I am back with another Monday Reviews on a Friday! This week, I am reviewing Charlie, Presumed Dead by Anne Heltzel. I was sent an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley for review, however all opinions are my own.
Ok, so as always, let's start with the synopsis!
In Paris, family and friends gather to mourn the tragic passing of Charlie Price—young, handsome, charming, a world-traveler—who is presumed dead after an explosion. Authorities find only a bloodied jacket, ID’d as Charlie’s.
At the funeral, two teens who are perfect strangers, Lena Whitney and Aubrey Boroughs, make another shocking discovery: they have both been dating Charlie, both think Charlie loved them and them alone, and there is a lot they didn’t know about their boyfriend.
Over the next week, a mind-bending trip unfolds: first in London—then in Mumbai, Kerala, and Bangkok, the girls go in search of Charlie. Is he still alive? What did their love for him even mean? The truth is out there, but soon it becomes clear that the girls are harboring secrets of their own.
No one knows whom to trust in this thrilling tale of suspense and deception.
I loved this book! I know that there have been a lot of mixed reviews on Goodreads, so I had fairly low expectations for this book. The average rating is 3.23/5, I wasn't expecting to be blown away. But I was! Maybe that's what made it so good! I wasn't expecting anything amazing, but I loved it!
I can't think of enough adjectives to describe this book, it was beautiful, spectacular and a little bit creepy. It was just so intense - I couldn't put it down, I flew through it!
The story is told from three perspectives, Aubrey, Lena and Charlie. Each of these perspectives gives a different look at the story. Charlie's were by far the creepiest, its written in second person, and throughout all the perspectives, you go back and forth with thinking Charlie is actually dead or still alive.
It was fast paced and exhilarating! And that ending! I cannot believe that was the ending! It got super intense, and I turned the page on my iPad (of course you can't easily see how much of the book is left with ebooks) and I couldn't believe that was the end! I need more... But as far as I know, this is a standalone.
If you are looking for a crazy, psychological thriller, that isn't too scary (I'm a total scaredy cat and I was fine, just a little creeped out) I highly highly recommend this book!
I gave this book a full 5/5 stars on Goodreads, and I am planning on buying myself a copy!