I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Accident by C.L. Taylor Published by Avon HarperCollins on April 10, 2014
Genres: Fiction, Thriller
Pages: 404
Format: E-Arc
Source: Netgalley
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The person you trust most may only be telling you half the story …
Sue Jackson has the perfect family but when her teenage daughter Charlotte deliberately steps in front of a bus and ends up in a coma she is forced to face a very dark reality.
Retracing her daughter’s steps she finds a horrifying entry in Charlotte’s diary and is forced to head deep into Charlotte’s private world. In her hunt for evidence, Sue begins to mistrust everyone close to her daughter and she’s forced to look further, into the depths of her own past.
There is a lot that Sue doesn’t know about Charlotte’s life. But then there’s a lot that Charlotte doesn’t know about Sue’s …
There is no doubt that this is an amazing novel, and worthy of receiving five stars. I started The Accident before bed and after a few chapters it was pretty obvious that I couldn’t stop reading and finish the next day. So I kept reading till one in the morning.
This book is a reminder of how many secrets and lies we carry around with us each day. Even if at the time they do not seem important to divulge. In The Accident it is these secrets which keep the momentum of the book going as Sue attempts to piece together the clues into her daughter’s life.
The use of different fonts give a visual perspective. That makes it easier to compare the past Sue with the modern and new Sue. Which in turn enables you to compare how much she has changed, and yet how much her past with James has affected her. This is particularly clear when Sue accuses her husband – Brian – of being a pervert. Yet Sue slowly overcomes the demons the plague her as the book continues.
The Accident is written from the perspective of Sue, who is considered by some of the minor characters to be a bit unstable and delusional. This means that the reader is never sure whether Sue is a reliable witness. Or whether the mystery is just her imagination.
This book was a brilliant read. Yes I guessed the ending (sort of) but it was how we got to the ending and piecing together of the clues which made this book, This journey that we take is as surprising to the reader, as it was to Sue. Also as Sue is an unreliable narrator kept the reader guessing. Overall a great physiological thriller that will make the reader question how many secrets are hidden.
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