method 15/33 by this author a few years ago, but this one ramps up the WTFery with a blend of psychological suspense, horror and action that only half works.

Fifteen year old Lucy has spent her life on the run from a threat that her mother refuses to define, knowing only that her father will try to kidnap her if they ever let down their guard. This has led to a lonely childhood of frequent moves, triggered every time they think they’ve been recognised, no lasting friendships and only the company of her prickly mother. When the latest new home turns out to be a colourfully decorated ranch in a fairytale forest, Lucy is determined to stay put this time, even if the landlord’s daughter, puzzle-obsessed Gretchen, seems a bit... intense.

First off, minor spoiler, I have to report that no animals were harmed in the telling of this story, although they are threatened horribly. I probably would’ve found this a less stressful read had I known this from the start. You’re welcome. I can’t say the same about humans, mind.

This is told in a mixture of Lucy’s first person present and her mother’s third person past and present, and it takes a while for the reasons for this to become clear, and I’ll admit the central twist got me good. Several reviews mention the way the style of the book changes abruptly three quarters of the way in - this was actually a positive for me as I’m not much of a horror fan and was dreading the direction I thought it was heading in - so I actually liked the way Lucy’s mother takes charge (but then Sarah Connor is one of my all time favourite heroines, and I was thinking of her even before she is mentioned.)

Gretchen’s all-out craziness did make for compelling reading, although I would’ve liked a bit more rationale for it. I loved Lucy’s character and the way she solved various problems. The plot relied a bit too heavily on coincidences which were not actually necessary, and the ending felt incomplete, although I liked the extra snippets of information on the author’s website that fill in a couple of gaps. Perhaps one more would be good, a legal report about the fate of one or two key characters (trying to avoid spoilers here.)

My thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Mercer for the ARC in exchange for an honest review, and apologies for it being late (I only received it on publication day.)

Gretchen by Shannon Kirk really intrigued me based on the description. I knew I had to read it and on one Saturday a few weeks ago, I read it in a single afternoon.

Ever since Lucy was two, she’s been on the run alongside her mother. She’s never understood the reason for a lifetime of paranoia, aliases, and lies. All she understands are the rules: never lock eyes with strangers, never let down your guard, and always be ready to move on.

Finally, after thirteen years and eleven states, their next hideaway seems perfect. An isolated, fortresslike place in the New Hampshire woods is the new home they share with its owner, a gentlemanly pianist, and his lonely daughter, Gretchen. She’s Lucy’s age and soon becomes Lucy’s first real friend.

But Gretchen and her father have secrets of their own—and an obsession with puzzles that draws Lucy into a terrifying new game of hide-and-seek. Lucy’s dark past is about to come calling. And this time, for her and her mother in the house on the hill, it might be too late to run.

I enjoy books that start with a secret, what are Lucy and her mom running from? When they move into their new rental, the daughter Gretchen seems creepy and clingy and since the book is named Gretchen, you know this girl is trouble. She seems nice but a little weird…what is going on with her?

Yes, the book is creepy, full of secrets… a dark and intriguing read.

Out on July 23 so go get it! FREE if you have Kindle Unlimited.

This is told in three parts with alternating views. The book starts out with Lucy. Lucy is fifteen and mentions that she is living in her tenth state and it's her third high school she's attended. Her companion is Allen, a cat. Lucy talks about how anytime someone seems to react as if they know either her or her mom, Susan, then off to another state they go. Susan forces her to wear tinted contacts. Susan has mentioned that Lucy's father is powerful and from a foreign country where women are not treated well, so in order to evade her unnamed father, they are constantly on the move. Just as Lucy is getting comfortable and has a friend, things quickly take a turn. On a rare occasion, Lucy's mom decides they can go get ice cream. It's rare because they are not seen in public together. As Lucy sits on a bench, a man playing Frisbee with his son, suddenly turns his attention on Lucy because he thinks he recognizes her.

Just like that, they are on their way to the eleventh state. Susan has scoped out a rental. Lucy immediately falls in love with the place. When the owners introduce themselves, Susan, reacts strangely to the owner's daughter, Gretchen. While Susan wants to back out, Lucy demands to stay.

It is here that Lucy begins to assert her independence and begins to hide things from her mother. They have a pack that if anyone begins to notice them, they will tell the other so once again they'll be on the road. Lucy is allowed to get a job and works as a cashier. Even though, Gretchen is odd, Lucy feels a kinship because she knows what it's like not having any friends. She soon has to set up strict boundaries because Gretchen keeps popping up everywhere.

Part 2 introduces Mag, who stayed at the Triple C resort, and has gone from being a camper to working at the Activity Center during the summers. The rest of the year, she drives around the country in her camper. Cord, who works at the Triple C as the recreation director, has been like a father to Mag. He wants her to go to Italy with him for a new job. Their history goes back to when Mag was a little girl, and has been a father figure to her. Mag had hooked up with a guy named Paul, who mistreats her and is run off by Cord.

Part 3 provides the backstory behind all the characters and the dynamics surrounding them all. Secrets will be exposed, and lies uncovered. The enduring love of a mother, who will go to any lengths.

This was an amazing read! I started reading this thinking the topic was about one thing and quickly being surprised about an added twist after twist. Love can drive people to do many things. If you enjoy thrillers, I highly recommend this book!

I received an ARC from NetGalley via Thomas & Mercer and have voluntarily reviewed this book.

ARC of Gretchen by Shannon Kirk. #Gretchen #NetGalley
Where to begin with this gripping thriller. Wow! Just when you thought you had characters figured out the plot twists around. I mean Gretchen is a creepy kid to begin with and as the book progressed she just got worse. I did think she was turning around in the middle for a bit. The ending was quite the shocker. Great read.

If you haven't yet seen buzz about this book, believe me, you will. It's one of those that you go into without any preparation or expectation so that you can be properly blown away by it. It's not often that a book surprises me, but this was masterful writing and incredibly entertaining. I was hooked immediately and couldn't put it down until I had finished. Let my breath go. And read the supplemental material that is best saved for last. Go on, get it now!

What it's about: Lucy is "fifteen, living in (our) tenth state, in (my) third high school already." She and her mom have been moving from place to place for the past thirteen years. There's always a trigger that makes them run -- someone gets too close or asks too many questions. Mom has told Lucy why -- Lucy's dad tried to steal her when she was 2 and mom got her back. Now they have to stay hidden from him. Lucy has no other information about her powerful, connected father, nor does she know her real name as they use fake IDs. They are very careful, but when someone slips up, they have to leave in the dead of night. Lucy is devatated to leave her latest home and her new best friend, Jenny, but Lucy makes a mistake and off they go again. The mother and daughter arrive in Milberg, New Hampshire, and fall in love with their rented one-story ranch house that's situated on a huge property with the owners living just up the hill in a colossal brick mansion. The father and daughter who own the place are a bit strange, but the girl is Lucy's age and wants to be immediate friends. Her name is Gretchen. Lucy is determined to stay and will do whatever it takes. She, however, did not plan for Gretchen. NO SPOILERS.

Why you should read this: First of all, the writing is simply masterful. The setting is well-described and the sense of menace and a creepy vibe is lurking in the background. Great material for quoting, but I couldn't highlight every sentence! I could picture it all so vividly. The depth of the characterization was amazing as I fell in love with Lucy immediately. She had so much personality and was totally believable. The narrative shifts a bit between characters allowing glimpses into their perspectives and thoughts which adds to the overall tone and forward movement of the story. The plot, well, it is quite complex and I didn't see a thing coming -- a refreshing surprise. I could say a lot more, but won't because I don't want to give any hints. Believe me, you'd never expect this engrossing tale from the synopsis. Plus, you want to read this so you'll be able to talk about it with other folks who've read it and cackle gleefully cause you know all the answers! Who wants to be first to buy a ticket for the big screen version?

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the e-book ARC to read and review. I'm definitely going to be following this author!

This book is... strange. Sometimes it's a good strange, and other times it's just flat-out weird. Explanations are difficult without spoilers, and I don't give spoilers, so this review attempt might be as strange as the book.

Kirk's writing style is completely engrossing, which is what kept me reading. Even when I was scowling at certain things, I kept reading because... well, I don't know why. I just had to keep reading.

The story pushes boundaries of plausibility, particularly throughout the second half. Several characters are a special kind of crazy. The action goes beyond plausibility. And yet, I kept reading.

This is the most bizarre story I've read in a very long time. It's completely improbable. We go in a ton of directions that should've made my head spin, should have annoyed me. Should have made me stop reading. And yet I followed along.

At the end, I thought, "What did I just read?" And I'm still wondering. But despite the weirdness, the implausibility, the dangling threads, the undeniable oddness of all of it, I still read every word. So maybe I liked it? I have no explanation.

A multifaceted thriller with fantastic characters to root for—and against. This one kept me up late reading and I woke up thinking about it. Lucy is an enthralling main character and I was pulled in by her immediately. And Gretchen was so strange and ultimately scary, I’ve never seen anyone quite like her. But then in part II, the story took a new turn and added dimensions I wasn’t expecting about the truth about Lucy and her mother and the bearded man. Very satisfying resolution, and thrills that kept me on the edge of my seat.

So this book was a quick read, but it felt like YA more than a thriller. There was a good twist I didn’t see coming about 70% through, but then the story kind of went off the rails.
It follows a mother and her 15 year old daughter who have been on the run for the last 13 years, and what happens after they end up living down the hill from creepy Gretchen & her strange father. The back story of why they were on the run was the more compelling story, with a lot of eye-roll inducing action and towards the end that just seemed like the author was trying too hard.

I really enjoyed this book. I was hooked from the first page all the way to the last page. I can't want to read more by Shannon Kirk. This book had me guessing the whole way through and I loved all the answers to the secrets that were revealed along the way. I couldn't put this book down and will definitely be recommending it to my followers as well as my friends who love a good suspense book.

The way that Shannon Kirk decided to write this book had you on the edge of your seat the entire time.

We are following a girl named Lucy who is on the run with her mom. They never seem to stay in the same place for very long. When someone recognizes Lucy, she and her mom are on the road again. They end up in the nice little house renting from a father and daughter in the woods. Here we meet Gretchen.

Gretchen makes you uncomfortable. She makes you feel out of place and like you just want to get out of the situation. Gretchen is what I love to read about in books. Gretchen is creepy. Her father is almost deranged and their house would send up red flags if you ever entered it.

As the story progresses, you start to realize some truths about Lucy's mom, about Gretchen, and about Gretchen's past. I couldn't put this book down.

This is the first book I've read by Shannon Kirk and wow, was it exciting! Creepy enough to keep the lights on while reading and I couldn't put it down. Finished it in a day and added it to our book club list! Off to read The Vines next!

What Did I Just Read???

What is it about psychotic children that is so creepy yet appealing? Gretchen took disturbed to a whole new level.

15 year old Lucy and her mother have been on the run for 13 years. 11 states and endless hours cross country in their car later they end up in an isolated, fortresslike place in the New Hampshire woods. Their new landlords are a pianist, and his lonely daughter, Gretchen. It would be ideal, if each of these families weren't harboring so many secrets.

Shannon Kirk has a way of leaving her readers on high alert. This story is pure tension. You don't know who is crazier - each character seems worse than the last. But Gretchen - she's the worst of them all. Gretchen is creepy, has zero social boundaries and is absolutely CRAZY! There's no other word for her, the girl is demented. I was all in for this one but the end kinda lost some of its mojo for me compared to the lead up in the beginning. Still, the book was insane and had me hooked throughout. It was like a crazy, far fetched nightmare and I couldn't look away. If you like your books with suspense, horror and lots of tension - definitely pick this one up!

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

Lucy and her mother have been on the run for 13 years and have just settled into their 11th state, New Hampshire.
You see, Lucy's father wants to bring Lucy to his home country where she would be treated like "trash" since she is a woman, 15 years old, says her mother. So, the two of them are on the run. They rent a house that is a bit remote. This, from a circumspect landlord and his 15 year old daughter, Gretchen. The place, itself, is nice but...

Lucy wonders why the main house (where the landlord and his daughter live) is like a fortress outside. Inside are 100's of puzzles framed and shellacked covering many walls. Some of these puzzles are downright demonic.

After a (somewhat humorous) dinner at the "fortress, Lucy is convinced that these people are crazy - perhaps even dangerous!

Any more would be a spoiler!

Many Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for a good read!

This book is wild! A mother and her teen daughter, Lucy, are on the run, moving from state to state with Lucy not knowing why. Now, they’ve settled in a new place where Lucy meets Gretchen, the landlord’s daughter. Gretchen is obsessed with jigsaw puzzles and pulls Lucy into her strange world.

I really liked Lucy, she’s naive but has streaks of rebellion and just wants to figure out what’s going on in her weird life. We also get Mother’s POV where we slowly learn the real situation. There are some creepy moments with Gretchen - the scene where Lucy visits her house is a highlight!

I enjoyed the twists and turns but towards the end it got too ridiculous for me. The book tries to merge the storylines of Lucy and Gretchen with Mother and her past, and I didn’t think it succeeded. There are coincidences and characters behaving like they’re in an action movie. But it’s still an entertaining read and makes me think of jigsaw puzzles in a different light! If you’re looking for a thriller with surprises and compelling female characters, I’d recommend this.

I received an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and boy what a ride!

I loved this book - I really needed this book - I have been in kind of a slump as of late! This thriller did not disappoint- it had so many layers and layers! I 100% enjoyed every page of this one!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5 stars) for this one. I don’t want to give too much away so just read it! I recommend it highly- all my opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley as well as the author and the publisher!

The winter owl banked just in time to pass and save herself from breaking window glass. --Robert Frost


Fellow readers, I honestly don't know how I feel about this book. My general gut feeling seems to be leaning more negative than positive. There were just so many competing story lines, at times, it felt...tortured. You know what I mean, right? Like, when you keep curling your hair, but it's not laying the way you desire, so you curl it some more...then some more...and pretty soon, you're rocking a frizzy, overworked mess on your head. That's how Gretchen felt to me...frizzy and tortured.

Told from two points of view, those of Lucy and Mother, we learn about their nomadic lifestyle, living in 11 different states, while running from Lucy's barbaric father. Gretchen is the coo-coo crazy daughter of their equally nutty landlord.

My emotions ran the gamut while reading...there were moments when I laughed out loud (Lucy's reaction to her first family dinner at Gretchen's house), moments when I was totally creeped out (that mansion, it's rooms and hallways...those puzzles), and moments when I found myself rolling my eyes (pretty much the entire final 25% of the novel). The chapters dealing with Mother were deeply boring...page after page of internal dialogue and unnecessary text. The conclusion, while neatly wrapped up, still felt quite abrupt.

After finishing, I'm genuinely not sure how I'd classify this book...I'd say the ending is a thriller, but the first 2/3 felt more like creepy, atmospheric horror. This was an odd one, folks. I foresee there being very little gray here...readers are either going to love Grechen or hate it. I, unfortunately, fall into the latter category. It took me forever to finish this book...I even missed reviewing prior to the publication deadline...simply because I had no desire to pick it up and read. For a bookworm like me, that's saying something.

Having said all that, I don't want to conclude this review without mentioning the stunning, and appropriate, book cover.

**Despite my lackluster review, I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I'm sorry to say that I didn't like anything about this book. I could go on and on with the all the things I loathed but instead I'll be nice and just say that this wasn't my cup of tea.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.