Blurb:
Under a burning sun more than a thousand miles from home, Lynn Stevens is trying to get her life back on track and leave memories of that one fateful night behind. She meets Dan, a young man with strangely erratic behavior and smoldering brown eyes, who is on an involuntary vacation with his parents. In him, she sees her own struggle reflected every time she is starting to get too close.
Dan doesn’t like being touched. But when he sets out to uncover Lynn’s secret, it means he’ll have to tell her some secrets of his own.
Review: 2.5 Stars
I had a hard time connecting with this book. I think it's a combination of the writing and the characters. With regards to the writing, it feels like events in the book happen in an emotionally disconnected way. I suspect the book is a translation and although the translation may be accurate, the feeling of the book is lost. I can't say for certain, but that is my suspicion. In the end, it feels a bit monotone.
Similarly, the characters feel somewhat lifeless. Although the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde comparison is given to describe Dan, it is taken to an extreme of hot and cold. In one moment he is sexually aggressive and confident. In another, he is too damaged to articulate basic feelings. In theory it makes for a compelling character. In practice, he doesn't always come off as a real person. I didn't really feel the connection between Dan and Lynn at the beginning of the book. It wasn't until quite late in the book that I felt somewhat of a connection there.
I was also confused about what further information Lynn had about Esmee's accident that she didn't share with Dan. This was mentioned in the book, but it wasn't clear what aspects she held back on.
On the positive side, I think the concept and storyline is interesting. I think the ideas are strong and compelling. But, it didn't all come together for me.
An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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