Thursday, July 30, 2020

Review: Behind the Red Door by Megan Collins

Behind the Red Door
by Megan Collins 

Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  When Fern Douglas sees the news about Astrid Sullivan, a thirty-four-year-old missing woman from Maine, she is positive that she knows her. Fern’s husband is sure it’s because of Astrid’s famous kidnapping—and equally famous return—twenty years ago, but Fern has no memory of that, even though it happened an hour outside her New Hampshire hometown. And when Astrid appears in Fern’s recurring nightmare, one in which a girl reaches out to her, pleading, Fern fears that it’s not a dream at all, but a memory.

Back home in New Hampshire, Fern purchases a copy of Astrid’s recently published memoir—which may have provoked her original kidnapper to abduct her again—and as she reads through its chapters and visits the people and places within it, she discovers more evidence that she has an unsettling connection to the missing woman. As Fern’s search becomes increasingly desperate, she hopes to remember her past so she can save Astrid in the present…before it’s too late.


Kritters Thoughts:  Fern Douglas group in an interesting home.  With a father who studied fear and a mother who was an absent artist, Fern had the complete opposite childhood from me and because of that I was glued to the story from page one.  Fern is watching the news one evening and Astrid Sullivan has gone missing from her home in Maine, but this isn't the first time that Astrid has gone missing and the news story sparks something in Fern.  At the same time she is summoned home by her father to help him move and she goes running and oh what a story!

This book is a twist on the unreliable narrator, but partly because you can't trust the truth coming from Fern's parents.  Time and time again, I would find myself reading with my mouth open appalled at the style of parenting that Fern had as a child and still dealt with as an adult.  This book really highlights that there are many ways to parent!

I loved the inclusion of Astrid's recent release of her memoir.  I am so glad the author included because it added so much to the story.  To read the words that Fern was reading and see the exact words that were affecting her was so great.  Because Astrid can't help narrate the book, this gave Astrid the opportunity to tell her story.

What a great book.  I can't wait to see more from Megan Collins. 


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2020 Challenge: 72 out of 100


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Atria Books.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

No comments :

Post a Comment

Back to Top