Where They Found Her
By: Kimberly McCreight
Released: April 14, 2015
“When I pull my hands out, they’re covered in blood. For a second I think it’s mine. But it’s not mine. It’s the baby’s blood. All over me again, just like it was an hour ago.”
Three women. Three different stories. Three lives brought together by a single tragedy.
Early one morning, reporter Molly Sanderson gets a phone call from her boss with a story and a break she’s been waiting on. The body of a baby has been found in the woods by a creek near a college campus, and Molly is to report on it. Normally, Molly works on “fluff” pieces, but she gets a chance to step up to the plate since the normal crime reporter is out of town. You see, Molly and her husband Justin along with their daughter Ella are new to town, and Ella isn’t a seasoned journalist, but a tragedy in their own personal lives brought them to the affluent town of Ridgedale, New Jersey.
Barbara is the picture perfect mother. She’s PTA president, wife of police chief Steve, and all around the seemingly perfect mother. But behind closed doors, everything is not perfect in Barbara’s world. She has a daughter who is closed off and who she doesn’t relate to at all, a son who is recently starting to act out, and a husband who she feels is being distant. When her life isn’t perfect the way she wants it, she lashes out.
Finally, we have Sandy. Sandy is the sixteen year old daughter of Jenna, Jenna isn’t the best mother. She’s in and out, a drunk, does drugs, and overall acts more like the teenager than Sandy does. Sandy gets a bad reputation because of her name and because of her mother’s actions. Sandy is used to taking care of her mother, but when her mother doesn’t come home and the rent is due, Sandy begins to worry. After numerous calls, she realizes something is wrong. Her mother always comes home, or always calls. So where is she?
You might be asking, how on earth could a new kid on the block, a suburban dream mother, and a kid from the wrong side of town all be connected? Well, the answer will absolutely thrill you. The entire book is full of twists and turns, but it all leads back to the same place at the end. How these women are all connected is phenomenal. I saw a few of the twists coming, but that didn’t mean that they weren’t precisely thought out and intricately placed in the book along the way for us. Kimberly McCreight does a great job in filling every plot that she places for us. Nothing is left unanswered. There are stories within stories, and if you know me, you know I love that. The story is compelling and it will keep you interested. Once you get going, it’s hard to stop! Not only is it an easy read, McCreight throws in snippets of Molly’s news articles, therapy sessions, and Jenna’s diary entries. You can break up the monotony of some of the longer chapters with background information on the characters.
Speaking of characters, each character was written so well you felt emotionally attached to each of them. Aside from the three women that we actually read the perspectives of, you also learn a lot about Steve, Justin, Jenna, and several other characters. You can tell what they’re feeling, and you don’t feel like any character is there by accident. And trust me, not one character is irrelevant, so buckle up and pay attention.
Is this a book for everyone? No. Not at all. It’s unique, different, and the subject material may be a little sensitive for some, I mean we’re talking about a dead baby for crying out loud. But don’t let that stop you from choosing this as your next read. It will be worth your time!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Advertisements Share this:
