by Annalisa Crawford
Ethereal moments drift through this ghostly novella about a girl, then a woman, trying hard to escape a life-changing, almost life-ending, moment in her youth.
Quiet, chilling, this slender tale is absolutely thrilling!
The book deals with a tough premise: Julia, now 30, has not been able to overcome the guilt of surviving a teen suicide pact her friend, Rachel, didn’t. Now Julia is dogged by Cat, a compilation of negative feelings and people in Julia’s life that threatens to crush her. It’s no wonder Julia takes solace in her daydreams.
Thankfully Julia meets Adam and hope rises she’ll be able to escape her self-imposed shackles. I found myself rooting for her!
Annalisa Crawford has such a gift for twining the supernatural and surreal into reality so you don’t know which is which, a method that brings out the haunting nature of human nature. Eerie, yet wildly beautiful.
PS If you haven't read this author's Small Forgotten Moments, do! The book just won a Silver Medal in the Wishing Shelf Book Award. Completely different than this novella, but as haunting!
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BLISS ROAD, a memoir, June 2023
THE FALCON, THE WOLF AND THE HUMMINGBIRD, a historical novel, Sept. 19, 2023