Penny is a savant; she doesn't forget anything since she walked up of a comma when she was 7. On her twenty-first birthday, she decides to go on a road trip after she received the last postcard from her father, who left her right before she was in a comma.

With that cover and blurb, I expect much more than a road trip were a suicidal teen meet with only bad (or having bad life choices) people, such as drug users & dealers, assassins, and ex-cartel members to conclude with a totally open ending. It reminded me of Paper Towns but with less coming of age message and for adults due to the content warnings.

Penny has never met anyone smarter than her. That's par for the course when you're a savant--one of less than one hundred in the world. But despite her photographic memory and super-powered intellect, there's one mystery Penny's never been able to solve: why did her father leave when she was in a coma at age seven, and where is he now? On Penny's twenty-first birthday, she receives a card in the mail from him, just as she has every year since he left. But this birthday card is different. For the first time ever, there's a return address. And a goodbye. Penny doesn't know the world beyond her mother's house and the special school she's attended since her unusual abilities revealed themselves, but the mystery of her father's disappearance becomes her new obsession. For the first time ever she decides to leave home, to break free of everything that has kept her safe, and use her gifts to answer the questions that have always eluded her. What Penny doesn't realize is she might not be able to outsmart a world far more complicated and dangerous than she'd ever imagined.
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for giving me an advance copy.

Thank you to Netgalley for this one! I selected this one at random and i am slow glad i did. I went into it not knowing what the book was about and I ended up loving it! When Penny fell down the stairs when she was 7 something happened to her brain which made her special and she now had powers she didn't have before, however her memory of life before is now gone. Now at the age of 21 she wants to find her Farther. I loved this book and the road trip she took, it action packed and i read it so quick as to know what happened next! a great read!!

This book wow, what an amazing book. Really liked the characters and a fab plot.Lots of twists, turns to keep me in suspense

Shockingly strong and a lot more thrills than I expected, i honestly thought this would be literary or coming of age before going into it hits based on the descfriptiojZ thanks for the arc. 4.5

THE FATHER SHE WENT TO FIND was an exceptional novel full of many surprises. I like Carter Wilson's style. I think this is my favorite book of his to date. Highly recommend!


Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for my gifted copy!

Oh my, this book is fantastic! What a unique and creative premise for a story.

When Penny is a young girl, she falls down a flight of stairs and awakens from a coma with savant syndrome. She grows up in the Willow Brook Institute for the Brain so the doctors can study her genius mind. Penny knows of no other way of life except what goes on behind the walls of the institute and her mother’s not so loving home. So, as she turns 21, she decides to leave on her own and go search for her father, who left the family while she was in the coma. On her travels, not only does she find some true friends, she also gets into some untenable situations. Her gifted intelligence proves to be both a hindrance and an advantage in the real world.

This book has it all - well crafted characters, suspense, a few laughs and an excellent ending. My 5-star rating is a no-brainer and I highly recommend this book. Thank you, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of this book.

This book went in some totally different ways than I had imagined. What was suppose to be a run-of-the-mill road trip turns into anything but. I was immediately hooked by the book and the writing style.

One of the best parts of this book for me was the characters. I know that other readers felt like they could not relate or grab onto the character, but I had the exact opposite experience. I absolutely loved the main characters. They had such distinct, well developed personalities that I could perfectly picture each of them. Our main three (Penny, Travis and Fia) are so difficult to not become invested in and want the best for. Penny- an über smart, strangely gifted girl confused by the traumatic accident she was in (which gave her, her gifts), Travis- a dropout artist, and Fia- a diner owner and mother sending money back to her children in Guatemala. All three end up tied up an on this roadtrip together for better or for worse.

The goal of the roadtrip is also initially to find Penny's father, whom she has not seen since her accident when she was a child. She plans to drive from the east coast to the west (to the last address which her father mailed her a birthday card from). Let's just say that nothing on this road trip went according to plan.

I loved the way the stories twists started, some of the issues brought up in the book parallel some current issues we see in society today. From gang like murder, to crooked cops this road trip is not what any of them wished for.

I enjoyed this book right up until the ending- which I really disliked. The story itself was full of outrageous scenarios, although I've heard of worse, but the ending just made it completely excessive to the point that it made me completely change my would have been a 5 star rating to 4. (Again though, I know other readers have enjoyed the ending).

Despite the dopey title, this is one of the best books of the year, a moving and thrilling journey of Penny, an acquired savant who leaves the comfort of the special school she's been in for many years to brave the real world and try to find her father, who she believes left her and her mom just after she went into a coma from falling down the stairs. On her way she meets Travis and Fia, who each play a part in her road to freedom, along with loan sharks, assassins, government agents and long-lost relatives. The outcome of this adventure is as satisfying, in its own weird way, as the steps taken to get there simply because it's so fitting. A terrific job by Wilson, who I've read twice before and has shown flashes of both brilliant and above-average storytelling. It's definitely the former here. 4.5 stars bumped to 5 for the quality of writing and overall satisfaction at the finish. Very highly recommended. Thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an amazing book. I highly recommend it to everyone. Great characters and a great plot. I will be looking for more books by this author. The book is superbly written. Lots of twists, turns and shocking turns of events

Wow! I can't contain my excitement about this ARC—it's hands down the most gripping one I've ever delved into! Carter Wilson worked his magic, reeling me in with characters I couldn't help but get attached to. The beginning threw me off with its calm vibe, and I even questioned if it was a thriller at first. But lo and behold, as I reached the Acknowledgment, Carter laid it all out, and suddenly it all made sense! This is pure genius. I've just stumbled upon a new favorite author, and I can't wait to explore more of his work!

I was completely blown away by the unexpected turns in the plot that had me gaping. The unfolding events sent shivers down my spine and gave me goosebumps. I couldn't help but be moved once the truth was revealed—it hit me harder than I anticipated. Experiencing the characters' emotions was so intense. Yet, amidst the emotional journey, there were parts I cherished. Surprisingly, this thriller/mystery taught me valuable lessons, proving that learning can come from the most unexpected places.

It was genuinely painful when Penny expressed, "Why do we chase things that hurt us? You ever love and hate someone at the same time?" The raw emotion from Penny resonated with me deeply, as all she ever yearned for was love from her parents.

There's also this quote I absolutely adored from the book: "Chasing control is a fool's errand. Letting go is a faster path to happiness than pretending any of us has the power to control anything." It's incredibly relatable and true. Life is full of things beyond our control, and stressing over them is futile. Letting go often leads to a faster route to happiness.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who's into thrillers and mysteries. Trust me, it's sooo good! If I could rate it a thousand, I totally would. Can't wait to get my hands on the physical copy! For the first time, I actually miss characters from a book—Penny and Fia are just unforgettable. If you're on the fence about reading it, go for it! It's totally worth the time!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC!

What can I say about The father she went to find? What I can say is that this book was simply wonderful and everything I would want in a book. Hope, despair, longing for happiness, loveable characters, and it takes place (in part) in my home state! I was HOOKED on page 1!!! I loved that the chapters were short, making it a great read even while trying to keep an eye on two crazy toddlers!

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and the plot was interesting. It kept me engaged from start to finish

Pretty good read. Not exactly my usually type but the guessing kept me intrigued. Well written. Page turner near the end. =-)

Easy 5 stars for this one! It kept me hooked right from the start, and I loved all the characters. There were a couple things that surprised and threw me for a loop and a couple others that I was able to guess but overall this was such an enjoyable read.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

I liked the start of the book where she was going to look for her father on the treasure hunt. That story line works well throughout the book but the random other story lines (diner, club shooting , cop) are out of place and feel forced. I give it 3 stars

Wow, yet another wild ride from Wilson! As I've said about Wilson on previous reviews, my very favorite thing about his books and why I will continue to keep reading him is that his books are nowhere near cookie cutter plots! I read so many of this genre that I have picky taste now and it's refreshing to read a plot you've never read elsewhere. Which is definitely The Father She Went to Find. Now this book certainly had wildly unrealistic events multiple times and there were a few holes in the plot along the way because of it, but that being said it kept me turning the pages quickly and wondering what was going to happen next. Mixed feelings about the very end but I won't elaborate to avoid hinting what happens.

This book can be summarized in merely one word: “Wow”.

I’m going to go into it a bit further than that, but this one was a shocker. I started it a few weeks ago and couldn’t get into it, so I put it aside and tried again this week. I’m so glad I returned to this one…

Penny Bly (as her mother would say, named so because she’s pretty much worthless) fell down a flight of stairs when she was seven, and became a savant who has a photographic memory, synesthesia and an amazing artistic ability. While she was hospitalized , her father abandoned her and her mother - he now only sends her a birthday card each year. Penny voluntarily lives in an institution that examines her mind, and most of the time when she leaves, it’s to visit her mother. Unfortunately, her mom is not in a place to take care of her, so she was mostly raised in this place and by her doctor.

On her 21st birthday, her birthday card said that this would be the last one, as she clearly doesn’t need a father. That’s when she begins a road trip to California; she doesn’t remember much from before her head injury, but she had a snippet of a dream about a road trip with her father. He made a treasure map, and she’s going to follow it to the address written on his final card. This road trip her first time out in the world on her own, and even though she has a massive IQ, she has no idea what she’s doing. She just wants to find her father.

Her first stop after leaving the institute was to the mall, where she sees someone drawing (bad) portraits. She tries her hand at selling a portrait when she meets Travis, a starving artist who was watching her draw. Stuck with the same type of mother, he decides to join Penny on her adventure. The two are in for more than a fun ride across the country though…they quickly fall into a dangerous situation, and their leisurely journey becomes a frantic flee.

This book had a lot of thrills, action and suspense, but it was also a coming-of-age story. Penny may be 21, but she is just now facing the harsh world and trying to find her place in it. Throughout the journey, you see her blossom from a child into a woman who is stronger than she thinks, and it’s lovely despite the horror they’re facing. The ending was ambiguous, but absolutely beautiful. I would love a sequel to this one, for sure. Five happy stars.

(Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press, Carter Wilson and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on April 2, 2024.)

What a ride! This book was so so twisty. It is a little bit Far fetched but I also couldn’t put it down. Unlike anything I’ve ever read!

Penny is special. She’s a savant – one of less than one hundred in the world – with a photographic memory and super-powered intellect. Yet she cannot understand why her father left when she was in a coma at the age of seven. On her twenty-first birthday, Penny receives a card from him, as usual, except that this one will be his last. And that catapults her out of her insulated life. With a goal but no plan, she takes off on a road trip to find him. She’s ill-equipped for the real world, especially when things take a deadly turn. Penny’s suddenly on the run, must trust two people she barely knows while she doubts others who should have her best interests at heart. Her special skills could be more of a burden than a help.
The Father She Went to Find is a suspenseful, intense road-trip thriller with endearing characters. This is the third crime read I’ve hugely enjoyed of Carter Wilson and I’m looking forward to more of this author! Highly recommended.