ARC Review: Oblivion by Sasha Dawn (2014)

Title: Oblivion
Author: Sasha Dawn
Publication: May 27, 2014, Egmont USA
Format: e-ARC, 400 pages
Source: Egmont USA through Netgalley (Thank you Egmont USA)
Pre-order or buy it on: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Synopsis:
One year ago, Callie was found in an abandoned apartment, scrawling words on the wall: "I KILLED HIM. His blood is on my hands. His heart is in my soul. I KILLED HIM." But she remembers nothing of that night or of the previous thirty-six hours. All she knows is that her father, the reverend at the Church of the Holy Promise, is missing, as is Hannah, a young girl from the parish. Their disappearances have to be connected and Callie knows that her father was not a righteous man. Since that fateful night, she's been plagued by graphomania -- an unending and debilitating compulsion to write. The words that flow from Callie's mind and through her pen don't seem to make sense -- until now. 

As the anniversary of Hannah's vanishing approaches, more words and memories bubble to the surface and a new guy in school might be the key to Callie putting together the puzzle. But digging up the secrets she's buried for so long might be her biggest mistake.

  Misfit Review:
* I was given a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
I've read quite a few number of suspense/mystery novels in my time as a reader and I will say that Oblivion borders the typical and extraordinary kind of suspense/mystery novel. Let's say, you get a taste of both. There's the story of a girl who is a graphomaniac: a first for me. Then you get a familiar feeling of grittiness and haunt while you read the words she writes: the suspense feel. I don't know if your getting me, but one thing is for sure. You will enjoy this novel.

The characters are interesting. One, Calliope or Callie for short, is a graphomaniac as I have already said. It is the compulsion of writing, thoughts, words pierce through her head. The only type of escape from these thoughts is to write it down on her notebook and even on her skin with a red-felt pen. I found her attacks interesting though at times, they could get really frustrating. Probably because it happened so often in one take. But the feelings I get when she does have those attacks is gratifying. I felt how Dawn made it seem like she's taking the reader through the experience. Electrifying you with the words that haunted Callie.

John, oh John. I never really got John at first. Why was he there, what is he about, what was his character? Is he gonna double cross you in the end? Those were the questions that ran through my head while I was reading it. But I did enjoy his company as a reader of the book. Lindsey. I have to admit that I cried for her once. I guess she's just like any teenager who'd do something so irresponsible and nonsensical just because her feelings were hurt. She was a good foil to a lead.

Plot-wise, it is gripping and wanting. If you read the synopsis, you'd really wanna read it. And I've always been interested with murders and mystery novels. It sort of reminded me a bit of The Millenium Trilogy because of the case and solving the clues but the only difference was that Callie was not as strong-willed or capable to handle certain emotions as Lisbeth. It must be the teenage hormones. The story includes a lot of controversial things such as rape, murder, kidnapping which hooked me because I really wanted to know what happened to Hannah. Twists and turns will surely get you reading more and more.

But then again, for a Young Adult novel, it was surely long. I know that I wouldn't mind reading through it but there were cases were I'd felt like the story was slow and that I needed the fast-paced stuff. But I commend Dawn's writing! She is a great suspense/mystery novelist and I would really love to read more of her works. She makes you tangled in the plot of the story and sucks you in a certain moment that would make you read through it at night. You keep on guessing but you never get what you want or you'd be immediately thrown to that conclusion that you may have wished to have happened or never wished at all.  *I suggest no night-reading really. Heart attacks may happen*

Overall, I recommend this to mystery junkies over there and for those who are interested with an extraordinary character like Callie! I really would like you guys to read it till the end, please?

By the way, wouldn't you agree that the cover is fantastic? Cheers!

Rating:

About The Author:

Twitter | Goodreads
Sasha Dawn teaches college composition to America's youth at McHenry County College and the College of Lake County. She's drawn to suspense, the survival instinct in people, and has a crush on Thomas Jefferson. She lives in a suburb of Chicago.

(Author Bio from Barnes and Noble)

Photo Credit (c) Rebekah Byrd Photography


Look forward to Sasha's guest post next week!!! She's very lovely! More surprises from me here at Writer For Misfits. So stay tuned! Special thanks to Miss Sasha for being extremely nice and cooperative!