Official Review: And Then he was Gone by Joan Hall Hovey
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- ALynnPowers
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Official Review: And Then he was Gone by Joan Hall Hovey
Julie and her husband were supposed to have dinner for their anniversary, but her husband just disappeared. His work truck was gone, and there was no trace of where he could be. Julie then finds herself a suspect in his disappearance, though she is determined more than anyone to find out what happened to her husband. Meanwhile, David has just awoken from a nineteen-year coma caused by a near-death accident when he was just a child. And Then He Was Gone by Joan Hall Hovey tells the story of how Julie and David’s seemingly unrelated lives are connected by a series of tragic events.
I absolutely love stories that cross the lines between genres, and this story does just that. It starts off as what appears to be a typical mystery novel, but it gradually transforms throughout the story with a lot of suspenseful drama and just a hint of the supernatural. In all honesty, when supernatural elements started to appear with the book, I thought that it would make the story a little less believable, but that wasn’t the case at all. There was, instead, just enough to make me think, “Whoa, did that just happen?” without complete suspension of disbelief.
There were two storylines going on this book, with Julie’s being the main plotline and David’s being much more minor. One of my favorite things about this story was the mystery between the two, and trying to figure out how their stories were connected. Unfortunately, I have to admit that I was kind of disappointed when the connection was revealed. I don’t know if was intended to be a big surprise reveal or not, but it wasn’t revealed in a surprising way at all. I found it to be bit anticlimactic, and, as a result, disappointing.
Other than that, I absolutely loved this book. The overlapping of genres in combination with the well-written characters kept me interested in what was going on with all of the storylines. It was easy to love the “good guys” and despise the “bad guys,” though there were a few interesting characters who didn’t fit neatly into either category. The emotions, especially those experienced by Julie, were well-portrayed, and readers can easily relate to her and empathize with the situation she has found herself in, which seems to be getting worse and worse as time goes by.
There are quite a few typographical errors scattered throughout the text, though they were honestly quite minor and didn’t really inhibit my enjoyment of the book. Adult language is present throughout the book as well, so it might not be appropriate for younger readers. Overall, I give this book a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. It’s a great read with excellent character development and overlapping storylines, though I would like to have seen a little more suspense with the connection between Julie and David. With another round of editing, this book could be perfect.
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And Then he was Gone
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I'll add it to my list thanks
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