#bookreview: Good as Gone by Amy Gentry

Format: E-book (Kindle)
Publisher: HQ Stories
Published: 6th April 2017
Pages: 384 Pages

The Blurb
Eight years ago, thirteen-year-old Julie Whitaker was kidnapped from her bedroom in the middle of the night.

In the years since, her family have papered over the cracks of their grief – while hoping against hope that Julie is still arrive.

And then, one night, the doorbell rings.

Purchase the book: Amazon UK

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The Review

This is a story all about 13 year-old Julie and her kidnapping, which is told through the eyes of her mother, Anna. All members of the family are impacted by Julie’s disappearance, especially sister Jane who witnessed Julie’s abduction.

You’d be wrong in thinking that Good as Gone is your typical ‘thriller’ because in reality, it’s so much more. You’re kept in suspense throughout, with little droplets of shock thrown in for good measure. Rather than a gritty crime scene (no spoilers here), there’s a puzzle for you to finish. Julie’s kidnapping is far more complex than anyone can imagine, and when people start making an appearance, it leaves Anna and the family questioning everything they’ve experienced, or felt.

Part of me wanted to read about Julie’s experience first hand because I’m a little sadistic in the fact that I’d want to feel what she experienced. Sometimes you can relate more to a character if you’re aware of how they are feeling. However, I also think it was clever to read about how Anna was feeling, so you’re left in the dark with what has happened. It focuses on Anna’s mental health and the relationships she has with other people. I can’t imagine what it would feel like to experience such a loss, more so when you don’t have any answers. Her relationship with her husband Tom and daughter Jane were strained, which added extra sadness onto an already sad situation.

I will admit that I preferred the second half of the book because I felt that the story hit speed during this time, compared to quite a slow, yet informative beginning. Given that it’s penned as ‘a novel of suspense’ I’m not too sure if there was a lot of suspense, more of why things happened and who people were.

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