Gretchen by Shannon Kirk

Gretchen may be a little strange, but she's harmless -- right?

 If you haven't yet seen buzz about this book, believe me, you will. It's one of those that you go into without any preparation or expectation so that you can be properly blown away by it. It's not often that a book surprises me, but this was masterful writing and incredibly entertaining. I was hooked immediately and couldn't put it down until I had finished. Let my breath go. And read the supplemental material that is best saved for last. Go on, get it now!

What it's about: Lucy is "fifteen, living in (our) tenth state, in (my) third high school already." She and her mom have been moving from place to place for the past thirteen years. There's always a trigger that makes them run -- someone gets too close or asks too many questions. Mom has told Lucy why -- Lucy's dad tried to steal her when she was 2 and mom got her back. Now they have to stay hidden from him. Lucy has no other information about her powerful, connected father, nor does she know her real name as they use fake IDs. They are very careful, but when someone slips up, they have to leave in the dead of night. Lucy is devatated to leave her latest home and her new best friend, Jenny, but Lucy makes a mistake and off they go again. The mother and daughter arrive in Milberg, New Hampshire, and fall in love with their rented one-story ranch house that's situated on a huge property with the owners living just up the hill in a colossal brick mansion. The father and daughter who own the place are a bit strange, but the girl is Lucy's age and wants to be immediate friends. Her name is Gretchen. Lucy is determined to stay and will do whatever it takes. She, however, did not plan for Gretchen. NO SPOILERS.

Why you should read this: First of all, the writing is simply masterful. The setting is well-described and the sense of menace and a creepy vibe is lurking in the background. Great material for quoting, but I couldn't highlight every sentence! I could picture it all so vividly. The depth of the characterization was amazing as I fell in love with Lucy immediately. She had so much personality and was totally believable. The narrative shifts a bit between characters allowing glimpses into their perspectives and thoughts which adds to the overall tone and forward movement of the story. The plot, well, it is quite complex and I didn't see a thing coming -- a refreshing surprise. I could say a lot more, but won't because I don't want to give any hints. Believe me, you'd never expect this engrossing tale from the synopsis. Plus, you want to read this so you'll be able to talk about it with other folks who've read it and cackle gleefully cause you know all the answers! Who wants to be first to buy a ticket for the big screen version?

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the e-book ARC to read and review. I'm definitely going to be following this author!

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre -- thriller with some horror aspects