Review | Gretchen by Shannon Kirk (ARC)

For as long as Lucy can remember, she’s been on the run with her mother, moving from state to state. She doesn’t know why, and her mother isn’t forthcoming. Now, they’ve settled in New Hampshire, the eleventh state in their never ending road trip. They rent a secluded house away from town, and Lucy meets their landlord’s daughter, Gretchen. While happy to befriend someone her age, Lucy found Gretchen disconcerting. From her obsession with jigsaw puzzles to her inexplicable behaviour, Gretchen slowly pulls Lucy into her orbit. What first seems to be an innocent friendship soon turns dark. Lucy finds herself trapped between Gretchen’s suffocating interest and her mother’s secrets. But the truth will find her in the end.

Someday, I hope we can break this pattern and stay in one state. But I’m fifteen, living in our tenth state, in my third high school already, and I felt it this morning. I felt the dread calling again, the click gaining closer to reset the pattern. Again. Again, again. Again. Around the loops and voids of our lives.

Gretchen is a wild ride! There is actually two stories – that of Lucy and her Mother. I really liked Lucy, she’s naive but has streaks of rebellion and just wants to figure out what’s going on in her weird life. She’s been on the run for her entire life and hiding is second nature to her. I found her constant desire to please her mother upsetting. It’s clear that her mother’s actions has damaged her. When Lucy meets Gretchen, she’s just happy to have a friend that she’s willing to disregard Gretchen’s weirdness. It made for some creepy moments! The scene where Lucy visits Gretchen’s house is a highlight, filled with tension and an unsettling atmosphere. She can tell something isn’t right, but as she hasn’t known a normal life either, she feels like she couldn’t judge Gretchen’s life.

We also get Mother’s POV where the real situation involving Lucy finally comes to light. Mother’s past is shown in flashbacks and through this we can understand her obsession and why she is the way she is. There’s some twists in the story which I appreciate as it kept me wanting to read further. I liked Mother too, despite her cold demeanour. There are some heartwarming moments between Mother and Lucy which helps to balance the pain and uncertainty throughout.

While I enjoyed the twists, the book juggles many things at once that the second half feels rushed. It tries to merge the stories of Lucy and Gretchen with Mother and her past, and I don’t think it entirely succeeds. That said, Gretchen is a really interesting character and this is still an entertaining read. It makes me think of jigsaw puzzles in a different light! If you’re looking for a horror-tinged thriller with surprises and compelling female characters, I’d recommend this book.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Gretchen is out on 23 July.

About the author: Shannon Kirk

Photo by Hans-Peter Gauster