Read the Beforeitsnews.com story here. Advertise at Before It's News here.

By Books 4 Tomorrow
Contributor profile | More stories

Story Views
Now:
Last hour:
Last 24 hours:
Total:

REVIEW: WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND by Tracy Bilen

Tuesday, December 10, 2013 21:31

% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.

Title: What She Left Behind

Author: Tracy Bilen

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publication Date: May 1, 2012

Genre: Young Adult

Reviewed by: Books4Tomorrow

Source: Purchased

My rating: 4/5

SUMMARY

“Don’t even think of leaving… I will find you,” he whispered. “Guaranteed.”

Sara and her mom have a plan to finally escape Sara’s abusive father. But when her mom doesn’t show up as expected, Sara’s terrified. Her father says that she’s on a business trip, but Sara knows he’s lying. Her mom is missing—and her dad had something to do with it.

With each day that passes, Sara’s more on edge. Her friends know that something’s wrong, but she won’t endanger anyone else with her secret. And with her dad growing increasingly violent, Sara must figure out what happened to her mom before it’s too late…for them both.

REVIEW

I really don’t have that much to say about this book, so I’ll keep my review short and give a quick overview of the things I liked and what I didn’t like.

What She Left Behind is one of those so-so reads. Overall, I enjoyed it and it has a really good story. It’s different in that it is sort of a thriller that keeps you guessing until almost at the end. There are clues that the possibility exists that Sara’s mom left without Sara, but there are also clues supporting the possibility that Sara’s dad murdered her mom. I mostly leaned towards the latter because those clues were the most. But whatever happened to Sara’s mom, I’m not gonna spoil it for you. You’ll have to find out what happened to her all on your own. Some would find the plot rather predictable, but I kinda enjoyed the cat-and-mouse twists the author had going. One thing is for sure: this is most definitely a suspenseful read. I mean, Sara’s dad is completely cuckoos and nerve-rackingly unpredictable. Can you say nut job? The suspense sure as heck kept me on the edge of my seat.

And that’s about it. That’s what kept me hooked. The characters are somewhat unremarkable, and the romance sort of spoiled it for me. At first I thought the romance was only there to fluff up the plot, but at the end I saw the purpose of it. Sara’s reactions sometimes gave me whiplash. One moment she’s head-over-heels in love, and the next she’s sick with worry about her mom. It’s like she had an on/off switch. You’ll find her thinking and worrying about her mom’s disappearance, and just like that she’s instantly all swoony about Alex. Even at the end of the book I felt all “bleh” about her. But at least Zack and Alex were quite interesting, and Sara’s volatile father had more personality than she did, so between those three they kept my mind from drifting while reading.

Anyhoo, I said I’ll keep my review to the point. This is really not a bad read, especially towards the end. The last half was definitely better than the first half. What She Left Behind is perfect for fans of Ten by Gretchen McNeil.

READ more REVIEWS

What She Left Behind has 175 reviews on Goodreads. Read it here.

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

ABOUT the AUTHOR

Tracy Bilen is a high school French and Spanish teacher in Michigan where she lives with her husband and two children. Before moving to Michigan, Tracy taught at a ski school for high school students in Vermont (Spanish, not skiing!). She studied at the Sorbonne in Paris and taught English in Strasbourg, France. She enjoys cross-country skiing and walks in the woods. Her debut young adult novel, What She Left Behind, was released by Simon Pulse in 2012.

Blog * Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

Source: http://bookstomorrow.blogspot.com/2013/12/review-what-she-left-behind-by-tracy.html

Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world.

Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.

"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.

Please Help Support BeforeitsNews by trying our Natural Health Products below!

Order by Phone at 888-809-8385 or online at https://mitocopper.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST

Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomic.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST

Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomics.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST

Humic & Fulvic Trace Minerals Complex - Nature's most important supplement! Vivid Dreams again!

HNEX HydroNano EXtracellular Water - Improve immune system health and reduce inflammation.

Ultimate Clinical Potency Curcumin - Natural pain relief, reduce inflammation and so much more.

MitoCopper - Bioavailable Copper destroys pathogens and gives you more energy. (See Blood Video)

Oxy Powder - Natural Colon Cleanser! Cleans out toxic buildup with oxygen!

Nascent Iodine - Promotes detoxification, mental focus and thyroid health.

Smart Meter Cover - Reduces Smart Meter radiation by 96%! (See Video).

Comments

Online:
Visits:	1,602,727,381
Stories:	8,147,732