How We Found You by JT Lawrence
I received How We Found You (HWFY) as an ARC from the author. This, though hugely appreciate, has in no way had an influence on my opinions of this book.
The Book
Kirsten and Seth are back, living together and raising Kirsten’s two kids; Mally and Silver. It’s been 4 years since she was handed Mally, and discovered she was pregnant with Silver, but Kirsten still lives in constant fear for her children’s lives, despite watching the men who had ruined her and Seth’s childhood die, she’s not free of the fear that the past will return to haunt them. It’s every parent's worst nightmare - having to chose one child over the other, and Kirsten despite every precaution soon finds herself having to make just such a decision.
My Thoughts
What I liked:
Lawrence did an incredible job at tying HWFY to WYWT. In Book 1 she uses the question of ethics in playing God by creating life – manufacturing babies, in Book 2 she uses the opposite. Playing God by taking life away.
Religion and the fanaticism it can lead to is made apparent in the last half of the book and I enjoyed the way she juxtaposed the aesthetic of the Resurrector’s and the SurroSisters in Chapter 82 – Elegant Arrows.
Keke is involved in a legal case, as juror, and soon discovers evidence which involves the threat against Mally. This for me is another wonderful element of Lawrence’s writing – numerous characters with their own stories which all still build into the main plot. Never mind the element of Seth and Arronax. It keeps the book fresh and intriguing.
And can I just say that I adore the chapter titles!?
I love her style – Chapters are short but effective, she weaves out incredible imagery, sparking imagination in this reader’s mind with beautifully constructed descriptions;
“She watches as their pearlescent bows release bolt after bolt of retribution”
Zach is an interesting character, one which you immediately feel a sort of discomfort towards. He’s too friendly, too forward, too supportive. And when he and Keke finish the book with a rather unsettling conversation, all I can say is that Book 3 better be coming soon because I cannot wait to see what he brings.
What I battled with:
The difficulty I had with this book was the necessity for the plot to include the deaths of children. I fully appreciate that this was needed, and do not hold this against the book in anyway, I just found it a huge trigger which left me feeling awful and fighting a panic attack. This is also what may be a huge positive for other readers because Lawrence can elicit such an emotional response.
Conclusion
What can I say, Lawrence is just a fantastic wordsmith. She’s combined sci-fi with psychological suspense and created a book which keeps you glued to the pages, desperate for it to reach the climax, but unwilling to do so too quickly. HWFY is the kind of book you can finish in one sitting because it is just so captivating.
Review Rating: 4 of 5 stars
More Information: Publisher:Fire Finch Press; 1 edition Published Date: 9 May 2017 Genre:Thrillers
