Whatever Happened to Maryanna

by Joseph Lewis Tamone

Fifteen-year-old Maryanna Duncard’s life is a delicate balance of school and trying to steer clear of her abusive dad, Ethan. When she meets Faron, their connection quickly ignites her life, and they fall deeply in love.Maryanna is over the moon, and things are going well. Her future looks bright. Until, that is, her father catches them in her room one fateful night and hunts Maryanna’s first love down in cold blood with his Winchester repeater.Maryanna turns to the police who, for some strange reason, refuse to believe a word she says. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, they claim Faron’s murder was just a horrific accident.On the run now and fearful for her life, Maryanna must learn how to survive on her own in a cruel world that has taught her to trust no one.The next years force her into a downward spiral that almost takes her life. Along the way, she meets a new friend, James, and her journey to love again leads her somewhere she never expected.Can Maryanna learn to take control of the darkness she carries within, or will it devour her before she can claim her happy ending?

473 pages, Paperback

Published March 17, 2024

About the author

Joseph Lewis Tamone is an author who published his first book, The Fusion World Project, in 2018. Despite getting a degree in Environmental Engineering in 2013, Joseph has always found an escape in his quirky imagination which lent its way to a passion for literature.

Joseph is an avid animal lover and history buff. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware with his wife, Erica, their five dogs, Ace (pictured), Mya, Pein, Ramsay, and Raiden, his three cats, Reese, Rorie, and Shiro, his loudmouthed conure, Rambo, and just way too many reptiles.

Reviews

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her dad is really cruel to her and she finally find the love of her life. Her dad will find them together and he will kill them in cold blood. She goes to the police who do not believe her. How will she deal with it? Can she get justice? How will she get it? See how she gets on
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and I want to review

[BAM xo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was provided with this book by HiddenGemsBooks.

This story was breathtakingly beautiful. It was dark, twisty and a hard cold reminder to the fact that the world isn't all rainbows and butterflies. We cannot just sweep everything under the rug and pretend it isn't happening.

Tamones use of a modern day world setting, was comfortable and allowed me to relate to the portrayed environment, the descriptions and areas mentioned sounded intense and realistic, I've never been anywhere outside of the UK. So I'm unfamiliar with how things really are elsewhere, it felt believable and many of the locations I hope to never ever visit.

The characters had my heart breaking at every twist and turn. The FMC was dealt a truly awful hand in life. I felt so much empathy towards her, I found myself with leaky eyes throughout the book.
We come across a few MMC across the story, after tragic events occur. I know that's not a common occurrence in a book. So just go with me on this. It made me very greatful for the fact it was in third person POV, because I don't think my poor heart could have handled hearing all the trauma from each characters POV. My soul would be crushed.

There are several very deep sensitive themes throughout this book, so it isn't suitable for most people. But it also has a strength running throughout the story too, which keeps you going page after page.

I found the theme of the book running very close to my heart, as I have loved ones who have been affected by substance abuse, DV, suicide, etc.
I loved how Tamone was able to portray these elements while still keeping this as a thriller fiction. It felt so realistic, I wondered if he took similar personal circumstance and expressed that with us all.

During the book, we are met with poetry. It's a common element throughout. I enjoyed this quite alot, the FMC used this as an expression of self/escape from reality.

There were several inconsistencies I found while reading, along with some grammatical errors, that should be addressed, because it creates weird plot holes.

Overall, I found the story a deep, intense and refreshing break from my usual fantasy reads.
It is definitely worthy of my 4⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating.

Favourite Quote:
"I walk with my darkness, but I also walk with the light."

A reminder that things are always better balanced in life. We can do both of those things and still be the same person. ❤️

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Whatever Happened to Maryanna is well-written but painful to read realistic fiction. Maryanna, 15, falls in love with Faron, a boy at school. Their love story is a beautiful depiction of teenage love. Sadly, it ends tragically. Then everything spirals out of control.

Trigger warnings: There are depictions of abuse, being a runaway, and dangerous situations.

Maryanna's family doesn't have a lot, but they make do. Her mother, Lola, is a waitress and her father is unemployed for medical reasons. Lola's great. She and Maryanna are close, but the dad, Ethan, is sick in the head. He calls Maryanna "Girl". Not, "Hey, girl," but "Girl". He's abusive and possibly paranoid. He might also abuse alcohol. Whatever's wrong with him, I don't know, but he's dangerous.

Tragedy strikes and the police aren't helpful. So, nobody does anything about Ethan. There's a lot of physical abuse at home, then tragedy strikes again. Then she's on her own. Maryanna does technically have a support system, but she doesn't know what to do, and she's too scared to go home.

This book is well-written, and it's a great story, but it's hard to read. I loved Maryanna. I loved all the characters except Ethan. I do recommend Whatever Happened to Maryanna, but you've got to know beforehand what you're getting into. This book is not for the faint of heart.

[Mik Wasiak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the drama and emotions of story a good read