Review: Only Daughter by Anna Snoekstra

Title:Only Daughter

Author:Anna Snoekstra

Published:September 2016, MIRA 

Format:Paperback, 288 pages

Source:Publisher

In 2003, sixteen-year-old Rebecca Winter disappeared.

She’d
been enjoying her teenage summer break: working at a fast-food
restaurant, crushing on an older boy and shoplifting with her best
friend. Mysteriously ominous things began to happen—blood in the bed,
periods of blackouts, a feeling of being watched—though Bec remained
oblivious of what was to come.

Eleven years later she is replaced.

A young woman, desperate after being arrested, claims to be the decade-missing Bec.

Soon
the imposter is living Bec’s life. Sleeping in her bed. Hugging her
mother and father. Learning her best friends’ names. Playing with her
twin brothers.

But Bec’s welcoming family and enthusiastic
friends are not quite as they seem. As the imposter dodges the detective
investigating her case, she begins to delve into the life of the real
Bec Winter—and soon realizes that whoever took Bec is still at large,
and that she is in imminent danger.

My thoughts: This is another crazy, twisted psychological thriller that had me glued to the pages, hooked from the beginning as I was desperate to find out what was going on. For a debut novel, this is a clever, intriguing read and I definitely think this author has staying power!

I loved how despite it’s short length, this book gets under your skin…but, I have to say, it wasn’t until the last third of the book that the suspense really picks up. Before that, the story sort of meanders along, keeping my interest, but not as suspenseful or tension-filled as I was expecting. I kept waiting for it – the suspense that I knew was coming, as it’s alluded to, but it’s put off, and them BAM, finally it comes and WOW, when we get to that point…watch out, because it comes full-on and non-stop!

I also liked how it flips back and forth between the two Bec’s – this keeps you on your toes as you aren’t sure what to expect and what clues, if any, you might miss.  Every time I thought I had things figured out, a twist was thrown in that had me scratching my head…and scrambling to reconfigure what I thought I knew.

Overall, this story starts off a little benign and then gets dark and creepy. It’s twisted and definitely not predictable…at least I didn’t think it was! This author is definitely one to keep an eye on...another one that I am definitely adding to my ever-growing list!