This clever, dark, and engrossing debut will suck readers in with its great story, exemplary writing, and spot-on pacing. With a wonderful twist at the end, this page-turning thriller is highly recommended.
A dark atmosphere permeates journalist Meuleman’s debut, as Hannah falls further into the shadows, facing the possibility that she may never escape the losses that define her life. Parallel stories taking place 18 years apart and excerpts from Hannah’s book glimpsing into the lives of the disappeared authors result in a crooked structure perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn and J.P. Delaney.
The Belgian chapters read like a good YA book, with some of the same themes as in today’s novels for older teens ... The girl-gone-girl-on-a-train sub-genre requires one final element: the unreliable narrator. There’s one in this book but more can’t be said specifically without a spoiler ... Readers who love this subgenre will likely believe what goes on here and read to the end to find the twist in the tail. They should get more from this novel before they get there than they do.
There is a lot that needs to be forgiven in the early stages of this novel ... Showing one’s hand like that doesn’t help a thriller, nor does leaning on 'Where is this all going?' for as long as Find Me Gone does ... becomes a stranger and darker novel than its beginning suggests.
Fascinating ... Meuleman skillfully reveals, bit by tiny nuanced bit, the story of Hannah and her best friend, Sophie, who likewise disappeared one day long ago in Bachte. This intelligently written psychological thriller provides much food for thought.
Unpredictable and suspenseful ... It’s a plucky effort and at times takes on more than it can chew, but it will entice readers looking for something to keep them guessing until the end ... An engaging novel that shines a light on the pain some women are forced to bear.
