Review: Great supernatural thriller with a flawed but inherently likeable heroine
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 14, 2014
I very much enjoyed this novel, and would both recommend it AND am excited that it's a series (and that book two is already out - no waiting around, hooray!) Joe Knowe is a likeable character - quiet, reserved, and precognitive. She wants to do the right thing, but her fear of failure (and guilt from past failures) is almost crippling at times.The book is titled "Joe," but this isn't just Joe's story. The author weaves eight different perspectives throughout her narrative and alternates the POV between these characters who are all connected. Some of the connections were fleeting (two of the characters are lab partners; one of the characters is a student of the professor's) while others were more in-depth (like Michael and his interest in Joe). Joe herself is very likeable and appeals to readers who don't quite "fit the mold."I did have a little difficulty keeping the various characters straight at first, mostly because I wasn't expecting the multiple perspectives. I hadn't read any reviews of this book beforehand,  just the blurb and excerpt, but I think if I'd known ahead of time that the story is told from multiple POVs they would have been easier to keep track of. I also would have liked to have seen an unlikeable (although not evil) character amongst those featured in the novel. All of the characters whose lives come together in the final conflict are good, decent people; a less-than-admirable character whose life would also be affected by the upcoming potential bloodbath would have provided a nice contrast.The author does get a lot right, however. This novel provides interesting insight into the mind of a psychopathic would-be mass murderer as he outlines the steps for his plans to propel himself into infamy. The pacing as the story moves towards the climax is almost spot-on; as the conflict draws near, the chapters get shorter which really helps to speed up the action and heighten the tension. Ultimately, as the conflict itself is happening, the chapters not only shorten but actually merge into one another, with the thoughts of one character blending into the thoughts of the next as the author shares each person's view of the events. I really liked this technique and thought that it worked very well. Also, the author has no qualms about "killing her darlings" – literally.This fast-paced supernatural is definitely worth reading.