By: Teresa Driscoll
Some people, you see, are much the same whether they are being watched or not. But most people aren’t. You don’t get to find out for sure until you watch a lot.”
Ella overhears two young girls talking with two men on the train but she isn’t concerned. That is, not until she overhears that the two men just got out of prison. She has learned one of the girls names and had an idea of how to find that girl’s parents, and thought to call them to alert them. However, she decided to mind her own business and didn’t all. The next morning, she learned on the news that one of the girls, Anna Ballard, had disappeared.
A year later, the girl is still missing. As the anniversary of the disappearance approaches, Ella begins to get threatening postcards in the mail. When the news airs an anniversary special, which they call the Anniversary Appeal, it appears that Anna’s friend Sarah, and her own parents have something to hide. Where is Anna and who is watching Ella?
This book, 297 pages, was SO difficult to get through. I really liked the idea of the book and ws excited to read it. However, it quickly took a downhill turn for me. The flashbacks not broken up with the present was confusing, and honestly kind of boring. The book is supposed to be about watching Ella, but that felt like the back burner storyline in the book.
Also, I don’t know anyone that is going to try to find someone’s parents becuase of something they overheard in publc. Ella did come forward when Anna first when missing and she told the police what she heared and saw on the train. What more would anyone want from her? It felt very unrealisitc that she felt SOOOO much guilt.
The authory tried to put so many twists in there that it felt very disingenuous. These “red herrings” were merely that and not believable as something that had to do with Anna’s disappearance. When it cam to finding out what did happen to Anna, it was so rushed. There was no explanation as to the why and really the who. It could have been revealed earlier and then more explanation could have been given. That may have made the ending more satisfying.
When the who was revealed, I didn’t guess that person. However, that’s because the author failed to leave any breadcrumbs in the book for the reader, like most authors do. It defeinitely felt like it came out of left field.
Overall, just not a very good read in my opinion.
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