Book Review | Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens

I'm torn when it comes to Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens. On one hand, I finished it in two sittings because I just had to know what would happen next. On the other, it wasn't particularly ground-breaking or memorable. Either way, it was an enjoyable read - one I imagine would be great for a long airplane ride.

The characters, however, were imperfect. Sara, the protagonist, has some communication issues,constantly has meltdowns (which is understandable given her circumstances, mind you), and is more fickle than a teenager. However, her imperfections made her a solid, realistic character - one that I wanted to slap every once in a while, but solid and realistic nonetheless. Ally, Sara's daughter, is another prominent character. She's only six but has a lot of personality. There were some very touching mother-daughter bits in this novel and Chevy Stevens did a great job of conveying Sara's sentiments towards her daughter without sounding too cheesy or forced. The other characters in the novel include Sara's adoptive parents and two sisters, her boyfriend, two cops assigned to the Campsite Killer's case, and the Campsite Killer himself. All of these characters were fleshed out and felt three-dimensional - by the end of the novel, they felt like real people to me. This is a bonus that can be hard to find in some crime-based thrillers, so I applaud Stevens for taking the time to make her readers care about her characters. In the end, that's what made Never Knowing stand apart from some other thrillers I've read: the character-building.

Unfortunately, all this character-building left something to be desired plot-wise. That's not to say that Never Knowing is boring: it isn't. It had some big twists, intense scenes, and was suspenseful. However, there were some slow parts, particularly ones involving Sara's indecisiveness. Also, this novel begins quickly and picks up its pace earlier than most - likewise, it ends with a bang and a plot twist that I feel was intended to be a complete and shocking surprise. Unfortunately, I found it easy to guess and I saw it coming a mile away - and I don't easily guess book endings.

In the end, what made Never Knowing stand apart from some other thrillers I've read are the characters and it's ability to keep me on the edge of my seat as I awaited the next bomb to be dropped. If you're looking for an action-packed thriller, this may not be the book for you based it's lack of constant intensity. If you want a quick and easy read with a few twists and turns, some tension, and a big finale, pick this up sometime.

I received this book as a part of the Goodreads First Reads program.