Wow! Where to even start with this one?! I loved how original and unique the plot was. The characters were well written and not characters I've read about before a dozen times. The main character was just really likeable and I found it easy to get invested in her life and her story. I genuinely didn't expect a thriller to have so many moving parts and to be quite so engaging. It felt like a film, it was just so action packed and constantly moving forward. I really enjoyed it

What a journey it was! It felt like a movie with unexpected twists and turns. As always, since I did not read the complete blurb, I had no idea which direction the book would take. I did not expect seedy motels,murderous gangsters and evil governments.

Penny, the young 21 year old with a photographic memory and a high IQ makes for quite the interesting character. She is smart but not in tour face about it. She doesn't look down people for their lack of intelligence. She is pure and courageous. Penny was a savant but she was also wise. She was honest and yet duplicitous. Her journey was not only about finding her father but finding herself. The twists keep coming and I enjoyed every last one of them.

I absolutely love old timey settings and the 80s backdrop just adds to the mystery. There is no leaning on technology and I applaud the author for doing that.

My only gripe with the book comes at the end. That's where my own personal bias when it comes to such endings soured my 5 star rating. Again this is my personal bias and I am sure many of the readers would enjoy that bit too.

A huge thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.

Please check the trigger warnings before reading this book.

"The Father She Went to Find" by Carter Wilson is a suspenseful psychological thriller that had the potential to be a gripping read but fell short in a few areas. While it offers some engaging moments and a unique premise, it also leaves much to be desired in terms of character development and pacing.

One of the strengths of the novel is its intriguing premise. The story follows the protagonist, Penny, as she embarks on a journey to find her estranged father, who disappeared mysteriously years ago. The idea of unraveling family secrets and the suspense surrounding Penny's quest for answers had me hooked from the start. Wilson does an excellent job of building tension and suspense, keeping the reader guessing about the father's true fate and the dark secrets that may lie hidden.

However, the character development in the book left much to be desired. Penny, the central character, lacked depth and complexity. I found it difficult to connect with her on an emotional level, and her actions sometimes felt inconsistent with her supposed motivations. As a result, I had trouble empathizing with her, which made it challenging to become fully invested in her journey. The supporting characters also suffered from underdevelopment, with many of their backstories feeling shallow and underexplored.

Despite these shortcomings, "The Father She Went to Find" does have its merits. The writing style is generally well-crafted, and Wilson's ability to create a sense of foreboding and suspense is commendable. There are some genuinely chilling moments in the book that kept me on edge, and the novel's twists and turns added an element of surprise that I appreciated.

In conclusion, "The Father She Went to Find" is a decent psychological thriller that had the potential to be great. While the premise is intriguing, the characters and aspects of plot development prevent it from reaching its full potential. If you enjoy psychological mysteries and are willing to overlook some character flaws and pacing hiccups, you might find "The Father She Went to Find" worth a read.

Carter Wilson is such an incredibly talented novelist, I was very excited to read his newest novel, thanks to the generosity of his publishers and Netgalley. And this book did not disappoint.

After an accidental fall at the age of 7, Penny is in a coma for quite some time. She awakens to discover that not only has she now acquired savant syndrome - with an eidetic memory and the capacity to draw photorealistic art, among other things - she has also been left in the lurch by her father, who has taken off in the interim.

At the age of 21 - having lived a relatively sheltered existence at a neurological institute thanks to her extraordinary brain - Penny decides to venture out into the world in search of her father. That too, whilst not having much of an idea of what is actually awaiting her out there...

As for those of us who might think that we have a better grasp on the mysteries of the big wide world, Wilson nevertheless takes us on a wildly unpredictable ride, packed with quirky, fascinating, and sometimes dangerous characters. The book offers readers a really unique story that does justice to its unique MC. This book will be received as another winner from Wilson, for sure.

WOW

I truly just didn't expect this. I am blown away with how Wilson tied this story together. I Love Penny and Travis. Then the duo became a Trio and it took you through the dedication etween people who just met. You must find trust in someone. She is on a mission to find her dad who left when she was 7. And on her cross country journey Penny finds her self in some really crazy situations!
.
Would absolitely recommend!
*please note there are triggers that should be considered when reading*

3.5 stars

This book features remarkably concise chapters that made for a fast read, which is a quality I typically adore. In fact, I devoured it in a single day. However, I've been mulling over my feelings about it ever since.

On one hand, the narrative proved undeniably captivating, maintaining my attention throughout. The portrayal of the main character as a savant introduced a refreshing and intriguing dimension, a facet of character development I hadn't encountered before. The author masterfully utilized this unique trait, endowing the protagonist with captivating quirks and abilities that enriched the story's appeal.

Nonetheless, my reservations stem from my initial expectations diverging from the actual plot's trajectory. The story ventured down paths I wasn't particularly enamored with, and I found myself unable to fully invest in certain character dynamics. The connection I craved remained elusive, and at times, the protagonist's actions felt discordant with her established persona, like an abrupt shift in her character that lacked exploration or clarification.

The synopsis, I must admit, seemed somewhat disconnected from the story's core. Additionally, there were instances when dialogues felt stilted, possibly due to the author's transition from a third-person, past-tense point of view to a first-person, present-tense perspective during the rewrite. Such changes may not have seamlessly integrated.

In sum, while I thoroughly enjoyed the previous works by this author, I understand that my perspective on this one may not align with the majority. Nonetheless, I remain committed to exploring more, since author's writing style and storytelling craft consistently impress me.

I'm compelled to add half a star solely for the remarkable conclusion—an absolute triumph in itself! As for other aspects of the story, I'll keep my opinions to myself as I wouldn't want to spoil anything that hasn't been disclosed in the synopsis, that I would touch on in my review otherwise. 

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Wow! Just Wow this is such an intense fast paced thriller I loved it !! The twists the turns were brilliant. I couldn’t love it more .

My goodness did I like this book! I thought it was a rollercoaster of a ride to read. I felt like I was on the ride with the characters. The mix of adventures that happen were good ones to get lost in when I couldn't sleep at night. I look forward to more from this author. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Five stars.

I am a huge Carter Wilson fan. The first book I found was The Dead Girl in 2A. I was so impressed that I immediately went and started reading his backlist, and I’ve been reading every new book as they are published.

The Father She Went to Find was amazing. Penny is a savant. She has a photographic memory and is amazingly intelligent, the result of a fall down the stairs when she was a young child. Now, at 21, she’s aware that she didn’t fall down the stairs, she was pushed. After the accident, her father disappeared from her life, but sends her a card once a year for her birthday. But she does talk to her dad, in her mind. And he answers.

At 21 her birthday card indicates this will be the last card he’s going to send and this prompts Penny to leave her home at the special school she’s been attending since her accident. She sets out to find her dad, and finds a couple of “characters“ along the way. The twists and turns that the story takes totally surprised me and I expected none of them.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for this galley. All opinions are my own.

Wow, this book was incredible! Penny is such a fantastic character. At seven years old, she fell down the stairs and ended up in a coma. When she awoke, she discovered that her father left while she was in the coma and also that she now has acquired savant syndrome. She sees numbers as colors, has an eidetic memory and can draw photorealistic drawings in minutes. After that she lives a sheltered life mostly at an institute for the brain. Fourteen years later, on her twenty first birthday, she leaves to try and track down her father. Her first journey into the world certainly takes an unexpected path! She meets some interesting characters and gets into quite a bit of danger along the way. There's some nice twists and turns and a shocking, emotional ending that is utterly unpredictable. I think The Father She Went To Find is going to be a big hit. It's definitely my favorite Carter Wilson novel so far. You won't want to miss this one when it comes out on April 2, 2024!

Also, I love that it took place during the 80s! Things were so much different before cell phones and the internet so it added an extra level of difficulty to her journey.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC!

Oh my! This book is a whirlwind of eccentric and wonderful plot lines and characters! It centers around Penny as she awakens from a coma after a fall down the basement stairs when she was seven. Now she has an eidetic memory and an incredible memory for faces; she sees colors for numbers and can recall pages of written material easily. She conjures her father in her head and has "conversations" with him, especially remembering a road trip where he left messages for her in hidden coke bottles. Newly awakened she has a "treasure map" and is determined to retrace those steps and find him. And of course there are great characters--mostly misfits, loan sharks, shootings, a crooked cop, and so many odd and wonderful happenings! Like all of Wilson's books, this one keeps you on the edge of your seat and never lets you go! Gritty and fabulous!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!