Review: Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens
by Jenners • 06/17/2011 • 4 Stars, Fiction, Mystery/Thriller, N Titles, S Authors • 55 Comments
Never Knowing by Chevy StevensPublisher: St. Martin’s Press, July 2011
Pages: 352
Genre: Fiction
Where I Got It: ARC from Amazon Vine
My Rating: 4 stars
Story Overview
Sara Gallagher has always felt like she didn’t belong in her family. Although her adoptive but fragile mother loves her, she feels that her adoptive father always withheld his love and approval, especially when her parents are able to conceive two biological children after adopting Sara. (Plus, it doesn’t help that her relationship with one of her sisters is fraught with tension and jealousy.) As with many adopted children, she’s always had questions about her birth parents: Who are they? Why did they give her up? As she prepares to marry her fiancee Evan, she decides the time is right to find out about her birth parents. After all, she has a legitimate reason to find out all she can about her past besides mere curiosity. Sara is the mother to 6-year-old Ally, and she wants to have all the medical background she can for herself and her daughter. When the private investigator she hires comes back with some answers for her, Sara discovers the terrible truth about her conception and her father—opening the door to terror and horror that will force her to fight for her life and everything she holds dear.
My Thoughts
Although this is only Chevy Steven’s second novel, she already had a well-defined formula. Like her first book Still Missing, Never Knowing is structured as therapy sessions, with each chapter being a therapy session between Sara and her therapist. As each session unfolds, we find out a bit more of Sara’s story and the truth about her birth parents. And, as in Still Missing, the surprises don’t stop when you expect. Stevens has some tricks up her sleeve for the reader and keeps the adrenaline pumping even after you think the story was done.
I ripped through this book in just a few days. Stevens is an expert at creating nightmare scenarios that keep her characters tight in a vise with little relief. Unlike Still Missing, Never Knowing takes place in “real time,” with the plot developing more with each session. (Still Missing was mostly recounting a story in flashback.) I’d finish up one session and think “I really should go to bed now,” but I’d find myself needing to know what happened next. If I had to choose, I’d say that Still Missing was the better book, but this is worthy successor. My main complaints were that Sara spent a lot of time dithering about what to do (when what she had to do felt kind of obvious to me) and the premise felt more unbelievable than her first book. However, if you’re looking for a fast-paced thriller with lots of psychological suspense, Never Knowing would be an excellent choice. I personally think it is the perfect book for summer reading—just strap in and head off on a wild roller coaster ride.
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The book is being released on July 5th but can be pre-ordered now.
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Loved loved loved Still Missing! Can’t wait to read this one too!
Loved loved loved Still Missing! I can’t wait to read this one too!
This looks like a good one to add to my summer list too. Sounds like one that I would like. I’m curious about the therapy session format too.
Hey … I would love to send you my copy. Just shoot me an e-mail and I’ll send it to you!
Sounds like one I will enjoy. I have Still Missing on my shelf at home already so I am really excited!
I would pick Still Missing as my favorite but this one was good too.
The idea that it’s like therapy sessions doesn’t sound appealing, but I actually really trust your recommendations. So ok.
The therapy session format works … it does slip into a narrative once she “sets the stage” for the session so it is a therapy session with someone who remembers all their dialogue and talks like a novel! Try Still Missing first!
Thanks for the review. I’m completely ready for some fast paced summer reading.
This will fit the bill perfectly.
Never Knowing sounds great Jenners, nice review!
Thanks! It is a fast-paced summer read.
This sounds fantastic! I love a good psychological thriller. I like the idea of the story being told through therapy sessions. It does sound like good summer reading or maybe for my long plane trip coming up.
It would be a good plane trip read I think.
nightmare? I hope it didn’t keep you up at night. sounds tense.
It didn’t keep me up at night … but if this had happened to ME, I would have been seriously unable to sleep.
These are just the kinds of books I enjoy most in summer. I think this one might be coming my way soon. Glad u enjoyed it.
I know what you mean about summer reading. It is fun to have a fast-paced, no think thriller that you can just inhale. Hope you get a copy soon!
I’m adding it to the list! I love the review.
It is a great read for summer I think.
I raced through Still Missing, reading it like a dum dum in a small cabin in the deep dark woods…by myself….not a soul around for miles….and now swear i will never ever ever be a real estate agent…but i had no idea she had a new one coming out! yay! i feel so out of the loop lately – thank you for sharing such a great review!
I can’t imagine reading Still Missing under those circumstances!! I would seriously have freaked out! Isn’t it neat when an author has a new book out and it is almost ready to go when you find out about it and you don’t have to wait?
I have Still Missing on my wish list. It seems a little strange to use the same therapy session format, but obviously it still works!
The therapy session format works. I think it worked better in Still Missing but I think the story was better suited to that plot.
how did I not know she had a second book coming out? I l;oved SWtill Missing…and now I HAVE TO WAIT! Darn…
Can’t believe you didn’t see it in Amazon Vine! I saw it and was like “Oh yeah.” At least the release date isn’t too far off.
Sounds like one of those books I would need to classify as “daytime reading with the lights on”. Happy Dad’s day to “Mr. Jenners”.
It isn’t THAT scary … just more like “well what the heck is she going to do now????”
I have this book up for review soon, and I am actually really excited about it because I loved Still Missing, and remember how intense it was, even after reading it so long ago. It does sort of seem weird that she uses the therapist angle again, but maybe she figured that it worked so well the first time around that she shouldn’t mess with a good thing. This book will probably be the ideal beach read for me, and I am glad that you enjoyed it so much. Stevens has a way with twists, and I am anxious to see what she does with this story. I also think it would be hard to come close to the success and intrigue of Still Missing, but somehow, I think she will.
I too was surprised to see her use the therapy format again but I guess it worked for her the first time. I didn’t think this was as good as Still Missing (the premise seems a bit implausible) but it was just perfect for a fast-paced beach read. I’ll be curious to see what you think of it.
I think it’s sort of weird to keep with the same trope in a second book.
I know! I thought the same thing. One of the reasons I wanted to read her second book was to see how she approached it. I was surprised to find she used the therapy sessions as chapters again. I guess that is going to be “her thing.”
I haven’t read either of these, but they sound great. The therapist’s couch just never gets old does it? Many thanks for review I will make a note to check Stevens out.
I thought it was a cool idea to present each chapter as a therapy session. I guess Stevens thought so too!
Sounds exciting! I’ll have to see if the first one is out for the Kindle in Europe.. I know it wasn’t available over here when I looked last time.
Hopefully the first one is available now. That seems odd that it wasn’t available before.
Your review sounds intriguing, it somehow reminded me of the Nicci French novels I read a while back. I’ll keep an eye out for it.
I’ve never read any Nicci French so I can’t tell you if this is similar but it seems worth checking out.
This sound like a fascinating read. Thanks for sharing.
Hope you enjoy it if you read it.
Sounds GOOD to me! I need to QUIT finding books I want to read! I already have too many on my shelf (and many more in my Kindle that my family doesn’t know about)!
I “hide” books on my Kindle too! That is one of the benefits of an e-reader … no one knows just how many books you have on there!
Wow, this sounds like a book I would love! I just wonder if it would keep me awake at night.
It might keep you up reading later than you want…
I have a copy of this one to read soon, I hope. I think yours is the first review I’ve seen. Sounds really good. I’m an adopted child so maybe it might speak to me even more.
Well, I’m sure you won’t have anything like the shock and horror that Sara finds when she finds out the truth about her birth!
I love it when a book grabs you and you can’t put it down…
It is fun, isn’t it?
Nice review. I like stories told in present tense, with less flashbacks, so this would be something I’d probably like. Nice to see the author did well, with the second book, sometimes it doesn’t always work out so well. Thanks for sharing.
I was curious how her second book would be. I was actually surprised she kept so closely to the format of her first book (the therapy session format) but I guess if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
This book sounds like it is right up my alley…adding it to my ever multiplying list of books to read.
Don’t you sometimes feel that you will never be able to get to all the books you want to read? I know I do!
Sound really good. You must be as tired as I am, reading till the wee hours of the night.
Well, this kept me up a bit past my bedtime but nothing like Under the Dome!