The Stranger Game by Cylin Busby
(These quotes are taken from early in the book to prevent spoilers)
I felt as if the ground below me would swallow me up, like a big black hole was opening again, the hole Sarah left when she disappeared.
The Stranger Game is full of suspense. Dark and gritty the thrilling storyline was captivating, albeit a little slow. While some parts were easy to see coming, the ultimate twist was totally unexpected, but surprisingly not very satisfying. I was left with “is that it?” on my mind when I put the book down. The build-up was so engrossing that the end was a letdown.
Loved the first line:
I knew my sister was dead. I felt it in my body, as if my bones could tell me the truth.
Then throughout the book the alternating voices kept up the suspense…
The door closed and I heard the lock slide into place. I was alone again, in the dark.
Recommended age: 13+
Title: The Stranger Game
Author: Cylin Busby
Publication Date: 25 October 2016
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Review copy
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Goodreads
When Nico Walker’s older sister mysteriously disappears, her parents, family, and friends are devastated. But Nico can never admit what she herself feels: relief at finally being free of Sarah’s daily cruelties.
Then the best and worst thing happens: four years later, after dozens of false leads, Sarah is found.
But this girl is much changed from the one Nico knew. She’s thin and drawn, where Sarah had been golden and athletic; timid and unsure, instead of brash and competitive; and strangest of all, sweet and kind, when she had once been mean and abusive. Sarah’s retrograde amnesia has caused her to forget almost everything about her life, from small things like the plots of her favorite books and her tennis game to the more critical—where she’s been the last four years and what happened at the park on the fateful day she vanished. Despite the happy ending, the dark details of that day continue to haunt Nico, and it becomes clear that more than one person knows the true story of what happened to Sarah. . . . — Abstract from Goodreads.com
The fact that I received a free advanced copy of this book does not influence my policy to write an honest review.
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