Before She Was Found

4/5 stars

I found this in the library and had never heard of the author before. After doing some googling, I learned she has several novels that I will definitely be seeking out after reading this.

I finished this in one day. This story was a disturbing and thrilling read. It follows multiple characters, but focuses on Cora, a 12 year old girl who has been stabbed and brutally attacked. Joseph Withers is a killer and an urban legend, but Cora and her friends maintain that he is somehow involved.

Between traditional narration, diary entries, and online chatroom correspondence, I was questioning if 1. anyone taught these young girls Stranger Danger and 2. who is actually a reliable narrator. The ending really picked up. The final twist was a bit predictable once you had been given enough information, but the story remained disturbing. 

I found some parts to be slower and more dragged out, but overall this was a well-paced story. This novel hooked me immediately and delivered everything I wanted from a suspenseful story.