Search This Blog

2024 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (Hosted by Yours Truly)

2024 Challenge Sign-Up Post

January Reviews Link-Up

February Reviews Link-Up

March Reviews Link-Up

April Reviews Link-Up

May Reviews Link-Up

June Reviews Link-Up

July Reviews Link-Up

August Reviews Link-Up

September Reviews Link-Up

October Reviews Link-Up

November Reviews Link-Up

December Reviews Link-Up

My Progress:


9 / 30 books. 30% done!

2024 Literary Escapes Challenge

- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California (3)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (1)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (1)
- North Carolina (1)
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (1)
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia (1)
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*

International:
- Australia (1)
- Canada (1)
- England (5)
- France (1)
- Ireland (1)
- Scotland (1)
- The Netherlands (1)

My Progress:


12 / 51 states. 24% done!

2024 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

My Progress:


10 / 50 words. 20% done!

2024 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge


15 / 50 books. 30% done!

Booklist Queen's 2024 Reading Challenge

My Progress:


32 / 50 books. 64% done!

2024 52 Club Reading Challenge

My Progress:


27 / 52 books. 52% done!

2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

My Progress:


21 / 40 books. 53% done!

2024 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge


13 / 40 books. 33% done!

2024 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge

My Progress:


5 / 25 books. 20% done!

2024 Medical Examiner's Mystery Reading Challenge

2024 Mystery Marathon Reading Challenge

My Progress


17 / 26.2 miles. 65% done!

Mount TBR Reading Challenge

My Progress


15 / 100 books. 15% done!

2024 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge

My Progress:


34 / 104 books. 33% done!

Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge

My Progress


31 / 52 books. 60% done!

Disney Animated Movies Reading Challenge

My Progress


32 / 165 books. 19% done!
Monday, September 21, 2015

Remember Mia: The Thriller That Just ... Wasn't

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

When Estelle Paradise awakens in a hospital room, the 27-year-old is totally confused.  The doctor says she's been in a car accident, but Estelle has no memory of a crash.  In fact, she can't remember anything.  Nothing except her 7-month-old daughter, Mia.  As she pushes past the amnesia that clouds her head, Estelle learns that Mia has been missing for several days.  According to Estelle's own account, the infant disappeared from her crib—along with her diapers, clothing, toys, and every other trace of her—while Estelle was napping.  The story sounds ridiculous even to Estelle.  But it's the truth.  She just has to convince the police, her angry husband, and, most of all, herself.  Estelle knows she's been a little off since giving birth to Mia, but she's not crazy.  She's not.

The question remains:  Where is Mia?  Was she taken by some desperate, baby-crazy stranger?  Did her father do something to her?  Estelle couldn't have harmed the baby, could she?  Even though Mia drove her half-crazy with her colicky screaming?  Do clues to the child's whereabouts lie buried somewhere in Estelle's fractured memory?  Estelle must find the answers before she's convicted of a crime she didn't commit.  Or did she?

I love mind-twisting psychological thrillers that keep me wondering what's real and what's not.  The not knowing guarantees I'll turn the pages until I find out.  With its very intriguing premise, as well as comparisons to Gone Girl, Remember Mia—a debut novel by Alexandra Burt—seemed to be just this kind of novel.  And it could have been.  It had the potential, for sure.  What kept it from hitting the spot for me?  First off, the writing and plotting seemed rocky and disjointed.  A more subtle, streamlined story would have been nice.  Then, there were the flat, cliché characters.  Despite the battle with post-partum depression/exhaustion which should have made her sympathetic, Estelle continually came off as cold and self-absorbed.  I don't need a warm, fuzzy narrator in order to really feel a story, but I do need to feel some connection with the main character.  Which didn't happen here.  Lastly, I felt like Remember Mia needed a subplot, or something to give it more depth and richness.  As is, the book missed the mark somewhat.  Although there were some pulse-pounding moments, overall, this thriller fails to thrill.  Or stand out.  Too bad, because I'm still haunted by its incredibly promising premise.     

(Readalikes:  Similar to other books where the heroine wakes up with amnesia and has to piece together what has happened to her.  The First Wife by Erica Spindler comes to mind, as does Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson.)

Grade:


If this were a movie, it would be rated:


for strong language and violence

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find 

Blog Widget by LinkWithin


Reading

<i>Reading</i>
End of Story by A.J. Finn

Listening

<i>Listening</i>
My Contrary Mary by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows



Followin' with Bloglovin'

Follow

Followin' with Feedly

follow us in feedly



Grab my Button!


Blog Design by:


Blog Archive



2024 Reading Challenge

2024 Reading Challenge
Susan has read 0 books toward her goal of 200 books.
hide

2023 - Middle Grade Fiction

2023 - Middle Grade Fiction

2022 - Middle Grade Fiction

2022 - Middle Grade Fiction

2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction