Only Child by Casey Kelleher review: One hell of a wild ride
If you’re looking for a psychological thriller with plenty of twists along the way, you’ll want to read Only Child by Casey Kelleher. The new novel is available now.
Disclaimer: I got an advance copy of Only Child by Casey Kelleher thanks to NetGalley in return for an honest review.
The blurb for Only Child certainly caught my attention. As a mother, I was immediately drawn to Sherrie. What would I do if my daughter suddenly went missing? The book is far more than this, though.
As you’d expect, everything in the novel is connected. It’s all about figuring out how it’s all connected. The characters aren’t honest with us from the start…none of them. They all have secrets, and it leads to us trying to figure out what the characters are hiding. This takes us on a twisty story that leaves you guessing all the way to the end.
Only Child by Casey Kelleher review
We follow the stories of three women throughout the book. The first is Sherrie, an overprotective mother of 15-year-old Kayla. Kayla is the second story, and then there’s Tessa, who is sure that Kayla’s father is her attacker from years ago.
One night, Kayla is abducted on the way home from a night out. We then go through a series of chapters trying to figure out who took her and why. Was it Tessa in a blackout state? Did Richard abduct his own daughter? Was someone else out there watching them?
Just as you think you have the answers, you’re thrown for another loop. Secrets start coming out, as we learn that Sherrie and Richard’s marriage isn’t a great one. What was the secret he had that has led to Sherrie hating him so much? I don’t want to say much more as it would give away everything.
Overall, the story was thrilling. I couldn’t put it down. The only downside is that there aren’t many characters, so it’s easy to see that it’s one of the main adults who is responsible for the whole situation. After all, no thriller just suddenly throws in another attacker at the very end. It’s always someone we’ve come to know in the telling of the story. More characters could have helped the twist at the end be all the more unpredictable.
What I did love was the way some of the chapters turned to first-person POV. As soon as Kayla is abducted, we see everything from this first-person POV to make us feel more for her.
Stars: 4.5 out of 5.
Next. One Little Mistake by Lucinda Berry review. dark
What did you think of Only Child by Casey Kelleher? Did you guess who did it? Share your thoughts in the comments below.