[BOOK REVIEW]
Allie Reynolds (Hachette Australia) 2022, 408pp, RRP $32.99 (paperback); $34.99 (audiobook); $12.99 (e-book)
The Queensland-residing Reynolds’ follow-up to her flawed début Shiver is more assured, stronger and tenser, with a cool sense of threat throughout.
Another tale where the narrator and perspective keep trickily changing, this has Kenna journeying to Sydney to work out why her old (and rich) friend Mikki is marrying the edgy Jack, a guy she’s only just met. Despite the uneasy mood, Kenna then invites herself along on a trip to remote Sorrow Bay, a secluded spot where she finds herself in what can only be described as a kind of surf cult, with Mikki and Jack mixing with international types Ryan, Clemente, Victor, and leader and scary taskmaster Sky, who has a particular dislike of our damaged heroine.
Obviously, this group will do anything to keep Sorrow Bay secret, and yet Reynolds cleverly leaves you unsure who exactly Kenna should fear here, as her background and some terrible, repressed trauma are dug up for all to see.
Yes, there are certain similarities here to Shiver, and yet the characters are more rounded, the mysteries are darker and creepier, and any credibility gaps are mostly kept at, ahem, bay.
Dave Bradley
This title is available through the Hachette Australia website. Click HERE to purchase your copy.
