Magnificent - this novel is a tour de force ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The blurb:
Jen’s fifteen-year-old daughter goes missing for four agonizing days.
When Lana is found, unharmed, in the middle of the desolate countryside, everyone thinks the worst is over. But Lana refuses to tell anyone what happened, and the police think the case is closed. The once-happy, loving family returns to London, where things start to fall apart. Lana begins acting strangely: refusing to go to school, and sleeping with the light on.
With her daughter increasingly becoming a stranger, Jen is sure the answer lies in those four missing days. But will Lana ever reveal what happened?
The Review:
I live for those moments when I can justifiably give a book a 5 star review and it doesn't happen very often. (Some say I'm a harsh critic - they would be right...)
About 20% of the way into this I knew it was going to be excellent. I loved Healey's debut book, Elizabeth is Missing and I would argue that this is even better.
After Lana's disappearance, her mother, Jen, is understandably anxious. Why won't her daughter tell her what happened in those 4 lost days? What is she hiding? I was absolutely drawn into Jen's rising feelings of anxiety and paranoia, and the level of tension crept up so slowly, you didn't realised you were submerged in it until too late.
The relationship between mother and daughter is delicately explored in this book, with a teenage daughter that is unable to express her feelings, and who ricochets between outright contempt for her mother and affection that she struggles to communicate. It felt so utterly real to me. There are fleeting moments of dark humour and sarcasm between family members that keep the tone from ever being too dark.
Healey treats the subject of teenage depression with the utmost respect. Lana is no cliché - she is a 15 year old with all the light and shade one would expect. She is complex and interesting and a complete puzzlement to her mother. I bet there are many parents out there that can identify with the struggle Jen faces, in allowing Lana to have her freedom, whilst still wanting to shelter her from all the evil in the world. We witness how this desire begins to overwhelm Jen and she cant function until she knows exactly what happened in those 4 days.
This is not your 'typical thriller'. Had there been a big 'Oh my God' twist at the end I would have been disappointed. It's a beautiful thriller/ family drama/ mystery that draws you in and wont let you go. I know when a book is outstanding as I physically try to slow myself down while reading on it, so I can revel in it for a bit longer and I didn't want this to finish. I can't say enough good things about it. This is me, being as effusive as possible!
I can't wait for this to be released and for everyone to go bananas for it. Huge thanks to the Publisher and to Netgalley for the preview copy in exchange for this honest review.
Whistle in the Dark is released on 3rd May 2018 by Penguin Books UK, Viking