Gone Tonight: A Novel

So, I’ve come to notice one thing when I read books that this author contributes to: I prefer the books when they are written solely by her and not teamed with someone else. This is the first solo book of hers I’ve read, and I enjoyed it immensely. The readers start off meeting Catherine and her mom Ruth. This book alternated P.O.V.s and I felt was one that did it relatively well. It was clear from the beginning that this family dynamic would be tested in ways most families normally aren’t. Gone Tonight makes the reader question how well we know those we call family and who they might have been before we came into their lives. Ruth has secrets and once certain things become more apparent it is clear she has to protect her daughter from forces Catherine doesn’t know exists. Catherine’s life has been far from normal, but she has never understood why. Every time she tries to figure it out her mom deflects to something else. Why? In her 20’s, Catherine wants to spread her wings and branch out from her mom’s shadow, but soon comes to find out how dangerous that could be. The discoveries made along the way helps the reader ponder the question of nature versus nurture. Would things have been different for Catherine had she learned about herself sooner? Darkness resides in all of us, but it is not only our surroundings that shape us, but the decisions we make based on the knowledge from those surroundings. I wanted to like Ruth and Catherine’s relationship, but considering how it was built I couldn’t. While I understand Ruth, I can’t give her a pass for the damage she did to Catherine which led to the events in the book. Ruth didn’t even give Catherine the chance to understand her mother and choose for herself (when she was old enough) what to do about it. The way Catherine found out about herself and the connection to her mom’s past could have been prevented if Ruth had told her the truth. The worst thing a parent can do is lie to their child about who they are (no I’m not a parent), but I feel like it would have been better for Ruth and Catherine both if they had been able to fight on the same side from the beginning. What happened to Ruth wasn’t her fault, but the choices she made after that are. While I’m sure most people would say the way she lived was punishment enough she should have had to answer for what she had done. The review so far may sound like I didn’t enjoy this book, but you would be mistaken. I liked the mystery that Catherine was trying to solve with wanting to understand her mother after being told their story might be tragically cut short. My heart went out to both characters as details were revealed to me as a reader that allowed me to have sympathy or curiosity for and about them. The line between truth and lie was tested in a way that made sense even if I didn’t necessarily agree with the method. With this type of story, the pacing is very important to keep a reader entertained and have them wanting to know more. It is a big part of what makes this type of book live up to the thrill readers might be looking for. I believe that Gone Tonight almost hit that mark. There were certain parts that did drag on, but when the action came back, I felt it was packed with a punch. I felt it was definitely a rollercoaster that was worth the read. It left the reader with the question who really the victim was because each character was victimized in different ways.

WOW! What a great book! Very suspenseful and fast paced book! It's smart storyline about how past can catch up with you...

I recently received an advanced copy of Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen. Let me start off by saying Sarah Pekkanen is one of my absolute favorite authors so I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy via audiobook. She did not disappoint. The story was told from two perspectives which I appreciated because you can sometimes get lost when there are multiple character perspectives. The story was told from the perspective of a mother and her daughter. The story transitioned wonderfully between both characters; it left me wondering how the story was going to unfold midway through each chapter. The character of Ruth went from what appeared to be a rigid and overprotective mother to one of great admiration for me. The narrator, Kate Mara, did an amazing job. I'd love to listen to more audiobooks read by her. She was spot on. Congratulations Ms. Pekkanen. I can't wait for your next one.