This book started off so well and I think that if I had connected to the characters - particularly our protagonist, Scarlett - on any level whatsoever, I would have enjoyed this book more than I did. However, the characterisation was so lacking that it made my enjoyment of the book all but evaporate. I can understand why Panitch decided to be vague in her descriptions and development, and I do think that it did so many wonderful things for the story’s suspense levels and plotline but sacrificing well-written and developed characters for a good storyline is not the way I prefer things. Panitch should have focused on fleshing out Scarlett’s character and her struggles to assimilate back into ‘normal life’ after her kidnapping rather than the plotline she did.

I honestly believe that there was so much potential in a protagonist like Scarlett that it is sad none of it was tapped. She could have been this fantastically gritty and raw character but instead, I found her too vague. I could never understand her motivations or empathise with her decisions because I never felt like we got to know her on such an intimate level. Like I said, though, I do understand the author’s intentions in writing Scarlett like this but - personally - it did the story a disservice. On top of that, Scarlett was not the only character I struggled with. I found it hard to connect with any of the secondary characters and this made it almost impossible to care to for the people in this story in the slightest. Again, there is a deliberate vagueness in Scarlett’s relationships with her family and coworkers but this just furthered my struggles with caring about Scarlett in general.

The romance was what really made me cringe and dislike Scarlett even more. While there was technically no real cheating, Scarlett’s crush on Connor still made for an awkward situation. It is never a good indication when you end up siding with the supposed romantic interest’s rejection of the protagonist instead of the protagonist herself! I could completely understand why Connor told Scarlett that it was not the best time for him to get into a relationship. Yes, he had already broken up with Cady but she was one of his best friends and going through a pretty shitty time of her life. Cady needed Connor’s support and friendship more than Connor needed to be getting into another relationship. I understand that Scarlett would be a little hurt by this but it was hard to care for her when Connor seemed to be (1) being a fantastic friend - and how can you not love someone so loyal and considerate? - and (2) completely logical. I found the resulting angst and woe-be-me routine dull.

With all that being said, the creep and suspense level on this book was definitely there and undeniably delicious. I loved the creepiness Scarlett’s work at a theme park provided and the intrigue behind the missing girls, Melody’s shiftiness and Katharina’s cryptic comments had me flipping the pages. I was not a massive fan of how the flashbacks were disjointedly integrated into the story but they did certainly aid in creating a suspenseful and haunting atmosphere. I was eager to find answers and while the story did get distracted at points - with romance and petty work drama - the overall mystery was definitely consuming. The ending was a little rushed and there were certain parts of it that I felt were too out of character and sudden but the shocks and thrills it provided more than made up for the majority of these issues.

Overall?

I think that this was a solid mystery but the characterisation was so poor that I really struggled to enjoy this book. In fact, I couldn’t say that I did enjoy it at all. Scarlett bugged me as a character because we never got to really know her on a personal level and the decisions she made never seemed consistent. I also really struggled with the secondary characters and attempted romance. I do think that this author has potential - and her debut is definitely calling to me - but I doubt I’ll ever go around recommending this particular story.