WHERE THE TRUTH LIES by Anna Bailey

 

When a teenaged girl disappears from an insular small town, all of the community’s most devastating secrets come to light in this stunningly atmospheric and slow-burning suspense novel—perfect for fans of Megan Miranda and Celeste Ng.

The town of Whistling Ridge guards its secrets.

When seventeen-year-old Abigail goes missing, her best friend Emma, compelled by the guilt of leaving her alone at a party in the woods, sets out to discover the truth about what happened. The police initially believe Abi ran away, but Emma doesn't believe that her friend would leave without her, and when officers find disturbing evidence in the nearby woods, the festering secrets and longstanding resentment of both Abigail’s family and the people of Whistling Ridge, Colorado begin to surface with devastating consequences.

Among those secrets: Abi's older brother Noah’s passionate, dangerous love for the handsome Rat, a recently arrived Romanian immigrant who has recently made his home in the trailer park in town; her younger brother Jude's feeling that he knows information he should tell the police, if only he could put it into words; Abi's father's mercurial, unpredictable rages and her mother's silence. Then there is the rest of Whistling Ridge, where a charismatic preacher advocates for God's love in language that mirrors violence, under the sway of the powerful businessman who rules the town, insular and wary of outsiders.

But Abi had secrets, too, and the closer Emma grows to unraveling the past, the farther she feels from her friend. And in a tinder box of small-town rage, and all it will take is just one spark—the truth of what really happened that night—to change their community forever.

MY THOUGHTS: 

This is a debut novel for Anna Bailey and I think she did a great job. It's a very dark and very sad story. It's well written and very thought provoking. It will bring out some feelings that you won't expect I believe. It has a subject matter that may make you feel uncomfortable but it's still one that needs to be addressed. It's a story of a town with many secrets. A lot of people who claim to be Christians who are in my opinion of the devil himself. If I believed in all of that. What happened in this town has no doubt happened in a few small towns in our country. I honestly have no doubt. Whether it's hatred for a lifestyle, a race, a political view, or something else. In this one it just happens to be the bigots that hate a person for their race and another for their sexual preferences. How sad is that?? Very I say! Very sad indeed.

The characters in this book are all really messed up. There is Melissa, who I think I liked more than any of them and she's the mother to Emma. Emma was Abi's best friend. Samuel, who I hated, truly hated, is Abi's dad. Also married to Dollie and the dad to Noah and Jude. He's the most abusive person I think I have ever read about. He's truly of the devil. He's cold blooded. Yet he goes to church and is consider of God... Figure that one out. I didn't like Dollie either though I did feel a bit sorry for her. But she was not a good mother. Though a part of me wants to understand her reasons. The one I think I hated most was Pastor Lewis. If that man is a christian then anyone can be. He's one that incites so much violence. He gets people all worked up and they do things that most likely they might not have done. But then again maybe they just needed that excuse. Pastor Lewis could be satan himself. Who knows. 

The feelings in this book are truly raw. The things that happen may make you cringe. Hold your breath. Even cry. It sure did me. I cried so many times it's crazy. I felt so sorry for Noah. And his friend Rat. I liked Noah and Rat. Even though they were not perfect. But who is right? Noah just wanted to be seen. Rat saw him. Noah's little brother, Jude, was another character that I liked. He was just an innocent child who bared the brunt of his father's evil temper once too often and was never the same after. 

The descriptions in this book are great. You will feel like you are there. In the woods. At the trailer park. You will feel the heat from the fire. The pain that someone feels. Each one who is hurt. This is a book filled with so much pain. But there is hope right? Yes, there is always hope. Maybe someday people will be accepted for who they are. Not what they are. Not by their ethnicity or their sexual preference or who their parents are. But will it happen in out lifetime? Probably not. But we can hope. At least I do. 

Thank you #NetGalley, #AnnaBailey, #Atria for this ARC. This is my own true feelings about this book. 

I debated between a 4 or 5 star and had to go with 5/5 as it was really a good story. A touching story. A sad story. A very dark story. I do recommend it. It's worth it.