What do you think?
Rate this book
The Second Life of Ava Rivers
THREE STARRED REVIEWS
"Remarkable."-- VOYA
"Genre-defying."-- Booklist
"Deeply compelling."-- BCCB
"A beautiful, moving, and thoughtful story about how far we're willing to go for family."
-Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces
Vera Rivers' life is split in before her twin sister Ava disappeared twelve years ago and after.
Before was hot Junes and ice cream trucks, dancing in sprinklers, loud Christmas mornings and pancakes on Saturdays. The after is everything police officers, investigators, tips, theories, leads, but never any answers. The case made headlines, shocked Vera's Northern California community, and turned her family into tragic celebrities.
Now, at eighteen, Vera is counting down the days until she starts her new life at college in Portland, Oregon, far away from the dark cloud she and her family have lived under for twelve years. But all that changes when a girl shows up at the local hospital.
Her name is Ava Rivers and she wants to go home.
Ava's return begins to mend the fractures in the Rivers family. Vera and Ava's estranged older brother returns. Vera reconnects with Max, the sweet, artistic boy from her childhood. Their parents smile again. But the questions Where was Ava all these years? And who is she now?
Powerful and gripping, The Second Life of Ava Rivers is equal parts thriller, mystery, and haunting meditation on grief, family, and forgiveness.
"Remarkable."-- VOYA
"Genre-defying."-- Booklist
"Deeply compelling."-- BCCB
"A beautiful, moving, and thoughtful story about how far we're willing to go for family."
-Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces
Vera Rivers' life is split in before her twin sister Ava disappeared twelve years ago and after.
Before was hot Junes and ice cream trucks, dancing in sprinklers, loud Christmas mornings and pancakes on Saturdays. The after is everything police officers, investigators, tips, theories, leads, but never any answers. The case made headlines, shocked Vera's Northern California community, and turned her family into tragic celebrities.
Now, at eighteen, Vera is counting down the days until she starts her new life at college in Portland, Oregon, far away from the dark cloud she and her family have lived under for twelve years. But all that changes when a girl shows up at the local hospital.
Her name is Ava Rivers and she wants to go home.
Ava's return begins to mend the fractures in the Rivers family. Vera and Ava's estranged older brother returns. Vera reconnects with Max, the sweet, artistic boy from her childhood. Their parents smile again. But the questions Where was Ava all these years? And who is she now?
Powerful and gripping, The Second Life of Ava Rivers is equal parts thriller, mystery, and haunting meditation on grief, family, and forgiveness.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 28, 2018
1050 people are currently reading
5330 people want to read
About the author
Faith Gardner
20 books911 followersFaith Gardner is the author of adult suspense and YA novels. She lives in the Bay Area with her family.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 348 reviews
April 27, 2023
My kindle version of this book are full of highlights since the prose was beautiful. Gardner writes beautifully and infuses emotions into everything that happens. She could have written about peeling a banana, and I’m sure it would have been profound. This story doesn’t necessarily stand out although there is suspense and mystery, but it feels different since you really, truly care about the characters and it feels so real. I absolutely loved this book, and highly recommend it.
August 28, 2018
"Maybe joy is even more potent when you've known the depth of its opposite."
What a ride. I read this book in under 24 hours, that's how compelling it was. I expected it to be way different though.
On a Halloween night 12 years ago Ava Rivers disappeared without a trace. Her family has been a mess ever since. Her mother has thrown herself into organising fundraisers, search parties and soup kitchens. Her father has buried himself in the cellar, reading books on kidnappings and following every new lead and her brother has drowned himself in alcohol and other drugs. They all blame themselves for Ava's disappearance. So does Vera, her twin sister. She has been the twin sister of a famous ghost girl ever since that night. And she has long given up hope. Until Ava turns up, bruised and broken, but alive. She has been kept in an attic for all these years and can hardly remember a life before the attic. Old wounds will close and the Riverses can finally be a family again. But everything is not as easy and happy as it seems.
As I said, it took me less than a day to read this book. The chapters were short, the pacing was well done and the plot was well developed. I knew something was off, knew that there would be some kind of plot twist at the end but I could not figure it out. I am still a bit blown away by it all. It was unexpected. I cannot say that I liked it, but I also did not hate it. I wished the ending/the twist would have developed differently, though.
I kept getting surprised by the writing - in a good way. I thought this book would be much darker and dab into the mystery or thriller genre. Don't get me wrong, the overall topic is dark as it is - kidnapping, rape, abuse - but the light tone and the likeable and often funny main character took away some of its heaviness.
The more YA novels I read that feature queer main characters without needing to emphasise or focus on their sexuality, the happier I get. I wish society would be as accepting and forward as YA fiction sometimes. The day that someone's sexuality stops being a big deal will be a happy one.
Thank you to PRH International and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book!
Find more of my books on Instagram
What a ride. I read this book in under 24 hours, that's how compelling it was. I expected it to be way different though.
On a Halloween night 12 years ago Ava Rivers disappeared without a trace. Her family has been a mess ever since. Her mother has thrown herself into organising fundraisers, search parties and soup kitchens. Her father has buried himself in the cellar, reading books on kidnappings and following every new lead and her brother has drowned himself in alcohol and other drugs. They all blame themselves for Ava's disappearance. So does Vera, her twin sister. She has been the twin sister of a famous ghost girl ever since that night. And she has long given up hope. Until Ava turns up, bruised and broken, but alive. She has been kept in an attic for all these years and can hardly remember a life before the attic. Old wounds will close and the Riverses can finally be a family again. But everything is not as easy and happy as it seems.
As I said, it took me less than a day to read this book. The chapters were short, the pacing was well done and the plot was well developed. I knew something was off, knew that there would be some kind of plot twist at the end but I could not figure it out. I am still a bit blown away by it all. It was unexpected. I cannot say that I liked it, but I also did not hate it. I wished the ending/the twist would have developed differently, though.
I kept getting surprised by the writing - in a good way. I thought this book would be much darker and dab into the mystery or thriller genre. Don't get me wrong, the overall topic is dark as it is - kidnapping, rape, abuse - but the light tone and the likeable and often funny main character took away some of its heaviness.
The more YA novels I read that feature queer main characters without needing to emphasise or focus on their sexuality, the happier I get. I wish society would be as accepting and forward as YA fiction sometimes. The day that someone's sexuality stops being a big deal will be a happy one.
Thank you to PRH International and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book!
Find more of my books on Instagram
August 24, 2025
5 STARS
At age six, Vera’s twin Ava goes missing Halloween night. For almost twelve years, the Rivers family barely functions. Their father retreats to the basement, rarely leaving the home. Their mother races from activities related to Ava and missing children. Older brother Elliot is lost in drugs. Vera can’t remember the last time she’s seen him. And Vera fades into the background, eager to move to Portland to start college.
Faith Gardner’s gorgeous writing made frequently me pause and reread passages. I felt as though I was inside Vera’s skin, feeling her emotions throughout the book. Everyone should have a sister as loving as Vera. She’s strong, yet vulnerable. She doesn’t tell you about her great sense of humor, she shows you in her quips. Before the kidnapping, Ava had been the animated, attention grabber. Vera, content in her sister’s shadow, stands up to her twin that fateful Halloween with disastrous consequences. Ava was so damaged, broken by her years in captivity, a survivor with years of healing ahead of her.
I enjoy kidnapped/returned stories and have twenty-one in my kindle collection. THE SECOND LIFE OF AVA RIVERS is among the best with unique components (can’t say which, you’ll know when you finish). There were a few unanswered questions, clues I wanted more information about. I don’t want to say more about the plot for fear of spoiling. Don’t read too many reviews before starting.
THE SECOND LIFE OF AVA RIVERS is more contemporary than a mystery. I wouldn’t use the word thriller, although the ending is suspenseful.
I’m anxious to read Gardner’s review, Perdita and will automatically preorder her next book.
The narrator for the audiobook sounds more like a 40 year old woman than an older teen. She doesn’t read voices well.
At age six, Vera’s twin Ava goes missing Halloween night. For almost twelve years, the Rivers family barely functions. Their father retreats to the basement, rarely leaving the home. Their mother races from activities related to Ava and missing children. Older brother Elliot is lost in drugs. Vera can’t remember the last time she’s seen him. And Vera fades into the background, eager to move to Portland to start college.
Faith Gardner’s gorgeous writing made frequently me pause and reread passages. I felt as though I was inside Vera’s skin, feeling her emotions throughout the book. Everyone should have a sister as loving as Vera. She’s strong, yet vulnerable. She doesn’t tell you about her great sense of humor, she shows you in her quips. Before the kidnapping, Ava had been the animated, attention grabber. Vera, content in her sister’s shadow, stands up to her twin that fateful Halloween with disastrous consequences. Ava was so damaged, broken by her years in captivity, a survivor with years of healing ahead of her.
I enjoy kidnapped/returned stories and have twenty-one in my kindle collection. THE SECOND LIFE OF AVA RIVERS is among the best with unique components (can’t say which, you’ll know when you finish). There were a few unanswered questions, clues I wanted more information about. I don’t want to say more about the plot for fear of spoiling. Don’t read too many reviews before starting.
THE SECOND LIFE OF AVA RIVERS is more contemporary than a mystery. I wouldn’t use the word thriller, although the ending is suspenseful.
I’m anxious to read Gardner’s review, Perdita and will automatically preorder her next book.
The narrator for the audiobook sounds more like a 40 year old woman than an older teen. She doesn’t read voices well.
May 24, 2023
Hmmm, I'm going to go ahead and rate this as "Fine, but..."
I kind of got the impression that this was going to be a thriller or suspense: told from the POV of a teen girl, Vera, whose twin sister Ava went missing when they were 6. After 12 years of no hope, the missing girl is suddenly found, and the family has to deal with the aftermath of having their long lost daughter/sister again. But who has she become in that time, and where has she been.....? I felt like there was an implied "Dun, dun, DUNNN!!" in the description that hinted to a more thrilling story.
But...it wasn't. It was mostly a story about *Family Relationships and Feelings*. Hm. Not quite what I thought I signed up for. As an emotional story about a sister being reunited with her long lost twin, I guess it was fine, just not for me.
The ending however
So, an OK book, but lacking in some areas for me.
I kind of got the impression that this was going to be a thriller or suspense: told from the POV of a teen girl, Vera, whose twin sister Ava went missing when they were 6. After 12 years of no hope, the missing girl is suddenly found, and the family has to deal with the aftermath of having their long lost daughter/sister again. But who has she become in that time, and where has she been.....? I felt like there was an implied "Dun, dun, DUNNN!!" in the description that hinted to a more thrilling story.
But...it wasn't. It was mostly a story about *Family Relationships and Feelings*. Hm. Not quite what I thought I signed up for. As an emotional story about a sister being reunited with her long lost twin, I guess it was fine, just not for me.
The ending however
So, an OK book, but lacking in some areas for me.
June 10, 2019
I've found a new favourite.
The Second Life of Ava Rivers is such a gripping story that kept me invested. I couldn't stop reading. And the writing....the writing. Gorgeous. I could read chapters and chapters of all the beautiful metaphors Faith Gardner blesses us with in this book.
The characters were all so lovable and I fell in love with them. Vera is such a selfless, strong woman, who doesn't deserve the cards she's been dealt in life. My girl deserves the world. I love her so much.
This story also ripped my hart out and stomped on it, which is something that I tend to avoid, but it was worth it. I would cry with these characters any day.
I can't imagine this story leaving me any time soon. It'll be staying with me for a while.
The Second Life of Ava Rivers is such a gripping story that kept me invested. I couldn't stop reading. And the writing....the writing. Gorgeous. I could read chapters and chapters of all the beautiful metaphors Faith Gardner blesses us with in this book.
The characters were all so lovable and I fell in love with them. Vera is such a selfless, strong woman, who doesn't deserve the cards she's been dealt in life. My girl deserves the world. I love her so much.
This story also ripped my hart out and stomped on it, which is something that I tend to avoid, but it was worth it. I would cry with these characters any day.
I can't imagine this story leaving me any time soon. It'll be staying with me for a while.
October 2, 2018
I was totally into this up until the end . I think this is third YA book I've read in the past few years that have the same plot line right down to the end so that was a bit of a let down. However I did like Vera and I liked that her family wasn't perfect (even after her sister was found). That felt really relatable.
January 7, 2019
Wow this book was quite the emotional read for me. It’s a story about grief and forgiveness; how many different forms it can take. In the form of grieving for a person who never was, in the form of forgiving themselves or not yet forgiving themselves but trying, in the form of how grief brings you closer to family but also drives you apart from family... I love Vera and the Riverses so much. I want to hug them and protect them.
What many people may not realize is that this book gives others who dealt with loss and grief (and to those still going through it) a comfortable space to feel their emotions and ***to relate***; this book / Vera gives these people a platform to understand grief... that talking about your pain with someone is healing. That it’s okay to seek for professional help, that it’s normal to feel lost and confused, that the notions of grief are different but doesn’t make your grief any better or worse than someone else (e.g. Vera’s father dealt with his grief by shutting himself away from the outside and adapting a life through internet means or Vera’s mother dealt with her grief by being active and doing charity work.)
What many people may not realize is that this book gives others who dealt with loss and grief (and to those still going through it) a comfortable space to feel their emotions and ***to relate***; this book / Vera gives these people a platform to understand grief... that talking about your pain with someone is healing. That it’s okay to seek for professional help, that it’s normal to feel lost and confused, that the notions of grief are different but doesn’t make your grief any better or worse than someone else (e.g. Vera’s father dealt with his grief by shutting himself away from the outside and adapting a life through internet means or Vera’s mother dealt with her grief by being active and doing charity work.)
December 6, 2018
This book was all over the place for me. The premise is interesting but I felt like the author was inconsistent in the main objective of the book. Is it a book exploring the issues of family relationships or is it a mystery? And she doesn't do either issue much justice. The mystery is highly predictable but gets bogged down by all the "relationship" stuff. And the relationship stuff drags on and on and on and the mystery sort of gets neatly wrapped up at the end. I didn't care for this book at all.
July 23, 2023
3.5⭐
…the bullet points
- ya mystery contemporary
- kidnapped girl
- a family hanging on by a thread
- splash of romance
- a slow-paced, get-to-know-you kind of story
I love Faith Gardner’s Jolvix Episodes which is an adult thriller series…so I thought I’d give one of her YA books a try since it was free. The author painted a bleak picture of a family broken by the tragedy of their missing daughter/sister really well but the pacing tended to get bogged down and it left me not wanting to pick this book back up. And the ending…I don’t know, I think I wanted a little something more.
...the score (out of 10)
- 6.57/10
- Opening ￫ 7
- Characters ￫ 7
- Plot ￫ 7
- Atmosphere ￫ 6.5
- Writing Style ￫ 7
- Ending ￫ 7
- Overall Enjoyment ￫ 7
…the bullet points
- ya mystery contemporary
- kidnapped girl
- a family hanging on by a thread
- splash of romance
- a slow-paced, get-to-know-you kind of story
I love Faith Gardner’s Jolvix Episodes which is an adult thriller series…so I thought I’d give one of her YA books a try since it was free. The author painted a bleak picture of a family broken by the tragedy of their missing daughter/sister really well but the pacing tended to get bogged down and it left me not wanting to pick this book back up. And the ending…I don’t know, I think I wanted a little something more.
...the score (out of 10)
- 6.57/10
- Opening ￫ 7
- Characters ￫ 7
- Plot ￫ 7
- Atmosphere ￫ 6.5
- Writing Style ￫ 7
- Ending ￫ 7
- Overall Enjoyment ￫ 7
April 4, 2020
I was very interested in this book because it reminded me of the tv series The Family, which is one of my favorites of all times, but I kept expecting this book to live up to my expectations and that wasn’t fair. This book had good writing style, good characters that didn’t feel like real people, just that, characters and a captivating plot that didn’t deliver, in my opinion. I just didn’t like it. I heard it was a fast read because the chapters were really short but even then, I was halfway done with this book and I was like what else is there to happen? I read a review where someone said this book was indecisive about being a mystery or a story about a family healing and I agree. I thought it was gonna be a mystery but then we had the whole ordeal with the family and I thought it was good but then it went back to being a mystery and both of them didn’t work well together. I really wish I had liked it because it has a lot of good things but it didn’t happen. Sadly.
January 9, 2018
Finally, a YA book I didn't hate! A page-turner about what happens when the sister who disappeared 12 years ago finally returns. I didn't want to put it down!
Two complaints: one, the OFT-perpetuated myth of "you can't report someone as missing until 24 hours has passed" (I consider this to be downright harmful, the more I see it in film and print); two, it was weird to me how many people smoked in this book.
Two complaints: one, the OFT-perpetuated myth of "you can't report someone as missing until 24 hours has passed" (I consider this to be downright harmful, the more I see it in film and print); two, it was weird to me how many people smoked in this book.
March 12, 2018
I loved every page of this book! I found myself thinking I knew the way the story would end in one chapter, and then realizing later I had been changing my mind about the ending after almost every other chapter! The relationships in this story were especially intriguing; I was particularly moved by the depth of complexity and bittersweetness in the relationship between Ava and Vera. I know I've found a good book when I want to know more about how the story plays out even after I've read the last page!
October 2, 2023
Oh my gosh, who's chopping onions? 🥹
This was so good. I love everything Faith Gardner writes. I had my doubts about this one at first but it moved me.
This was so good. I love everything Faith Gardner writes. I had my doubts about this one at first but it moved me.
October 31, 2018
The book is called The Second Life of Ava Rivers, but her sister Vera is the main narrator of the story. When six year old Ava disappeared without a trace on Halloween night, her twin sister Vera is left without her best friend. Between the guilty feelings of their twelve year old brother, who was supposed to be watching the girls, and her parents' descent into their own worlds of grief and anger, Vera is pretty much left to navigate the world alone. When the unthinkable happens twelve years later, will Vera be able to cope with changes in her world? How will the family dynamic differ from the time period before?
I was not a fan of the writing style, with its teenage lingo and choppy sentence structure. This was clearly a book meant for its target audience, YA, but it would have been better had the author stuck to writing fundamentals. The Second Life of Ava Rivers could have been a compelling story, but there were just too many plot points that were unrealistic and ruined the novel for me. The book just drifts from situation to situation, never really engaging the reader in a meaningful way. For the reasons listed above, I would be hesitant to recommend The Second Life of Ava Rivers.
I was not a fan of the writing style, with its teenage lingo and choppy sentence structure. This was clearly a book meant for its target audience, YA, but it would have been better had the author stuck to writing fundamentals. The Second Life of Ava Rivers could have been a compelling story, but there were just too many plot points that were unrealistic and ruined the novel for me. The book just drifts from situation to situation, never really engaging the reader in a meaningful way. For the reasons listed above, I would be hesitant to recommend The Second Life of Ava Rivers.
November 8, 2017
I loved a lot of things about this book but the narrator's voice was probably my favorite thing. Vera Rose has a lot of sharpness and irony to her, she's not a sweet and saccharine kind of heroine - but she is so intelligent and so emotionally intelligent, that you can't help but fall for her, at least I couldn't. The story is a great what-if, and touches on some really dark and difficult things without being overwhelmed by them. What if the long-lost other half of you just showed up one day, how are you supposed to "go back to normal" after all those years? This novel doesn't offer easy answers, it really allows the world to be as complex as it is, which I think readers, especially young readers, appreciate. I really loved it.
April 16, 2018
Faith Gardner has written another fabulous YA novel. Like her first, Perdita, this one is a page-turning thrill ride. Vera, our protagonist, is a complex, emotional character with a funny, ironic voice. Gardner's writing is all at once snappy and poetic, and her pacing is pitch perfect. I read this book in less than 24 hours; I couldn't put it down! And I'm still thinking about it, wishing I could read it for the first time all over again. As a Bay Area resident myself, this book is a wonderful, sometimes cutting, love letter to the region, and it was fun to get lost in geography with which I'm so familiar. Gardner is definitely one to watch for. I can't wait for her next book--it can't come soon enough!
November 26, 2018
I could not finish this book, and I paid 17 dollars for it. That’s saying something. Every character was so aggressively unrealistic (except for the main character, who was just boring) it made the book practically unreadable. Dialogue was absolutely painful. Plot was thinner than chicken broth. The writing was lazy and disenchanting. Overall, a big disappointment.
August 5, 2019
This is a brilliantly written "what if" thought experiment with many twists and turns and plenty of surprises. It has many levels and is intelligently weaved into a can't put down novel. Highly recommended.
February 23, 2020
Nicely written. I enjoyed the writing style and the story, overall. But that ending was like other books I’ve read about kidnapped children. How disappointing that at the end the story wasn’t original.
***SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER***
So at the end, this girl wasn’t Ava but a different abducted girl who pretended to be her.
And what happened to Ava? The night she went missing she had hid in an abandoned back yard inside a refrigerator to wait for her sister to find her. Well, nobody found her. Obviously, the police missed searching that particular spot, but 12 years later they had the common sense of checking it out and found Ava’s body. So.... for 12 years that place hadn’t been touch?
Another thing that made me dislike the book is that at one point, Ava takes her sister to the house where she was kept by some Jonathan. Days later, the sister goes to the house to confront the perv by herself. A man opens the door and tells her that he is Pete, that Jonathan died a week ago. She believes him. As she walks away, she looks back and sees a little girl behind the man.
Here I am like, “and doesn’t occur to you that the little girl could have been abducted too? You just see a child in the house of the man who kept your sister for 12 years and you don’t care?” I was really upset by this.
***SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER***
So at the end, this girl wasn’t Ava but a different abducted girl who pretended to be her.
And what happened to Ava? The night she went missing she had hid in an abandoned back yard inside a refrigerator to wait for her sister to find her. Well, nobody found her. Obviously, the police missed searching that particular spot, but 12 years later they had the common sense of checking it out and found Ava’s body. So.... for 12 years that place hadn’t been touch?
Another thing that made me dislike the book is that at one point, Ava takes her sister to the house where she was kept by some Jonathan. Days later, the sister goes to the house to confront the perv by herself. A man opens the door and tells her that he is Pete, that Jonathan died a week ago. She believes him. As she walks away, she looks back and sees a little girl behind the man.
Here I am like, “and doesn’t occur to you that the little girl could have been abducted too? You just see a child in the house of the man who kept your sister for 12 years and you don’t care?” I was really upset by this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2018
I don't even know what to think or how to rate this book.
I made it to page 504 on ebook, my heart broken the whole way reading. I loved the style; I couldn't put it down.
Until...the secret was revealed. Now I am disgusted. New plot? Nope. Amazing twist? Nope. I honestly thought this book was going to be new, that it was a fictionalized book of someone dealing with their twin having been kidnapped and returned - not necessarily a thriller or requiring a twist. Just a family learning to DEAL. But no. The author fell for the SAME PLOTLINE that EVERY other kidnapping book has. NO originality. I am so so so sad I wasted time reading this.
So for the writing I give it 3* because it really was fantastic, but negative 10* for this cheap trick. I am sick inside.
I made it to page 504 on ebook, my heart broken the whole way reading. I loved the style; I couldn't put it down.
Until...the secret was revealed. Now I am disgusted. New plot? Nope. Amazing twist? Nope. I honestly thought this book was going to be new, that it was a fictionalized book of someone dealing with their twin having been kidnapped and returned - not necessarily a thriller or requiring a twist. Just a family learning to DEAL. But no. The author fell for the SAME PLOTLINE that EVERY other kidnapping book has. NO originality. I am so so so sad I wasted time reading this.
So for the writing I give it 3* because it really was fantastic, but negative 10* for this cheap trick. I am sick inside.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2023
I am a huge Faith Gardner fan, but this Second Life is bleak. It feels like nothing good can come from this. The story is too sad. I want to be entertained but instead I am feeling dismal. Sorry, Faith. I love your other works.
January 13, 2024
Very excited to have found this author and look forward to reading more of her books.
June 20, 2023
I was 100% not expecting the plot twist!
Her writing flows well after the first few that set the plot. Her characters are complex and easy to relate to. I’m impressed with this free kindle unlimited pick!
Her writing flows well after the first few that set the plot. Her characters are complex and easy to relate to. I’m impressed with this free kindle unlimited pick!
September 20, 2018
“You ever felt like you’re living in a Lifetime movie?” At least twice, the book’s characters gave reference to movies adapted from real-life kidnapped girls in Lifetime. As a person who had a fair share of watching movies the likes of "Girl in the Box" and "I Am Elizabeth Smart", I may say so that yes, “The Second Life of Ava Rivers” felt somewhat like a Lifetime movie in book form. And no, I am not saying that it is a bad thing.
The book is narrated by Vera Rivers. She is the fraternal twin sister of the titular Ava Rivers. For a long time, the shadow of Ava’s disappearance loomed large on the Rivers’ household and every member folded into each of their own despair. Dad quit his marketing job and became a basement hermit running the PR back-end of the case including the website FindAvaRivers.com. Mom became the front person and aside from bringing out fresh flyers on a regular basis, she became very involved with volunteer work. Guilt-wracked older brother Elliot decided to lead a gypsy life and is possibly a druggie. Vera practically became a furniture in her own house. Every year on Ava’s birthday, which is of course Vera’s birthday too, the family gathers in a tradition of flying balloons with sweet notes meant for Ava.
At the beginning of the book, Vera is low-key thrilled to leave soon for college in Portland. The future is such a promise, a sweet offer to bury a tragic past. But the past doesn’t wanna seem to let up that easy because just as she is packed up and has barely a week to go, Ava is found alive. She was kept captive all these years in some stranger’s attic.
The book has mystery elements blended well into a family drama. Having your family’s back is a large chunk of what the book is about. The dysfunction that has become of the Rivers house is transformed into a well-coordinated team effort to make Ava recover and well-adjusted back to their family. Vera, for one, selflessly decided to defer her enrollment to college to help Ava in almost everything. I’ve never expected to like such a passive character such as Vera. What she lacks in verve, she makes up for genuine kindness. At first, I felt that it was an odd choice to narrate from Vera’s point of view but coming now from having finished the book already, I say it’s this choice that made it effective on unraveling of what’s become of Ava Rivers.
Ava Rivers’ resilience and child-like wonder to the real world is an amalgamation of the Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay duo in another kidnapped girl film, the well-acclaimed “Room”. (I’ve watched the film but never read the book yet.) She is those two characters rolled into one and something else. That something else is what Vera (and the reader) has to figure out. While reading, I know that there’s more to what Ava is letting up but I just cannot put my finger on it. I had my guess and I thought I already knew what’s what, but the book managed to keep its secret from me before proper reveal time. And that’s one reason that made this book an enjoyable mystery read for me.
Each chapter is brief so a focus-deficient reader like me did not wear out easily. The writing is concise with graceful touches to it. Here’s a quote expressing the fragility of Ava’s recovery: “The facade of recovery, of healing is so delicate. Each joy, each horror so fleeting.” And here’s an empowering line about overcoming a painful ordeal: “Monsters live, monsters die, but survivors? They survive.” So yes the book may or may not be bordering the territory of a cheesy Lifetime TV flick, but the really important thing to note here is that I ate it all up and I liked it.
The book is narrated by Vera Rivers. She is the fraternal twin sister of the titular Ava Rivers. For a long time, the shadow of Ava’s disappearance loomed large on the Rivers’ household and every member folded into each of their own despair. Dad quit his marketing job and became a basement hermit running the PR back-end of the case including the website FindAvaRivers.com. Mom became the front person and aside from bringing out fresh flyers on a regular basis, she became very involved with volunteer work. Guilt-wracked older brother Elliot decided to lead a gypsy life and is possibly a druggie. Vera practically became a furniture in her own house. Every year on Ava’s birthday, which is of course Vera’s birthday too, the family gathers in a tradition of flying balloons with sweet notes meant for Ava.
At the beginning of the book, Vera is low-key thrilled to leave soon for college in Portland. The future is such a promise, a sweet offer to bury a tragic past. But the past doesn’t wanna seem to let up that easy because just as she is packed up and has barely a week to go, Ava is found alive. She was kept captive all these years in some stranger’s attic.
The book has mystery elements blended well into a family drama. Having your family’s back is a large chunk of what the book is about. The dysfunction that has become of the Rivers house is transformed into a well-coordinated team effort to make Ava recover and well-adjusted back to their family. Vera, for one, selflessly decided to defer her enrollment to college to help Ava in almost everything. I’ve never expected to like such a passive character such as Vera. What she lacks in verve, she makes up for genuine kindness. At first, I felt that it was an odd choice to narrate from Vera’s point of view but coming now from having finished the book already, I say it’s this choice that made it effective on unraveling of what’s become of Ava Rivers.
Ava Rivers’ resilience and child-like wonder to the real world is an amalgamation of the Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay duo in another kidnapped girl film, the well-acclaimed “Room”. (I’ve watched the film but never read the book yet.) She is those two characters rolled into one and something else. That something else is what Vera (and the reader) has to figure out. While reading, I know that there’s more to what Ava is letting up but I just cannot put my finger on it. I had my guess and I thought I already knew what’s what, but the book managed to keep its secret from me before proper reveal time. And that’s one reason that made this book an enjoyable mystery read for me.
Each chapter is brief so a focus-deficient reader like me did not wear out easily. The writing is concise with graceful touches to it. Here’s a quote expressing the fragility of Ava’s recovery: “The facade of recovery, of healing is so delicate. Each joy, each horror so fleeting.” And here’s an empowering line about overcoming a painful ordeal: “Monsters live, monsters die, but survivors? They survive.” So yes the book may or may not be bordering the territory of a cheesy Lifetime TV flick, but the really important thing to note here is that I ate it all up and I liked it.
September 13, 2018
This is probably my most enjoyed straight thriller. I did have a theory from the beginning that turned out to be right, but I like how it was revealed and wrapped up, so that’s ok. One issue I tend to have with thrillers is kind of being bored up til the last bit and then there’s lots of action - but this one, while not action packed to start, was an interesting build up. I felt invested in the narrators life, like had it just been about her and her adjustment and not a thriller/mystery at all, I think I would’ve enjoyed it. I liked the peek into how the family was broken by the disappearance of Ava when she was 6. How her twin sister Vera sort of became invisible because everyone was so busy worrying about Ava. I liked that we see Vera try to move on to adulthood, before everything is changed by the return of Ava.
July 28, 2018
The Second Life of Ava Rivers by Faith Gardner is a fantastic read that I can not recommend highly enough. It’s a poignant story of loss and redemption, sisterhood and joy, and ultimately about family. Gardner explores the treacherous bonds of familial love with humor and unpretentious grace.
Gardner paints a vivid picture of how grief and hope fight each other within a family. The characters are colorful and heartbreakingly human, especially the narrator, Vera, a young woman who navigates through life with a sardonic sense of humor. Her voice is relatable, yet fresh and unique.
The story is funny and sad, deeply moving without being clichéd, and one you won’t want to miss.
Gardner paints a vivid picture of how grief and hope fight each other within a family. The characters are colorful and heartbreakingly human, especially the narrator, Vera, a young woman who navigates through life with a sardonic sense of humor. Her voice is relatable, yet fresh and unique.
The story is funny and sad, deeply moving without being clichéd, and one you won’t want to miss.
October 6, 2018
So this was a ride. A sad, mysterious, beautiful ride. The story pulled me in from the start and even though I figured out what was happening before the book was even half over I was so invested and still hoping for a happy ending that I kept reading. I enjoyed having the perspective of the family of the victim and man did I feel for them. I spent a good chunk of the time waiting for the other shoe to drop and when it did my heart ached for everyone involved.
February 6, 2025
I wanted to scream because I knew as soon as her “sister” didn’t have ear piercings that she was a liar. A fake. Fraud.
So much of this story had gaping holes.
Any reader that is into “psychological” thrillers will see the spoiler a mile away. I really wanted to love this book.
I gave it 2 stars because I like the author.
There was a prologue available, I’ve chosen to skip it.
So much of this story had gaping holes.
Any reader that is into “psychological” thrillers will see the spoiler a mile away. I really wanted to love this book.
I gave it 2 stars because I like the author.
There was a prologue available, I’ve chosen to skip it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2018
A poignant, haunting story about being lost and found, about secrets, sisters, grief, and the redemptive power of forgiveness—THE SECOND LIFE OF AVA RIVERS will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page.
September 30, 2022
Wow. This book was heavy, beautiful and I couldn't put it down. Exploring the layers of grief surrounding an abduction, the drama was gripping. I will definitely be looking into other books by this author.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 348 reviews