Ya know when someone is talking and they're saying a lot of words but not actually saying anything with any meaning? That's how I'd describe the writing in this book. The premise was intriguing but fell flat in execution.

A mother’s life (Meg’s) is upended when her teenaged son, McClaine mysteriously vanishes. The inquiry of the police into his disappearance casts suspicion on his family. The family has undergone some difficulties as Meg’s husband, Joe, a retired boxer has been exhibiting strange and erratic behavior; which can be attributed to the head injuries suffered when boxing. Concurrently, the missing son, McClane has concealed his own secrets that may have contributed to his disappearance; a pregnant girlfriend and betrayal from a friend. The narrative unfolds through alternating viewpoints of mother (Meg) and son (McClane), offering a deep exploration of their messy family dynamics. Meg has to deal with the erratic behavior of her husband Joe, frayed relationships with her daughter, secrets harbored by McClaine, and her other son, David, performing a dangerous job as an FBI agent. As the investigation advances, David, McClaine’s older brother becomes entwined in the situation, adding layers of complexity to the family narrative. The novel has a somber tone, but it is needed due to the subject matter explored. The dual timelines and viewpoints allow for character development and engagement. There are many unexpected twists, which makes the story compelling and surprising. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my review.

If I had to sum it all up in just one word it would be: convoluted. I could not wait to get through this book. I always try to give ARCs my absolute best effort and sometimes push through when it ought to be deemed a DNF. I really wanted to DNF this one. I thought the dual perspective would be a good way to experience the POV of two main characters. While the mother was handled well enough, the son was always off center--now I do understand that a small part of that is actually one of the twists in the story but it just did not meld well. Overall, there were far too many instances in which the author attempted to build intrigue and interest but, it generally all fell flat I often felt that I was being toyed with as a reader. There was so much alluding to one thing or another, without defining anything, throughout the book. I know it was intended to grip the reader and pull him/her in but, I actually found it annoying because there was so much of it. Dangle a carrot but never build it up. I ended up not even caring what the twist was going to be. It was an ARC so issues with formatting, editing and revision are to be expected. As for the formatting in this ARC, it truly distracted from the reading and should have been tweaked more before even reaching ARC status. I can overlook a lot of those issues and keep the purpose of an ARC in mind but the issues here were frustrating. Overall, this conglomeration of misfit characters covered a wide variety of mental health issues yet there was never any foundation build to support those key threads. I was not able to connect with a single character in either a positive or negative way.

I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley.

This is the story of a very troubled family. It is told via two, alternating points of view: Meg, the mother, and McClane, the high school senior boy who has a college scholarship for wrestling awaiting him. McClane has older and younger siblings who factor quite significantly in the family saga. And Meg’s husband is a very weird man, a guy who disappears almost every night and isn’t doing his job during the day either. Neither Meg nor the reader ever finds out what he IS doing.

This is a missing person story. Meg’s narration commences with McClane’s disappearance. McClane’s narration commences several days prior to his disappearance. Meg’s behavior is quite extreme, largely as a reaction to her deadbeat husband. David, McClane’s older brother, is an FBI agent who becomes a major player in the story when the plot makes a surprise turn.

The tone of this book is quite dark. There is some repetition caused by the two narrators and timelines. Many pages are devoted to descriptions of what is going on in the characters’ troubled minds. The last half of the book was a tough read because of how messed up everyone was.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

This was so gripping! I could not put this down! Be ready for an absolutely jaw dropping twist! This was so unexpected and suspense filled!

This is one where I just went into it without checking other reviews or looking into it at all just because I saw the author name. I was more than pleasantly surprised.

What’s unique about this book is that it goes back and forth between the mother’s perspective and her son’s perspective and both are unreliable narrators.. Meg’s son, McClane, is a senior in high school and goes missing. McClane has secrets and so does Meg. Meg’s husband Joe seems shady too. McClane has a good friend who has gotten himself mixed up with the wrong crowd. Clues are slowly dropped throughout the book. At times I wished the.book had a faster pace but it picks up and the ending is great.

This book was an easy five-star read! I became completely invested in the Hart family and found myself wanting to know even more about them after I turned the last page. Just when I thought I had the plot figured out, the twists and turns kept me on my toes in the best way. I especially loved the book’s exploration of motherhood and the challenges of raising children at every stage of life—it was both heartfelt and thought-provoking.

I really appreciated the author's deep exploration of the challenges of raising difficult children and the raw, honest portrayal of what that experience is truly like. It added a layer of authenticity to the story that made it even more compelling and relatable.

Although this book was uncomfortable at times, it was one of the best of 2025! Writing is superb. The family was normalish, but like most families....always a weirdo somewhere. Loved the book.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the raging I gave if.

The cover accurately depicts the theme of the story. Why I lead with this is I find that to be rare. The author reveals the darkness of each character in what appears to be a family that doesn’t have much to hide. The resignation for their current status is palpable and it isn’t until a pivotal moment occurs where you the true grit is revealed. I appreciate the Author’s note at the end and how transparent she was with what inspired this story. Readers should not be disappointed.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!