wanderaven's review
4.0
It can be dangerous to approach an author you used to like more than a decade past but haven't read for years. Unfortunately, I find more often than not that I'm disappointed in attempting to rediscover a writer - which isn't always a fault of the author but rather just the different stages and preferences in a reader's life.
I used to love T. Greenwood. Many years ago, I read Breathing Water, Nearer Than the Sky, and Undressing the Moon. And then, she sort of just fell off my radar. Sort of are the operative words in that sentence, because I liked her enough to continue tracking her, but found that I either wasn't drawn in by the synopses of her newer works, or when I attempted to read the first chapters, they didn't work for me.
But when Kensington offered Where I lost Her for early review (the book was actually released on February 23rd; I've been a bit behind until now), I felt like we've aligned once again. The synopsis was in-line with many of the types of novels I've been into lately, and I was excited to try her again.
Yay! It paid off!
This is the sort of writing I like from Greenwood:
"Our bodies carry no evidence of those who have loved us. If they did, if they bore the imprints of everyone's hands, every child's wet cheek, every mother's palm, if our flesh carried the ghosts of all the hands that have touched us, then we might be more careful."
Greenwood seems to specialize in writing about the relationships between mothers and daughters (this, based on the books I've read - I cannot speak to the others). She continues the theme here, but with a twist of a mystery. Tess is visiting her childhood friend in rural Vermont when, going for an ill-advised late night wine run, she almost runs into a three or four year old girl standing in the middle of the highway, alone and injured. She stops, of course, to help the little girl but the child runs off into the woods. A search ensues, but Tess' competency is (somewhat bafflingly) questioned.
Greenwood includes here one of the elements that irritates me in fiction - when everyone, including the protagonist, knows an element that is insinuated to be pertinent to the plot, but is kept from the reader. This is usually intended as an element of suspense. I'm perfectly fine with this situation, so long as it is also kept from the protagonist, but when it's withheld from the reader only, it feel both like authorial intrusion and also a bit like cheating. And in this particular story, when the element is finally revealed to the reader, I felt both like it could've been revealed earlier and also that it didn't quite carry the gravity/effect that was intended.
But that's primarily my only reservation. Otherwise, I was happy to re-immerse myself in a voice I enjoy, I was certainly driven to find out whether the child was an apparition or corporeal, and I liked the protagonist quite a lot (for some reason, not so much a trend in the books I've picked up lately). I'm inclined to categorize this novel as literary suspense, and I hope Greenwood continues with this sort of novel. Lovely and recommended!
I used to love T. Greenwood. Many years ago, I read Breathing Water, Nearer Than the Sky, and Undressing the Moon. And then, she sort of just fell off my radar. Sort of are the operative words in that sentence, because I liked her enough to continue tracking her, but found that I either wasn't drawn in by the synopses of her newer works, or when I attempted to read the first chapters, they didn't work for me.
But when Kensington offered Where I lost Her for early review (the book was actually released on February 23rd; I've been a bit behind until now), I felt like we've aligned once again. The synopsis was in-line with many of the types of novels I've been into lately, and I was excited to try her again.
Yay! It paid off!
This is the sort of writing I like from Greenwood:
"Our bodies carry no evidence of those who have loved us. If they did, if they bore the imprints of everyone's hands, every child's wet cheek, every mother's palm, if our flesh carried the ghosts of all the hands that have touched us, then we might be more careful."
Greenwood seems to specialize in writing about the relationships between mothers and daughters (this, based on the books I've read - I cannot speak to the others). She continues the theme here, but with a twist of a mystery. Tess is visiting her childhood friend in rural Vermont when, going for an ill-advised late night wine run, she almost runs into a three or four year old girl standing in the middle of the highway, alone and injured. She stops, of course, to help the little girl but the child runs off into the woods. A search ensues, but Tess' competency is (somewhat bafflingly) questioned.
Greenwood includes here one of the elements that irritates me in fiction - when everyone, including the protagonist, knows an element that is insinuated to be pertinent to the plot, but is kept from the reader. This is usually intended as an element of suspense. I'm perfectly fine with this situation, so long as it is also kept from the protagonist, but when it's withheld from the reader only, it feel both like authorial intrusion and also a bit like cheating. And in this particular story, when the element is finally revealed to the reader, I felt both like it could've been revealed earlier and also that it didn't quite carry the gravity/effect that was intended.
But that's primarily my only reservation. Otherwise, I was happy to re-immerse myself in a voice I enjoy, I was certainly driven to find out whether the child was an apparition or corporeal, and I liked the protagonist quite a lot (for some reason, not so much a trend in the books I've picked up lately). I'm inclined to categorize this novel as literary suspense, and I hope Greenwood continues with this sort of novel. Lovely and recommended!
girlrunsultras's review against another edition
5.0
It is very possible [a:T. Greenwood|133394|T. Greenwood|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1400096380p2/133394.jpg] is starting to become one of my favorite authors. This is my second book by her and it was outstanding as was the other one, [b:Grace|12610962|Grace|T. Greenwood|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347444742s/12610962.jpg|17626394]. I started this book shortly after finishing Grace and I think because my mind was still living with the those characters I just couldn't get in to it. I sat it down and tried to move on to something else. About 3 days later as I'm still searching for "the book" to read I decided to give this book another try. Page 1 and it all just clicked. I loved the characters, especially Tess. The story line just grabbed me and I found myself not wanting to put the book away until I was finished.
kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
With a possibly unreliable narrator, Where I Lost Her by T. Greenwood is an intriguing mystery that keeps readers on the edge of their seats as Tess Waters tries to locate a missing young girl.
Tess and her husband Jake are visiting friends in rural Vermont when, returning from a late night run to the store, she sees a young girl in the middle of the road. Although the police are little slow to respond to her emergency call, they put together an extensive search that slowly tapers off within a few days. Convinced Tess is either mistaken or outright lying, the local police remain unreceptive to her pleas to continue looking for the missing girl. When the cops threaten to charge her for filing a false report, she hires attorney Ryan Hughes, who pleads with her to stay out of the case. Unable to stop worrying about the little girl, she continues her search and although she does not locate her, Tess stumbles onto evidence that supports her claim but will the police reopen their investigation?
Tess's marriage never quite recovered from the couple's infertility treatments and a botched adoption attempt eight years earlier. Their relationship is quite strained during their visit with their friends and Tess's excessive drinking exacerbates the tension between them. At first supportive of Tess, Jake's doubts continue to grow especially considering what happened after their adoption attempt went horribly wrong. The fact that she had been drinking the evening she spotted the young girl is another strike against her and Jake eventually returns to New York without her.
Tess's main priority is continuing her efforts to find the missing girl but she is also quite reflective as she tries to decide what to do about her troubled marriage. Her longtime friend Effie not only believes Tess saw the little girl, but after Tess confides recently discovered information about Jake, she is outraged on Tess's behalf. Despite Effie's fears for her safety, Tess continues taking unnecessary risks as she makes impulsive decisions that are dangerous and oftentimes, foolhardy.
The events from eight years earlier are slowly revealed through a series of flashbacks. What begins as a happy occasion becomes emotionally charged after Jake joins Tess in Guatemala where she has been spending time with the little girl they are planning to adopt. These flashbacks slowly reveal the cracks in their marriage as Tess begins to realize that she was much more invested in having children than Jake and she starts wondering what other important information she might have overlooked about her husband. She remains ambivalent about their marriage for a good portion of the novel, but a family emergency puts things in perspective for her and Tess finally arrives at a decision about her future.
With a unique twist on the unreliable narrator plot device, Where I Lost Her is a well-written and engaging novel that is initially a little slow paced. The characters are three-dimensional with true to life flaws and imperfections. The storyline is wonderfully developed and the suspense builds as Tess continues trying to piece together the puzzling clues she uncovers. Overall, it is a very clever mystery/psychological thriller that old and new fans of T. Greenwood are sure to enjoy.
Tess and her husband Jake are visiting friends in rural Vermont when, returning from a late night run to the store, she sees a young girl in the middle of the road. Although the police are little slow to respond to her emergency call, they put together an extensive search that slowly tapers off within a few days. Convinced Tess is either mistaken or outright lying, the local police remain unreceptive to her pleas to continue looking for the missing girl. When the cops threaten to charge her for filing a false report, she hires attorney Ryan Hughes, who pleads with her to stay out of the case. Unable to stop worrying about the little girl, she continues her search and although she does not locate her, Tess stumbles onto evidence that supports her claim but will the police reopen their investigation?
Tess's marriage never quite recovered from the couple's infertility treatments and a botched adoption attempt eight years earlier. Their relationship is quite strained during their visit with their friends and Tess's excessive drinking exacerbates the tension between them. At first supportive of Tess, Jake's doubts continue to grow especially considering what happened after their adoption attempt went horribly wrong. The fact that she had been drinking the evening she spotted the young girl is another strike against her and Jake eventually returns to New York without her.
Tess's main priority is continuing her efforts to find the missing girl but she is also quite reflective as she tries to decide what to do about her troubled marriage. Her longtime friend Effie not only believes Tess saw the little girl, but after Tess confides recently discovered information about Jake, she is outraged on Tess's behalf. Despite Effie's fears for her safety, Tess continues taking unnecessary risks as she makes impulsive decisions that are dangerous and oftentimes, foolhardy.
The events from eight years earlier are slowly revealed through a series of flashbacks. What begins as a happy occasion becomes emotionally charged after Jake joins Tess in Guatemala where she has been spending time with the little girl they are planning to adopt. These flashbacks slowly reveal the cracks in their marriage as Tess begins to realize that she was much more invested in having children than Jake and she starts wondering what other important information she might have overlooked about her husband. She remains ambivalent about their marriage for a good portion of the novel, but a family emergency puts things in perspective for her and Tess finally arrives at a decision about her future.
With a unique twist on the unreliable narrator plot device, Where I Lost Her is a well-written and engaging novel that is initially a little slow paced. The characters are three-dimensional with true to life flaws and imperfections. The storyline is wonderfully developed and the suspense builds as Tess continues trying to piece together the puzzling clues she uncovers. Overall, it is a very clever mystery/psychological thriller that old and new fans of T. Greenwood are sure to enjoy.
kateheas's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
conroykl's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
myrdyr's review
3.0
Scant 3.5/5 stars. This book was ok. While I wanted to find out where the girl was and what had happened in Guatemala, I didn't like Tess at all; she seems like a lot of hard work and an emotional black hole. I found the revelation of the Guatemala incident to be anti-climactic. Also, I found the two competing aspects of the book weakened it. The storyline of the missing girl was too weak to be a thriller, but it also didn't focus enough on character development and the relationship between Tess and Jake to be rewarding. I think I would have preferred for the author to have picked one or the other and fully embraced it.
mrs_george's review
3.0
I'd rate this more like 3.5 stars. An interesting and original storyline that kept engaged ...even while the novel dragged in some parts.
elemar's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5