Review: A Smartly written mystery
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 5, 2013
Paul wakes up in a strange place with no memories of how he got there or who he is. All of his past life has been wiped from his memory and he is dependent upon Cassandra, his ex-girlfriend who he is very attracted to, to help guide him on his road to recovery. Just as he is settling into a routine, his world is shifted when his mother is found beaten and nearly dead in a trench alongside a road. That night he has a dream about his old life where men are beating him senseless for information he doesn't have. Someone is after Paul, and they are now stalking his family. The plot thickens as Paul is committed to a psychiatric hospital, and the people in his life are not what they appear. Paul is going to need a savior, and she may not be who or what he expected.Spoiler Alert- I will try not to reveal too much but some hints may slip.There are a number of things I love about this smartly written book. For starters, the story is written in first person present tense, which was a very wise choice, especially for a main character who has no memories. The reader actually gets to experience Paul's confusion and loss as he tries to figure out his new life. Another aspect I liked is that in part 2, when the POV changed to Cassandra, there is a huge discrepancy between who Paul thinks she is and who the reader learns Cassandra really is. Paul's version of Cassandra is very likable, and your heart goes out to her, but the real Cassandra feels flakey and too quick to jump in the sack with a man she just met. This discrepancy was perfect, because no two people have the exact same perception, especially when we're talking about the perception of an individual person- bravo to Ms. Paulliere on creating this distinction.My major issue with the story is the ending. Although I was satisfied, I felt it came out of the blue. I did not expect there to be a superhero/paranormal presence, which may have been my fault. There were plenty of comic book hints throughout the book; I guess I just thought the author was a big nerd like me. Turns out she is! She was just able to use that awesomeness in her book.