William Morrow | March 2018 | 384 pgs
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
If I Die Tonight is a character driven story set in a small town of Havenkill revolving a carjacking/hit-and-run incident turns deceptions and conspiracies in this psychological suspense.
Thirteen-year-old Connor Reed finds his elder brother, Wade, in his room late one night with his clothes soaked by rain. It is a rainy night and Connor has no idea why Wade was out so late (or early since it's around 3 a.m.) in the first place. Thinking he must be dreaming, he cast the thought aside until the news of Liam Miller was involved in a hit-and-run accident rouse his suspicion. The timeline of the accident was around the time when he thought he saw a drenched Wade in his room. Could it be a coincidence or what?
On the other end, Aimee En reports about a carjacking incident and how a teenage boy was run over when he tried to help. Liam Miller is believed to have responded to her cries when a guy dressed in black hoodie tried to steal her car. Once a celebrity in the music industry during the 80s, Aimee's fame has gone downhill as the years go and she is trying her best to earn back her name and fame through performances thrown in her way. The carjacking incident has made her a victim and a hero of Liam, and both of them got sympathies from the community. Wade, on the other hand, is not so lucky. Classified as a loner and an outcast in school, Wade quickly becomes the suspect after Aimee claimed Wade fits the build of the perpetrator, even though that night was rainy and everything happened in a blur. Social media has also snowballed into a finger-pointing frenzy yet all this while Wade keep quiet instead of defending himself. Is he really the perpetrator?
Told from a few viewpoints, this novel is more than a psychological suspense in my opinion. As I mentioned before this is very much a character driven story, it also cover issues such as single parenting, past trauma, teenage angst as well as secrets and perceptions. There is also a little backstory about a female police officer which I found interesting. I think she would make an intriguing character should the author decides to feature her in her upcoming books (I could only hope). Suspense aside, I also found this story to be a little heartbreaking, what with the challenges a single mother has to face as well as the malicious comments on social media platforms could do to a person. All in all this was one thought-provoking read and I'll be sure to check out Ms. Gaylin's future releases.
Thirteen-year-old Connor Reed finds his elder brother, Wade, in his room late one night with his clothes soaked by rain. It is a rainy night and Connor has no idea why Wade was out so late (or early since it's around 3 a.m.) in the first place. Thinking he must be dreaming, he cast the thought aside until the news of Liam Miller was involved in a hit-and-run accident rouse his suspicion. The timeline of the accident was around the time when he thought he saw a drenched Wade in his room. Could it be a coincidence or what?
On the other end, Aimee En reports about a carjacking incident and how a teenage boy was run over when he tried to help. Liam Miller is believed to have responded to her cries when a guy dressed in black hoodie tried to steal her car. Once a celebrity in the music industry during the 80s, Aimee's fame has gone downhill as the years go and she is trying her best to earn back her name and fame through performances thrown in her way. The carjacking incident has made her a victim and a hero of Liam, and both of them got sympathies from the community. Wade, on the other hand, is not so lucky. Classified as a loner and an outcast in school, Wade quickly becomes the suspect after Aimee claimed Wade fits the build of the perpetrator, even though that night was rainy and everything happened in a blur. Social media has also snowballed into a finger-pointing frenzy yet all this while Wade keep quiet instead of defending himself. Is he really the perpetrator?
Told from a few viewpoints, this novel is more than a psychological suspense in my opinion. As I mentioned before this is very much a character driven story, it also cover issues such as single parenting, past trauma, teenage angst as well as secrets and perceptions. There is also a little backstory about a female police officer which I found interesting. I think she would make an intriguing character should the author decides to feature her in her upcoming books (I could only hope). Suspense aside, I also found this story to be a little heartbreaking, what with the challenges a single mother has to face as well as the malicious comments on social media platforms could do to a person. All in all this was one thought-provoking read and I'll be sure to check out Ms. Gaylin's future releases.
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