BLURB---From the author of The Alexa Montgomery Saga comes a story that will take you into the mind of a genuine psychopath, the lives of six ordinary people, and the world of a very special girl named Joe. Joe is seemingly an ordinary college student. She works, studies and reads. But, in between these activities, Joe has a gift that promises to add a dose of color into her life at any given moment. Joe sees things before they happen. Bad things, and the worst thing she has ever faced is just around the corner. Someone is planning a massacre at the college university that Joe attends, and the only person with a hope of stopping the psychopath is her. Oh, the beauty of foresight. More like a curse. Joe has four days to figure out the mystery, make plans to take down the psycho, and save the lives of people. People like you and me. Ordinary people.
Well Wowee.....This had to be a 5* really. I'm a bit dumbfounded right now to be honest. So clever! I was not expecting that.
Brave bold writing, you can't not respect it.
Yeah...um...wow, where to begin?!?!?! Okay so. I'll start with a basic plot.
We meet Joe, very likable but in no way a people person, she has a very prominent stutter which makes her shy away from talking to people.
She has no problem with this though as she's not fond of it anyway. Joe also has a clairvoyance gift I knowit's not the most realistic thing to read, but damnnnn it really was just done so good. Joe foresees a shooting at her university she tries to find out more and attempts to stop it. Off we go on our adventure!!
The book has 8 pov's 8 P.O.V'S! WHAT THE ACTUAL EFF PEOPLE , but for me it really worked. I never would have believed it in a million years but each character was so strong that I did remember each one once it got going.
It's kinda like movies like Crash and 11:14? All different perspectives revolving around one thing and the people being unaware of their connections to each other.
I think I loved the POV business so much because it stopped the book just being another 'heroine saves the day' or 'let's delve into the mind of a psychotic' we get to meet a single mum trying to work out whats best for her kids, a girl dealing with depression feeling like life can't get worse, a teacher on the verge of retirement and others too. All the time this is going on we know what danger they are in whilst they are innocently planning their lives. So it kept this 6th sense creepy story very human.
Joe- I love characters like her. Characters who you have absolutely nothing in common with but can still empathize with, characters who are so strong they give you no option other than to think about them and try and understand them. We learn so much about Joe; her past with her (awful) parents, the history of her gift and she also goes on a really sweet little personal development too! Oh I'm falling more and more in love with it.
She doesn't think too highly of herself, she just sees herself as a freak. She thinks she is only acting on her vision things through obligation and to prevent herself from feeling guilty. She's a lovely lovely character.
I loved the other characters too, especially Michael.
The writing!! And the structure!! Ooooh I was in heaven at the last 20%
The writing of the POV changes was just complete genius at the end. It was run-on sentences. I've never put quotes in a review before but I'm going to here so you can see what I mean.
a feeling that gave him the impression of walking on air, a feeling that
JOE
was unmistakable and familiar and horrible.
***
All of them, with their fucking routine and boring and worthless lives had decided to
MERION
Take her lunch outside this afternoon. It was such a lovely day
This bit of the book was just THE SHIT. The tension was amazing. I don't want to talk too much about the story though and the ins and outs of it all. Even if you read it and hate the story, this part of the book is just going to demand that you respect it and the skill taken to craft such a thing.
Another thing about the writing was it was that style of writing that I absolutely love but so often find it's been done wrong so it drives me crazy. Do you know what I mean? Like internal voices playing devil's advocate in italics, repeating phrases to build tension and that kind of thing. It was done so well I just loved it.
If you're a fan of mystery/thrillers, want something compleeeeetely different, strong characters and a busy book that demands attention. I really recommend this one. It's so clever I have HUGE respect for this book.
Although...I must say....I have a feeling it may well be a love it or hate it kind of book. So don't shout at me if you don't like it!!
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