Features:
- Slow burn supernatural thriller
- Strong (if somewhat flawed) female friendship
- Small town setting and urban legends
- Chilling vibes
“Goddess, Goddess, count to one, who will you pick when the day is done?” With a story centered around local urban legends and a double dutch rhyme, this book really delivers on the creepy vibes. Despite being a bit of a slow burn, I found I just couldn’t put it down. An uncanny feeling pervades every page from beginning to end as the mystery surrounding 4 disappearances unravels. Though I wasn’t a big fan of Nora or her missing BFF Becca as people, I think they were pretty well developed and provided an interesting lens through which the story is told. There are definitely some odd wording choices and some of the story elements don’t quite hit home. However, these didn’t prevent me from eating through the pages!
Summary
Nora and Becca have always been inseparable. At least…they used to be. Nora is trying to pick up the pieces after their big fight and figure out who she is without Becca while still hanging on to the hope that they will eventually be able to patch together what has been broken. Then, after 6 months of almost no communication between them, Nora gets a text from Becca in the middle of the night. The next morning, Nora wakes to discover that four people, including Becca, have gone missing under mysterious circumstances. Though the other victims left no trace, Becca has left a series of clues for Nora tied to an urban legend and a childhood game that they used to play. But where will these clues lead?
Creepy and tense, but not nightmare inducing
This book is very atmospheric and definitely delivers on the uncanny vibes of a supernatural thriller. It is both a story about a complicated friendship shaped by loss and a mystery with an urban legend turned playground rhyme at its center. Though not the most unique, the use of the rhyme and how all of the pieces start to connect is brilliantly executed. That being said, it is definitely more of a slow burn.
I found that there was just enough tension to keep me reading, but there weren’t many moments that made me want to eat through the pages to find out what happens or make me pause to lower my heart rate a little. There are plenty of impactful moments that have stayed with me even after putting the book down. However, none were due to being scary or disturbing. Though I personally appreciate the lack of real nightmare fuel, it might be disappointing to more avid horror/thriller readers.
Solid characters, odd choices
Though we spend a lot of time getting to know Nora and her BFF Becca, there is a fairly large cast of characters that we are introduced to over the course of the book. Even though we don’t get to spend a lot of time getting to know all of them well, Albert does a pretty good job making them feel unique and authentic on the page. Even though I didn’t like Nora or Becca as people, their personalities were well illustrated and I was able to get invested in their story. This development made it all the more obvious when it gets undermined by some odd writing choices. Whether it’s an odd dialogue exchange or awkward descriptions, there are many small moments that either made me pause or just didn’t fit quite right.
In addition to a few odd details, the ‘romance’ element didn’t really work for me. I didn’t mind it being there, but it also didn’t really add anything to the story. I think if there was a slightly different approach to the relationship and how it develops, it might have fit a little better.
Overall
This was a solid read that kept me turning the pages. It is just creepy enough to give you the chills, but there is nothing extremely horrible or terrifying in this book. I love that it commits to being a supernatural thriller, but this also means there are some things left unexplained/unresolved. I personally loved being left with a little brain food when a book is done, but I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. If you are looking for thriller vibes without going too deep, this is a perfect book to pick up and enjoy. However, if you like things a little spookier, spicier, and/or neatly tied up in the end, this book may not tick all of your boxes.
Rowan Hill 