review: never knowing by chevy stevens

I am stunned by this one. With Still Missing, Chevy Stevens crafted an incredible debut novel that made me beyond excited to see what she was able to come up with next. Never Knowing is every bit as amazing as Still Missing; both compelled me to keep reading despite the difficult subject matter. In Never Knowing, Sara’s quest to find her birth mother (sparked by her concerns about her family medical history) leads her to a horrifying discovery about her biological father—he is The Campsite Killer—and her biological mother is the only one of his victims to have escaped. If this news wasn’t shocking enough, someone close to her lets the information slip out and the media latches onto the story. And who keeps a close eye on any mentions of The Campsite Killer? Well, that would be The Campsite Killer himself, who soon tracks down Sara.

Every detail of Never Knowing is spot on—from the characterizations of each family member (the gruff father, the weak mother, the favored sisters) to the plot’s development and pacing. Never Knowing is done in a format similar to Still Missing with Sara relaying details to her therapist (an unspeaking character) at the beginning of each chapter before transitioning to the chapter’s current and immediate action. Those openings are a nice reassurance that Sara will make it through to tell her story.
5/5
ARC Review
Review copy provided by the publisher, St. Martin’s Press.