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One Year Gone
A mother will risk everything to find her missing daughter in this twisty thriller from the author of Girl Gone Mad.
“Sometimes teenagers run away… Give her a few days. She’ll be back.”
That’s what the police tell Jessica Moore when her seventeen-year-old daughter, Wyn, vanishes. All signs point to this being true. But days become weeks. Weeks become months. And Jessica begins to fear the terrible truth—that she may never see her daughter again.
Then, one year later, when all hope seems lost, Jessica gets a flurry of text messages from Wyn that freezes her blood: mom. please help. i think he’s going to kill me. But Wyn’s terrified plea comes with a warning not to call the police. Her kidnapper wears a badge.
As Jessica’s fears are raised again, so are the stakes. Delving into the months leading up to Wyn’s disappearance, Jessica stumbles upon information that could put her own life in danger. With each revelation, the nightmare deepens. Now she must decide just how far she’ll go to bring her daughter home.
“Sometimes teenagers run away… Give her a few days. She’ll be back.”
That’s what the police tell Jessica Moore when her seventeen-year-old daughter, Wyn, vanishes. All signs point to this being true. But days become weeks. Weeks become months. And Jessica begins to fear the terrible truth—that she may never see her daughter again.
Then, one year later, when all hope seems lost, Jessica gets a flurry of text messages from Wyn that freezes her blood: mom. please help. i think he’s going to kill me. But Wyn’s terrified plea comes with a warning not to call the police. Her kidnapper wears a badge.
As Jessica’s fears are raised again, so are the stakes. Delving into the months leading up to Wyn’s disappearance, Jessica stumbles upon information that could put her own life in danger. With each revelation, the nightmare deepens. Now she must decide just how far she’ll go to bring her daughter home.
366 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 10, 2021
2649 people are currently reading
9808 people want to read
About the author
Avery Bishop
5 books403 followersAvery Bishop is the bestselling author of Girl Gone Mad, One Year Gone, and Dear Seraphina.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 942 reviews
February 22, 2021
You know what’s fun? Writing a review for a book that 98% of people so far liked or loved and trying to find the nicest way possible to be in the 2% that don’t. That’s fun. (Not really.)
Jessica Moore is a bar owner and mom of 17-year-old high school student and aspiring future singer/songwriter, Bronwyn (Wyn), in the small town of Bowden. When Wyn goes missing one night, it appears she’s run away. A year goes by with no news, when one day Jessica starts receiving intermittent troubling text messages from Wyn saying she’s in danger and that a cop, who’s name she doesn’t know, is holding her captive and the threat to her life is increasing. Can the local cops or Feds help find Wyn, especially if one of them is responsible?
The premise was so intriguing! Sadly, the follow-through just fell flat for me. Maybe I’ve read too many mystery/thrillers lately and I’ve become over-saturated with the tricks and tropes they offer, but I could never engage with this story from the beginning.
None of the characters, including functional alcoholic Jessica and even Wyn, were very interesting or likeable, so there wasn’t any true sense of menace or urgency in how the story played out. It also had your stereotypical mean popular high school girls/guys trope, which is so overdone.
Another big issue for me was editing. The author was overly descriptive where it wasn’t necessary, particularly for some reason where technology was concerned. Such as:
“My iPhone was dead - it was an older model and the battery life sucked - so I started the car and plugged it in. Soon it powered itself on, The Apple logo flashing on the screen, and then I saw the phone searching for service.”
And:
“I typed out a quick text - Hey, just wanted to check in - and hit the white arrow circled in blue to send it. I could see the message was trying to send; usually within a second or two it showed as delivered. Sometimes it took longer, depending on whether I had a good signal.”
That was nearly 100 words to mansplain how a phone works, and none of it added anything to the story. Editing was definitely in order.
The ending was the strongest part, but the journey to get there started feeling drawn-out and monotonous, with too many eye-rollingly improbable scenarios. It held a couple decent, unexpected surprises, but they didn’t have enough punch to make up for the preceding story and still fell into predictable territory for those of us who read a lot of this genre. Unfortunately, it also employed the standard Scooby Doo confessional trope that I despise. Stop. Please.
It’s a story that’s gotten mostly 4 and 5 star reviews, so I’m definitely an outlier on this one, and many of you will probably have a far better experience with it. It just didn’t work for me, but then again I overthink almost everything, so there’s that.
★★ ½ (rounded down to 2)
Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Avery Bishop for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This will be published on August 10, 2021.
Jessica Moore is a bar owner and mom of 17-year-old high school student and aspiring future singer/songwriter, Bronwyn (Wyn), in the small town of Bowden. When Wyn goes missing one night, it appears she’s run away. A year goes by with no news, when one day Jessica starts receiving intermittent troubling text messages from Wyn saying she’s in danger and that a cop, who’s name she doesn’t know, is holding her captive and the threat to her life is increasing. Can the local cops or Feds help find Wyn, especially if one of them is responsible?
The premise was so intriguing! Sadly, the follow-through just fell flat for me. Maybe I’ve read too many mystery/thrillers lately and I’ve become over-saturated with the tricks and tropes they offer, but I could never engage with this story from the beginning.
None of the characters, including functional alcoholic Jessica and even Wyn, were very interesting or likeable, so there wasn’t any true sense of menace or urgency in how the story played out. It also had your stereotypical mean popular high school girls/guys trope, which is so overdone.
Another big issue for me was editing. The author was overly descriptive where it wasn’t necessary, particularly for some reason where technology was concerned. Such as:
“My iPhone was dead - it was an older model and the battery life sucked - so I started the car and plugged it in. Soon it powered itself on, The Apple logo flashing on the screen, and then I saw the phone searching for service.”
And:
“I typed out a quick text - Hey, just wanted to check in - and hit the white arrow circled in blue to send it. I could see the message was trying to send; usually within a second or two it showed as delivered. Sometimes it took longer, depending on whether I had a good signal.”
That was nearly 100 words to mansplain how a phone works, and none of it added anything to the story. Editing was definitely in order.
The ending was the strongest part, but the journey to get there started feeling drawn-out and monotonous, with too many eye-rollingly improbable scenarios. It held a couple decent, unexpected surprises, but they didn’t have enough punch to make up for the preceding story and still fell into predictable territory for those of us who read a lot of this genre. Unfortunately, it also employed the standard Scooby Doo confessional trope that I despise. Stop. Please.
It’s a story that’s gotten mostly 4 and 5 star reviews, so I’m definitely an outlier on this one, and many of you will probably have a far better experience with it. It just didn’t work for me, but then again I overthink almost everything, so there’s that.
★★ ½ (rounded down to 2)
Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Avery Bishop for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This will be published on August 10, 2021.
August 9, 2021
One Year Gone by Avery Bishop
A year has passed since Jessica Moore's seventeen year old daughter, Wyn, disappeared. It looks like she may have run away and at her age, not much was/is going to be done to find her, despite Jessica's gut feeling that her daughter did not walk away from her life. Then, Jessica starts getting text messages from Wyn, begging for help because she's been in captivity for the last year.
The story is told with numerous timelines. There is NOW and then there are various dates leading up to the last time that Wyn was seen and through the time afterwards. The flashbacks aren't in order and they are seen though they eyes of many characters. Sadly, Jessica has had a drinking problem, continues to have a drinking problem, and she is running into brick walls when she tries to talk to people she is sure know more than they will say.
Wyn has been severely bullied at school but she's strong and won't bend under the bullying. As her best friend became embedded in the "In" crowd, they continued their friendship, which just made the other "In" teens bully Wyn more. Then Wyn's best friend is killed and Wyn knows it wasn't an accident. Thus triggers Wyn's day of very bad decisions, the day of the pep rally, and by that night, Wyn is never seen again.
The story is so long winded, each sentence seems long winded, and there are so many characters in the story, with it's alternating timeline and POVs, that reading it wore me out. I was so happy to be getting closer to the end of the story when it feels like we have a revolving door of characters and revelations popping out as if I'm at some carnival fun house. One reveal/twist after another, each one piled on top of the other, it was all too much for me. I'm so glad the story is over.
Publication: August 10th 2021
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.
A year has passed since Jessica Moore's seventeen year old daughter, Wyn, disappeared. It looks like she may have run away and at her age, not much was/is going to be done to find her, despite Jessica's gut feeling that her daughter did not walk away from her life. Then, Jessica starts getting text messages from Wyn, begging for help because she's been in captivity for the last year.
The story is told with numerous timelines. There is NOW and then there are various dates leading up to the last time that Wyn was seen and through the time afterwards. The flashbacks aren't in order and they are seen though they eyes of many characters. Sadly, Jessica has had a drinking problem, continues to have a drinking problem, and she is running into brick walls when she tries to talk to people she is sure know more than they will say.
Wyn has been severely bullied at school but she's strong and won't bend under the bullying. As her best friend became embedded in the "In" crowd, they continued their friendship, which just made the other "In" teens bully Wyn more. Then Wyn's best friend is killed and Wyn knows it wasn't an accident. Thus triggers Wyn's day of very bad decisions, the day of the pep rally, and by that night, Wyn is never seen again.
The story is so long winded, each sentence seems long winded, and there are so many characters in the story, with it's alternating timeline and POVs, that reading it wore me out. I was so happy to be getting closer to the end of the story when it feels like we have a revolving door of characters and revelations popping out as if I'm at some carnival fun house. One reveal/twist after another, each one piled on top of the other, it was all too much for me. I'm so glad the story is over.
Publication: August 10th 2021
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.
March 5, 2021
I have been thinking all day about what positive thing I can say about this book. What I came up with is, THIS BOOK HAS A BEAUTIFUL COVER!! Sorry but that’s the best I can do.
Wyn, age 17, has been missing for one year. Since her disappearance the police haven’t been able to establish that a crime has been committed. There is no evidence of foul play and the authorities tell her mother that sometimes kids just run away!
The novel is told from two POV’s, that of Jessica in the present and the voice of Wyn a year ago.
Her mother, Jessica, never married Wyn’s father, Joe. Although he now has a new wife and two young children, it appeared that he was still always a part of Wyn’s life.
There isn’t much in the way of background information on any of the characters BEFORE Wyn’s disappearance.
There is a rather large cast of characters, adults and teenagers, and the two timelines did not flow well for me. I thought it felt disjointed and took away from any tension I might have felt during the present timeline. I also think that the teenagers were so stereotypical that they felt flat and unbelievable. I mean, these kids were just 17, they were all binge drinking and hooking up???? I didn’t buy it !!!
Jessica is still searching for a forever partner. It’s during one night that she sleeps over with Stuart that Wyn goes missing.
Wyn is a hard girl to figure out. She is portrayed as the girl who doesn’t fit in. She isn’t part of the cool group, not a cheerleader or someone who throws big parties. The only reason she is accepted at all is because of her friendship with Taylor. Taylor died two months ago in a car accident, since then Wyn is no longer welcome with the “in” girls.
In this small town high school is portrayed more like it felt in the 60’s with the popular boys being the athletes and the popular girls cheerleaders. Come on, it’s 2021, girls have their own sports to compete in and don’t need to cheer for the boys.
Close to one year after Wyn’s disappearance Jessica gets a text from her daughter. It states that she is scared and needs help, that she is being held hostage by a man who she must call daddy and that he is a cop.
At this all heck breaks loose. Everyone gets involved in trying to discover where Wyn is texting from and why has it taken a year to hear from her, etc etc.
If you have gotten this far remember that no one is above suspicion. I like surprise endings, IF THEY ARE BELIEVABLE, this one was too over the top. There are so many loose threads, added conversations and descriptions that aren’t necessary. Editing may have made this more enjoyable.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.
The novel is set to publish on August 10, 2021
Wyn, age 17, has been missing for one year. Since her disappearance the police haven’t been able to establish that a crime has been committed. There is no evidence of foul play and the authorities tell her mother that sometimes kids just run away!
The novel is told from two POV’s, that of Jessica in the present and the voice of Wyn a year ago.
Her mother, Jessica, never married Wyn’s father, Joe. Although he now has a new wife and two young children, it appeared that he was still always a part of Wyn’s life.
There isn’t much in the way of background information on any of the characters BEFORE Wyn’s disappearance.
There is a rather large cast of characters, adults and teenagers, and the two timelines did not flow well for me. I thought it felt disjointed and took away from any tension I might have felt during the present timeline. I also think that the teenagers were so stereotypical that they felt flat and unbelievable. I mean, these kids were just 17, they were all binge drinking and hooking up???? I didn’t buy it !!!
Jessica is still searching for a forever partner. It’s during one night that she sleeps over with Stuart that Wyn goes missing.
Wyn is a hard girl to figure out. She is portrayed as the girl who doesn’t fit in. She isn’t part of the cool group, not a cheerleader or someone who throws big parties. The only reason she is accepted at all is because of her friendship with Taylor. Taylor died two months ago in a car accident, since then Wyn is no longer welcome with the “in” girls.
In this small town high school is portrayed more like it felt in the 60’s with the popular boys being the athletes and the popular girls cheerleaders. Come on, it’s 2021, girls have their own sports to compete in and don’t need to cheer for the boys.
Close to one year after Wyn’s disappearance Jessica gets a text from her daughter. It states that she is scared and needs help, that she is being held hostage by a man who she must call daddy and that he is a cop.
At this all heck breaks loose. Everyone gets involved in trying to discover where Wyn is texting from and why has it taken a year to hear from her, etc etc.
If you have gotten this far remember that no one is above suspicion. I like surprise endings, IF THEY ARE BELIEVABLE, this one was too over the top. There are so many loose threads, added conversations and descriptions that aren’t necessary. Editing may have made this more enjoyable.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.
The novel is set to publish on August 10, 2021
May 15, 2021
It’s not only girls who are mean.
Jess, a functioning alcoholic, is understandably devastated when her daughter, Wyn, disappears. The police assume she ran away. Given what has been going on with Wyn that leads up to the day of her vanishing, that could very well be the case...
...Until a year later, when Jessica gets a string of text messages from Wyn.
“Mom...please help...I think he’s going to kill me...”
I was a huge fan of Avery Bishop’s previous novel, Girl Gone Mad, and was initially very excited to read this one. However, it was mostly a letdown.
I never felt bored reading this, but the novel is wordy where it doesn’t need to be, and not descriptive enough where it should be. Besides Jess, none of the characters are likable or have much substance. I honestly didn’t even care too much about Wyn, which is not a good sign.
While there is some tension here and there, most of the book (besides some scenes with Jess) reads like YA, and I’m just not into that. Some of the characters really give a whole new meaning to the word, “mean”, and I felt so many actions were over the top and mostly unrealistic.
The final “twists” are excessive and fully unbelievable when all is said and done. I almost always enjoy stories with dual timelines, but this one bounced back and forth, and further back, and forth. There was too much yo-yo’ing. I almost got whiplash.
Despite that, I can see how this book would appeal to some readers. I think a bit more editing and maybe a darker tone would’ve made it more enjoyable for me.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on: 8/10/21.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
Jess, a functioning alcoholic, is understandably devastated when her daughter, Wyn, disappears. The police assume she ran away. Given what has been going on with Wyn that leads up to the day of her vanishing, that could very well be the case...
...Until a year later, when Jessica gets a string of text messages from Wyn.
“Mom...please help...I think he’s going to kill me...”
I was a huge fan of Avery Bishop’s previous novel, Girl Gone Mad, and was initially very excited to read this one. However, it was mostly a letdown.
I never felt bored reading this, but the novel is wordy where it doesn’t need to be, and not descriptive enough where it should be. Besides Jess, none of the characters are likable or have much substance. I honestly didn’t even care too much about Wyn, which is not a good sign.
While there is some tension here and there, most of the book (besides some scenes with Jess) reads like YA, and I’m just not into that. Some of the characters really give a whole new meaning to the word, “mean”, and I felt so many actions were over the top and mostly unrealistic.
The final “twists” are excessive and fully unbelievable when all is said and done. I almost always enjoy stories with dual timelines, but this one bounced back and forth, and further back, and forth. There was too much yo-yo’ing. I almost got whiplash.
Despite that, I can see how this book would appeal to some readers. I think a bit more editing and maybe a darker tone would’ve made it more enjoyable for me.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on: 8/10/21.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
August 10, 2021
Last September, it seemed like EVERYONE was talking about “The Harpies” from Avery Bishop’s book, “Girl Gone Mad”, so even though I have outgrown the “mean girl” trope, FOMO made me download a copy!
My review for that book stated that the chapters where Emily was an adult, had undeveloped subplots that I wanted to know more about, and that most of the book read like YA, but the author’s style was engaging.
So, when I saw a new offering about a mother who would do anything to find her missing seventeen year old daughter, I decided to give the author another try.
UNFORTUNATELY THIS BOOK IS MUCH OF THE SAME
We are reading, to discover WHAT HAPPENED THE DAY OF THE PEP RALLY, when Bronwyn (Wyn) disappeared.
We have Jessica’s (mom) POV in the first person, past and present (the only chapters I enjoyed at all).
Wyn has been gone a year, presumed to be a runaway, when Jessica receives the first text message: “mom” and then the second one, “please help”
The chapters alternate with Wyn’s POV, in the third person, leading us up to that fateful day.
Like with Girl Gone Mad, Wyn’s chapters read as YA, and explore the “mean girl” trope-AGAIN-complete with stereotypical high school football stars so good they are destined to leave small town America if only...and the Cheerleader clique, who makes life hell for any girl who didn’t make the team.
The story was predictable. I guessed every reveal except for the final one.
The final resolution-too over the top.
But, I was rooting for Wyn to be found because she won my heart when she took cute photographs of Uno, 🐶,( a dog living in the animal shelter where she volunteered who had been searching for his forever home for almost two years) and started a successful media campaign to get him adopted!
KUDOS to the author for supporting animal rescue!!
I think if marketed to a YA audience this book will have more success.
Those who have been around awhile, aren’t going to find anything fresh in this one to surprise us.
2.5 ⭐️ rounded down
Thank You to Lake Union Publishing for the gifted copy of this ARC, provided through NetGalley.
It was my pleasure to provide a candid review.
NOW AVAILABLE!
My review for that book stated that the chapters where Emily was an adult, had undeveloped subplots that I wanted to know more about, and that most of the book read like YA, but the author’s style was engaging.
So, when I saw a new offering about a mother who would do anything to find her missing seventeen year old daughter, I decided to give the author another try.
UNFORTUNATELY THIS BOOK IS MUCH OF THE SAME
We are reading, to discover WHAT HAPPENED THE DAY OF THE PEP RALLY, when Bronwyn (Wyn) disappeared.
We have Jessica’s (mom) POV in the first person, past and present (the only chapters I enjoyed at all).
Wyn has been gone a year, presumed to be a runaway, when Jessica receives the first text message: “mom” and then the second one, “please help”
The chapters alternate with Wyn’s POV, in the third person, leading us up to that fateful day.
Like with Girl Gone Mad, Wyn’s chapters read as YA, and explore the “mean girl” trope-AGAIN-complete with stereotypical high school football stars so good they are destined to leave small town America if only...and the Cheerleader clique, who makes life hell for any girl who didn’t make the team.
The story was predictable. I guessed every reveal except for the final one.
The final resolution-too over the top.
But, I was rooting for Wyn to be found because she won my heart when she took cute photographs of Uno, 🐶,( a dog living in the animal shelter where she volunteered who had been searching for his forever home for almost two years) and started a successful media campaign to get him adopted!
KUDOS to the author for supporting animal rescue!!
I think if marketed to a YA audience this book will have more success.
Those who have been around awhile, aren’t going to find anything fresh in this one to surprise us.
2.5 ⭐️ rounded down
Thank You to Lake Union Publishing for the gifted copy of this ARC, provided through NetGalley.
It was my pleasure to provide a candid review.
NOW AVAILABLE!
July 31, 2021
A mystery/thriller about a missing teenager, and her mother left behind trying to pick up the pieces a year later
Did 17 year old Wynn run away like the police say she did? When her mother Jessica Moore starts to get texts from her daughter asking for help a year later, she begins to question everything she thought she knew.
When I started reading One Year Gone I questioned some of the low ratings, because I thought it started quite strongly! I was intrigued by the interesting premise, and felt for Jessica as he tried to figure out if her daughter did run away, or if it was something more sinister. It seemed a quick and entertaining read! However, it soon started to unravel...
Firstly, the writing began to slowly irritate me, and by the second half I was skim reading the overly detailed description, which took far too long to over explain things-I think it needs a really good edit! There was also way too much looking back at the MANY characters involved the year before, when I wanted to find out what was happening in the present storyline.
I feel like this book would've been better marketed at American YA readers. Wynn's chapters in particular, delved into the town's teenager's lives, looking at bullying, mean girls/boys, crushes and small town footballers and cheerleaders. This has been so over done now, and the characters here felt like stereotypes of the American teenager to me. Are they really like this? They felt like caricatures! Urgh! I am too old to be reading about spoilt American footballers and mean girl cheerleaders, and have seen it way too many times!
None of the characters were particularly likeable! Wynn felt bland, and I didn't really feel an urgent need to find her, (cold hearted I know ☹) and Jessica, an alcohol dependent bar owner (real good career choice there..) irritated me! As for the other characters, the less said, the better!
The last 20% made me roll my eyes so hard because it was all so unrealistic, unbelievable, dramatic and over the top! I just did not buy that ending or explanation at all! I was kind of relieved when it finished, although the epilogue made me want to hurl 🤣🙈
Lastly, is anyone else sick of the villain(s) just conveniently confessing all to the main character like in a cartoon?!
So sadly, although this started out fairly entertaining, it ultimately disappointed me. But if you enjoy reading about the mean girl/boy trope, and don't mind it reading like a YA, then give it a go!
Available on 10th August 2021
Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review!
Did 17 year old Wynn run away like the police say she did? When her mother Jessica Moore starts to get texts from her daughter asking for help a year later, she begins to question everything she thought she knew.
When I started reading One Year Gone I questioned some of the low ratings, because I thought it started quite strongly! I was intrigued by the interesting premise, and felt for Jessica as he tried to figure out if her daughter did run away, or if it was something more sinister. It seemed a quick and entertaining read! However, it soon started to unravel...
Firstly, the writing began to slowly irritate me, and by the second half I was skim reading the overly detailed description, which took far too long to over explain things-I think it needs a really good edit! There was also way too much looking back at the MANY characters involved the year before, when I wanted to find out what was happening in the present storyline.
I feel like this book would've been better marketed at American YA readers. Wynn's chapters in particular, delved into the town's teenager's lives, looking at bullying, mean girls/boys, crushes and small town footballers and cheerleaders. This has been so over done now, and the characters here felt like stereotypes of the American teenager to me. Are they really like this? They felt like caricatures! Urgh! I am too old to be reading about spoilt American footballers and mean girl cheerleaders, and have seen it way too many times!
None of the characters were particularly likeable! Wynn felt bland, and I didn't really feel an urgent need to find her, (cold hearted I know ☹) and Jessica, an alcohol dependent bar owner (real good career choice there..) irritated me! As for the other characters, the less said, the better!
The last 20% made me roll my eyes so hard because it was all so unrealistic, unbelievable, dramatic and over the top! I just did not buy that ending or explanation at all! I was kind of relieved when it finished, although the epilogue made me want to hurl 🤣🙈
Lastly, is anyone else sick of the villain(s) just conveniently confessing all to the main character like in a cartoon?!
So sadly, although this started out fairly entertaining, it ultimately disappointed me. But if you enjoy reading about the mean girl/boy trope, and don't mind it reading like a YA, then give it a go!
Available on 10th August 2021
Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review!
February 22, 2021
Jessica’s daughter Bronwyn (Wyn) has been missing for a year. Wyn’s life prior to vanishing had been anything but easy and it’s assumed she ran away. As the year anniversary approaches Jessica is determined to discover as much as she can .... The story is told by Jessica and Wyn in varying timelines.
First of all, the positives. The first half is easy to read, it’s entertaining, the premise is good and the plot is engaging. Jessica’s perspective is portrayed well especially her fears and the impact Wyn’s disappearance has on her. Her determination to get to a resolution is clear despite the setbacks and shocks she hets about Wyn. Wyn’s humiliations and emotions especially surrounding friendships, or lack of, and certain events that are key to her vanishing are well depicted.
However, the constant backwards and forwards in time becomes a drag, it gets wearing and the storytelling becomes disjointed. There is a lot of irrelevant information especially from the past which just slows the pace. Wyn’s perspective is presented in the third person and I do get why but it doesn’t work as well as Jessica’s as it lacks the emotion it should or could have. The finale is when the twists come thick and fast but it’s too much, over the top and I just don’t buy into it as it seems way too unlikely. Is it’s just me or is the mean girl trope wearing a bit thin???
Overall, it’s an up hill and down dale read with parts I thoroughly enjoy but others that don’t resonate to the same degree.
3.5 rounded down
With thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union for the arc in return for an honest review.
First of all, the positives. The first half is easy to read, it’s entertaining, the premise is good and the plot is engaging. Jessica’s perspective is portrayed well especially her fears and the impact Wyn’s disappearance has on her. Her determination to get to a resolution is clear despite the setbacks and shocks she hets about Wyn. Wyn’s humiliations and emotions especially surrounding friendships, or lack of, and certain events that are key to her vanishing are well depicted.
However, the constant backwards and forwards in time becomes a drag, it gets wearing and the storytelling becomes disjointed. There is a lot of irrelevant information especially from the past which just slows the pace. Wyn’s perspective is presented in the third person and I do get why but it doesn’t work as well as Jessica’s as it lacks the emotion it should or could have. The finale is when the twists come thick and fast but it’s too much, over the top and I just don’t buy into it as it seems way too unlikely. Is it’s just me or is the mean girl trope wearing a bit thin???
Overall, it’s an up hill and down dale read with parts I thoroughly enjoy but others that don’t resonate to the same degree.
3.5 rounded down
With thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union for the arc in return for an honest review.
August 8, 2021
"One Year Gone" by Avery Bishop is more YA Genre than Women's Fiction.
Jessica Moore's 17 year old daughter, Wyn has disappeared. With no evidence of foul-play, the police have determined that Wyn is a runaway. That happens sometimes with teenagers, right? They just simply run away and disappear...
Then one year later, just as Jessica begins to come to terms with possibly never seeing her daughter again, the chilling text messages from Wyn begin! She is being held captive by an unknown man who plans to kill her. Jessica should not contact the police because Wyn believes her captor is a police officer!
With the threat to Wyn's life increasing how will the authorities handle the fact that Wyn's captor may be one of them? And, what lengths will Jessica pursue to finally find her daughter and bring her home?
Sadly, I didn't come across any likable characters in this story, not even one I could love to hate. The amount of characters seemed OTT perhaps because there were so many teenagers. The 'mean girl' and 'bad boy' character tropes were tired additions to this story, as well. So much about this book screams: 'YA genre'!
I like alternating timelines and POV's but I was confused by the two timelines in this story. This was especially true of the 'A Year Ago' timeline since theses chapters were not in sequential order. This timeline jumped A LOT!
A great premise is what leads to reading this book and I really wanted it to be a winner for me. Unfortunately, there were numerous issues working against it including believability, repetition and length of the story, the OTT descriptive writing and lack of editing. This one just wasn't for me.
Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Avery Bishop for an ARC of this book. It has been my pleasure to give my honest and voluntary review.
Jessica Moore's 17 year old daughter, Wyn has disappeared. With no evidence of foul-play, the police have determined that Wyn is a runaway. That happens sometimes with teenagers, right? They just simply run away and disappear...
Then one year later, just as Jessica begins to come to terms with possibly never seeing her daughter again, the chilling text messages from Wyn begin! She is being held captive by an unknown man who plans to kill her. Jessica should not contact the police because Wyn believes her captor is a police officer!
With the threat to Wyn's life increasing how will the authorities handle the fact that Wyn's captor may be one of them? And, what lengths will Jessica pursue to finally find her daughter and bring her home?
Sadly, I didn't come across any likable characters in this story, not even one I could love to hate. The amount of characters seemed OTT perhaps because there were so many teenagers. The 'mean girl' and 'bad boy' character tropes were tired additions to this story, as well. So much about this book screams: 'YA genre'!
I like alternating timelines and POV's but I was confused by the two timelines in this story. This was especially true of the 'A Year Ago' timeline since theses chapters were not in sequential order. This timeline jumped A LOT!
A great premise is what leads to reading this book and I really wanted it to be a winner for me. Unfortunately, there were numerous issues working against it including believability, repetition and length of the story, the OTT descriptive writing and lack of editing. This one just wasn't for me.
Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Avery Bishop for an ARC of this book. It has been my pleasure to give my honest and voluntary review.
November 8, 2021
Well, I hate to say it but this one felt flat.
One Year Gone's main character is Jessica Moore. She is an alcoholic who owns a bar!!! She had been happy in the little town of Bowden where everyone knows each other. She moved there with Joe, the father of her child Bronwyn (Wyn). They never married and now Joe is married with children of his own.
Jessica's life changes when her seventeen-year-old daughter goes missing after the pep rally at the high school. For a year Jessica has had no clues about the whereabouts of her daughter. The police believed her to be a runaway like so many other teenagers. Then Jessica gets a text from her daughter. She has been a hostage all this time and her capturer wears a badge.
Through the different timelines, we learned from Wyn and her secrets. Things she knows and things she hides. We are confronted with her bullies and we learned of what truly happened during the pep rally. From Jessica, we learned about the sense of loss and the desperate need to have her daughter back home.
However, all these were not enough to grab my attention or keep my enthusiasm. Worse, the ending was too unbelievable to be satisfying.
Cliffhanger: No
2/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Lake Union Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
One Year Gone's main character is Jessica Moore. She is an alcoholic who owns a bar!!! She had been happy in the little town of Bowden where everyone knows each other. She moved there with Joe, the father of her child Bronwyn (Wyn). They never married and now Joe is married with children of his own.
Jessica's life changes when her seventeen-year-old daughter goes missing after the pep rally at the high school. For a year Jessica has had no clues about the whereabouts of her daughter. The police believed her to be a runaway like so many other teenagers. Then Jessica gets a text from her daughter. She has been a hostage all this time and her capturer wears a badge.
Through the different timelines, we learned from Wyn and her secrets. Things she knows and things she hides. We are confronted with her bullies and we learned of what truly happened during the pep rally. From Jessica, we learned about the sense of loss and the desperate need to have her daughter back home.
However, all these were not enough to grab my attention or keep my enthusiasm. Worse, the ending was too unbelievable to be satisfying.
Cliffhanger: No
2/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Lake Union Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
August 5, 2021
One Year Gone by Avery Bishop is a mystery/thriller read. The story in this novel is told in dual timelines from different points of view. The story in the present follows the mother after her daughter has been missing a year and the past flashes back to the daughter leading up to the disappearance.
Jessica Moore has been barely coping the last year since her seventeen year old daughter, Wyn, went missing. Turning to the bottle to console her grief Jessica hasn’t totally lost hope that she will see Wyn again as the days turn into weeks, then months and now a year.
When Wyn didn’t come home the police were called but they came to the conclusion that Wyn had simply run away from home. Jessica has always felt that weren’t true though so when she gets a text from Wyn’s phone that indicates she may have been kidnapped and is being held Jessica is sure that her daughter will come home.
Alright, I’m not sure what it is lately with picking up thrillers that I can’t even decide how I feel about them once I get to the end. One Year Gone was yet another book that I flew through reading and while it had some flaws (one point I almost threw my Kindle in frustration) I still thought I was going to finish with a flurry and end up in the plus side of the ratings. However, the ending. I just can’t. I honestly thought wow, way to go BIG on this one. But uh, yeah I’m left with a why?? feeling that I can’t shake with so many things I keep picking at with the ending now that I think back. So this one is just getting the old three stars I don’t really hate it because I was engrossed as I read but I’m not sure I even liked it that much when I’m done either.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Jessica Moore has been barely coping the last year since her seventeen year old daughter, Wyn, went missing. Turning to the bottle to console her grief Jessica hasn’t totally lost hope that she will see Wyn again as the days turn into weeks, then months and now a year.
When Wyn didn’t come home the police were called but they came to the conclusion that Wyn had simply run away from home. Jessica has always felt that weren’t true though so when she gets a text from Wyn’s phone that indicates she may have been kidnapped and is being held Jessica is sure that her daughter will come home.
Alright, I’m not sure what it is lately with picking up thrillers that I can’t even decide how I feel about them once I get to the end. One Year Gone was yet another book that I flew through reading and while it had some flaws (one point I almost threw my Kindle in frustration) I still thought I was going to finish with a flurry and end up in the plus side of the ratings. However, the ending. I just can’t. I honestly thought wow, way to go BIG on this one. But uh, yeah I’m left with a why?? feeling that I can’t shake with so many things I keep picking at with the ending now that I think back. So this one is just getting the old three stars I don’t really hate it because I was engrossed as I read but I’m not sure I even liked it that much when I’m done either.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
October 11, 2025
I wanted to love this, since bishop always impresses. I’m not sure it’s because I’ve read too many missing child books, but I found it a bit too like every other book with that trope, and it made me disconnect a bit. I also didn’t feel so much after the ending, a very different reaction than to that’s not my name where I cried and felt heartbroken. I will still read her work; but this was not my favorite.
August 13, 2021
2 disappointing stars
Jessica owns a bar and is trying to navigate life after her 17-year-old daughter ran away a year ago. The book alternates with chapters from Jessica and those from her daughter, Wyn, and the events around a school pep rally one year ago. Wyn is an aspiring singer/songwriter but she suffers from stage fright. She has plans to sing a song at the pep rally in honor of her best friend who was killed in a tragic car accident. There are some themes of bullying with teen characters.
Jessica holds out hope that Wyn will come back one day and those hopes are bolstered when she gets mysterious texts from Wyn saying that she’s being held hostage. The police and FBI get involved and try to find Wyn before it’s too late.
I think this was a promising premise, but the execution fell flat. I found the timeline dragged and it seemed that we would never get to the end of the pivotal events. Many of the characters seemed stereotypical. The conclusion seemed over the top and not very realistic. Unfortunately, this was a disappointing read for me. I know some people have loved this one, but it did not work for me.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for the chance to read this one.
Jessica owns a bar and is trying to navigate life after her 17-year-old daughter ran away a year ago. The book alternates with chapters from Jessica and those from her daughter, Wyn, and the events around a school pep rally one year ago. Wyn is an aspiring singer/songwriter but she suffers from stage fright. She has plans to sing a song at the pep rally in honor of her best friend who was killed in a tragic car accident. There are some themes of bullying with teen characters.
Jessica holds out hope that Wyn will come back one day and those hopes are bolstered when she gets mysterious texts from Wyn saying that she’s being held hostage. The police and FBI get involved and try to find Wyn before it’s too late.
I think this was a promising premise, but the execution fell flat. I found the timeline dragged and it seemed that we would never get to the end of the pivotal events. Many of the characters seemed stereotypical. The conclusion seemed over the top and not very realistic. Unfortunately, this was a disappointing read for me. I know some people have loved this one, but it did not work for me.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for the chance to read this one.
August 11, 2021
I really enjoyed Girl Gone Mad last summer and have been looking forward to One Year Gone ever since.
When seventeen year old Wyn vanishes, her mother, Jessica, is told by the police that she’ll come back. Not to worry. When month becomes a solid year later, Jessica receives text messages from Wyn asking for help. She also reports her kidnapper is a police officer and tells her mom not to go to the police.
Jessica tries her best to piece it all together. She’s determined to find her daughter no matter the cost. There are two timelines to follow- now and the time leading up to Wyn’s disappearance. The tension starts in the beginning, and there’s a small town feel for the setting. The storyline definitely kept me guessing and wanting to know what happened to Wyn. Full of twists, One Year Gone is a fast-paced read I devoured in one compulsive sitting.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
When seventeen year old Wyn vanishes, her mother, Jessica, is told by the police that she’ll come back. Not to worry. When month becomes a solid year later, Jessica receives text messages from Wyn asking for help. She also reports her kidnapper is a police officer and tells her mom not to go to the police.
Jessica tries her best to piece it all together. She’s determined to find her daughter no matter the cost. There are two timelines to follow- now and the time leading up to Wyn’s disappearance. The tension starts in the beginning, and there’s a small town feel for the setting. The storyline definitely kept me guessing and wanting to know what happened to Wyn. Full of twists, One Year Gone is a fast-paced read I devoured in one compulsive sitting.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
August 13, 2021
Last year I devoured Avery's Bishops' Girl Gone Mad. I was really excited to read more and when the author reached out and offered to send me a copy of One Year Gone I was stoked! Thank you Avery for sending this all the way to Australia. I absolutely loved it, turning pages late into the night to find out what was going to happen.
As a mother to a year old girl, the thought of her going missing terrifies me. That is what happens to Jessica Moore. A year ago her daughter Wyn did not come home and hasn't been heard of since. The police say she ran away and won't put anymore resources into finding her. Jessica's life has become her work at her bar and then home to drink herself to sleep. But late on night she gets a text from Wyn that says:
"Mom, please help, I think he is going to kill me"
Where is her daughter? She immediately jumps to action to try to find her but who can she trust? Somebody in town must know something.
We hear the story from multiple points of view and timelines. I loved how we were drip fed information from the past to make sense of the present. The characters were not particularly likeable but I was desperate to know what happened. The more Jessica learns, the more danger she puts herself in.
It is an addicting read that will keep you guessing. One Year Gone is released August 10th and I highly recommend it.
As a mother to a year old girl, the thought of her going missing terrifies me. That is what happens to Jessica Moore. A year ago her daughter Wyn did not come home and hasn't been heard of since. The police say she ran away and won't put anymore resources into finding her. Jessica's life has become her work at her bar and then home to drink herself to sleep. But late on night she gets a text from Wyn that says:
"Mom, please help, I think he is going to kill me"
Where is her daughter? She immediately jumps to action to try to find her but who can she trust? Somebody in town must know something.
We hear the story from multiple points of view and timelines. I loved how we were drip fed information from the past to make sense of the present. The characters were not particularly likeable but I was desperate to know what happened. The more Jessica learns, the more danger she puts herself in.
It is an addicting read that will keep you guessing. One Year Gone is released August 10th and I highly recommend it.
July 19, 2021
One year after her 17 year old daughter Wyn (Bronwyn) disappeared Jess receives some alarming text messages from her.
Mom…..help me…..I think he’s going to kill me.
At the time of her disappearance it was believed Wyn had run away so the police response was not perhaps what it could have been. Now, Jess isn’t taking any chances, she will pull out all stops to find her daughter.
That’s pretty much the story. It is told from Jess’s POV in the present and past after the PEP rally and Wyn’s POV in the time leading up to the PEP rally, which is the night she disappeared. I have no idea what a PEP rally is but it’s held at the high school and is something to do with sport, I think. Poor Wyn had been struggling, particularly since the death of her best friend Taylor whose car slammed into a tree some weeks ago. Wyn aspires to be a singer-songwriter but, because she is not in the cool group at school, she cops a bit of flack for the songs she posts to her You Tube channel. But Wyn knows something about the night Taylor died and she plans to expose it in a tribute song to her friend at the PEP rally.
I won’t say anymore but it’s not a particularly innovative story. Like the author’s previous book, which I really enjoyed, it goes straight for the mean girls (and boys) trope and it is starting to wear a bit thin. I agree with other reviewers who though the chapters narrated by Wyn sounded very young adult and this is not a genre I go for. Apart from being too old for it, I find it all a bit over the top.
I was able to relate somewhat to Wyn as I was never in the cool group at school either but it never bothered me. I had my own group. Jess was quite relatable as well. The other characters though were various shades of devious. And the ending did not work for me - it was so melodramatic and over the top, it just spoiled what could have been a story full of pathos. I can’t imagine that level of cover up happening in real life. It was sad too but would have worked better for me without the melodrama. I mostly enjoyed reading it (when I wasn’t rolling my eyes) but it certainly wasn’t memorable. Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing a free copy which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
Mom…..help me…..I think he’s going to kill me.
At the time of her disappearance it was believed Wyn had run away so the police response was not perhaps what it could have been. Now, Jess isn’t taking any chances, she will pull out all stops to find her daughter.
That’s pretty much the story. It is told from Jess’s POV in the present and past after the PEP rally and Wyn’s POV in the time leading up to the PEP rally, which is the night she disappeared. I have no idea what a PEP rally is but it’s held at the high school and is something to do with sport, I think. Poor Wyn had been struggling, particularly since the death of her best friend Taylor whose car slammed into a tree some weeks ago. Wyn aspires to be a singer-songwriter but, because she is not in the cool group at school, she cops a bit of flack for the songs she posts to her You Tube channel. But Wyn knows something about the night Taylor died and she plans to expose it in a tribute song to her friend at the PEP rally.
I won’t say anymore but it’s not a particularly innovative story. Like the author’s previous book, which I really enjoyed, it goes straight for the mean girls (and boys) trope and it is starting to wear a bit thin. I agree with other reviewers who though the chapters narrated by Wyn sounded very young adult and this is not a genre I go for. Apart from being too old for it, I find it all a bit over the top.
I was able to relate somewhat to Wyn as I was never in the cool group at school either but it never bothered me. I had my own group. Jess was quite relatable as well. The other characters though were various shades of devious. And the ending did not work for me - it was so melodramatic and over the top, it just spoiled what could have been a story full of pathos. I can’t imagine that level of cover up happening in real life. It was sad too but would have worked better for me without the melodrama. I mostly enjoyed reading it (when I wasn’t rolling my eyes) but it certainly wasn’t memorable. Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing a free copy which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
August 13, 2021
I am a complete Avery Bishop fangirl. I enjoyed Girl Gone Mad so much that I googled the author, and was fascinated to find out it was a pen name for…a dude! Bishop writes women so well that I just assumed he was one. Then again, he writes psychos fantastically also and I don’t think he’s one of those. Hmmm. But I digress. Anyway, after reading Girl Gone Mad I listened to and LOVED Dear Seraphina, a short story on audible. Seriously, run, don’t walk to listen to this fun and creative chiller. So I was poised and ready for the next Avery Bishop hit almost immediately.
This book is a bit of a departure from the last two, as it is not about psychotic women doing batty things (which I must admit is my favorite genre). Rather, it is more of a ponderous character-driven drama reconstructing what happened to a missing girl from (primarily) two points of view. Bishop’s writing remains suspenseful and page-turning. The writing alone kept me entertained for the first third of the novel. But unfortunately I found I had trouble getting as invested in these characters as I did in Bishop’s previous two works and I found myself a little bored with both the mother Jessica and her missing daughter, which is a problem when they are the two main characters. I also was not as intrigued by this plot, perhaps because there have been so many of these missing girl books of late. I found the middle of the book slow, and it was not too difficult to see where things were heading regarding the missing girl, Wyn. By the time I reached the multiple twists at the end (Bishop ALWAYS delivers a twist or five) I found that to my disappointment I was not too invested in or satisfied by the outcome. Also, many facets of the ending were hard to believe and did not feel too real.
So in conclusion, while the book had entertaining moments, by the middle I was bored, and a bit sad I didn’t love this one as much as Bishop’s others. Now, am I still a fangirl, and would I still snatch up that next Avery Bishop novel sight unseen? Absofreakinlutely. A personal plea to Avery Bishop: more total, unabashed psychopaths, please. You’re SO good at writing them so deliciously and I think that’s what I was really wanting again here.
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing, NetGalley and the author for the ARC. (Also, don’t forget to go listen to Dear Serafina,)
This book is a bit of a departure from the last two, as it is not about psychotic women doing batty things (which I must admit is my favorite genre). Rather, it is more of a ponderous character-driven drama reconstructing what happened to a missing girl from (primarily) two points of view. Bishop’s writing remains suspenseful and page-turning. The writing alone kept me entertained for the first third of the novel. But unfortunately I found I had trouble getting as invested in these characters as I did in Bishop’s previous two works and I found myself a little bored with both the mother Jessica and her missing daughter, which is a problem when they are the two main characters. I also was not as intrigued by this plot, perhaps because there have been so many of these missing girl books of late. I found the middle of the book slow, and it was not too difficult to see where things were heading regarding the missing girl, Wyn. By the time I reached the multiple twists at the end (Bishop ALWAYS delivers a twist or five) I found that to my disappointment I was not too invested in or satisfied by the outcome. Also, many facets of the ending were hard to believe and did not feel too real.
So in conclusion, while the book had entertaining moments, by the middle I was bored, and a bit sad I didn’t love this one as much as Bishop’s others. Now, am I still a fangirl, and would I still snatch up that next Avery Bishop novel sight unseen? Absofreakinlutely. A personal plea to Avery Bishop: more total, unabashed psychopaths, please. You’re SO good at writing them so deliciously and I think that’s what I was really wanting again here.
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing, NetGalley and the author for the ARC. (Also, don’t forget to go listen to Dear Serafina,)
February 19, 2021
5 bright stars!!
What a roller coaster ride! After my last serious and emotionally draining read, this was just what I needed – a well thought out thriller!
A teenage daughter vanishes and it is assumed that she has run away. But her mother, Jessica, is not content with that conclusion. Her daughter wouldn’t just leave without telling her, would she? A year later, Jessica begins receiving texts from her daughter. Proof that she is alive! Now Jessica will stop at nothing to find her daughter.
The story immediately captivated me because I think this happens so many times when a teen goes missing. The automatic assumption is that she/he has run away. I loved that this book never took that option off the table, but also gave so many plausible alternate scenarios that I flip-flopped at least 6 times on what I thought happened. The author did a great job of leaving clues around, but not leading the reader to the answer easily. I had some suspicions, but I didn’t expect that ending and I love when that happens! This book did such an excellent job at keeping me interested and imagining different outcomes. I really enjoyed this read and definitely recommend! It would be a great buddy read – every few chapters you could discuss what you think is going to happen. Put this on your TBR list now!
The book will be out in August of 2021. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC through NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing. As always my opinions are honest and unbiased.
What a roller coaster ride! After my last serious and emotionally draining read, this was just what I needed – a well thought out thriller!
A teenage daughter vanishes and it is assumed that she has run away. But her mother, Jessica, is not content with that conclusion. Her daughter wouldn’t just leave without telling her, would she? A year later, Jessica begins receiving texts from her daughter. Proof that she is alive! Now Jessica will stop at nothing to find her daughter.
The story immediately captivated me because I think this happens so many times when a teen goes missing. The automatic assumption is that she/he has run away. I loved that this book never took that option off the table, but also gave so many plausible alternate scenarios that I flip-flopped at least 6 times on what I thought happened. The author did a great job of leaving clues around, but not leading the reader to the answer easily. I had some suspicions, but I didn’t expect that ending and I love when that happens! This book did such an excellent job at keeping me interested and imagining different outcomes. I really enjoyed this read and definitely recommend! It would be a great buddy read – every few chapters you could discuss what you think is going to happen. Put this on your TBR list now!
The book will be out in August of 2021. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC through NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing. As always my opinions are honest and unbiased.
August 4, 2021
Jessica Moore returns home one morning, to find her seventeen year old daughter Wyn isn't in her room, she hasn't left a note, and her clothes, guitar and car are all gone. Jessica knows something is seriously wrong, it's very out of character for her daughter Bronwyn to leave home and not tell her. The local police inform her teenagers run away all the time and she will come home when she's ready? No one has heard from Wyn, Jessica visits the supermarket where her daughter works, checks with the high school principal, her teacher's, asks her ex-boyfriend Aaron, and they know nothing!
Weeks go by, then months and it’s a year since Jessica last had any contact with her daughter and maybe she will never see Wyn again? Unexpectedly she receives a couple of text messages from Wyn, she’s being held captive, she needs help and the man who abducted her wears a badge.
Jessica contacts the local police, they bring in extra help and a special agent. Jessica also starts delving into the time prior to her daughter going missing, her ex-partner Wyn’s father Joe Hayden and his wife Emma have been supporting her, they live in a small town and someone must have seen something? When things don’t add up, little inconsistencies in people's stories and Jessica has no idea what she’s about to uncover, who’s involved, how many people have been lying to her, she’s putting her own life in danger, who can she trust and most importantly where's Wyn?
One Year Gone is a story about a missing teenage girl, the plot has so many twists and turns and it keeps you guessing until the very end. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review, I was totally hooked by the end of the first chapter, well done to Avery Bishop and five stars from me. https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
Weeks go by, then months and it’s a year since Jessica last had any contact with her daughter and maybe she will never see Wyn again? Unexpectedly she receives a couple of text messages from Wyn, she’s being held captive, she needs help and the man who abducted her wears a badge.
Jessica contacts the local police, they bring in extra help and a special agent. Jessica also starts delving into the time prior to her daughter going missing, her ex-partner Wyn’s father Joe Hayden and his wife Emma have been supporting her, they live in a small town and someone must have seen something? When things don’t add up, little inconsistencies in people's stories and Jessica has no idea what she’s about to uncover, who’s involved, how many people have been lying to her, she’s putting her own life in danger, who can she trust and most importantly where's Wyn?
One Year Gone is a story about a missing teenage girl, the plot has so many twists and turns and it keeps you guessing until the very end. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review, I was totally hooked by the end of the first chapter, well done to Avery Bishop and five stars from me. https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
February 27, 2022
“Mom...please help...I think he’s going to kill me...”
This is the message Jessica got from her daughter, Wynn, one year after her disappearance. The story alternates between Jess's point of view in the present and the POV from Wynn and Jess in the past.
One year ago, Wynn disappeared. All signs pointed to her running away, but her mother Jess had a hard time believing it. Searching for closure, she went through all of the typical measures of a desperate mother. Until one day, she gets this text message.
The book continues until we find out what really happened on the day of Wynn's disappearance and where she is now. This was an interesting premise of a story that could have been so much more. At times, the two timelines became disjointed, and difficult to determine which timeline you were in. This could be in part due to the fact I was listening to the book.
In the end, there is a concrete resolution, but I think it went one too many twists that were difficult to believe.
I listened to the audiobook and the narration was well-done.
At the time of this review, the book was available on Kindle Unlimited as an audiobook.
This is the message Jessica got from her daughter, Wynn, one year after her disappearance. The story alternates between Jess's point of view in the present and the POV from Wynn and Jess in the past.
One year ago, Wynn disappeared. All signs pointed to her running away, but her mother Jess had a hard time believing it. Searching for closure, she went through all of the typical measures of a desperate mother. Until one day, she gets this text message.
The book continues until we find out what really happened on the day of Wynn's disappearance and where she is now. This was an interesting premise of a story that could have been so much more. At times, the two timelines became disjointed, and difficult to determine which timeline you were in. This could be in part due to the fact I was listening to the book.
In the end, there is a concrete resolution, but I think it went one too many twists that were difficult to believe.
I listened to the audiobook and the narration was well-done.
At the time of this review, the book was available on Kindle Unlimited as an audiobook.
August 10, 2021
One Year Gone is a standalone suspense novel from the bestselling Avery Bishop. 17-year-old high school student Bronwyn "Wyn" Hayden has been missing for a year now from her small hometown of Bowden, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, there were very few leads, so the police had little to go on and now, nearing the first anniversary, the case is almost stone cold with no one searching for the missing teen. The police refuse to believe any other story than she had merely run away meaning that their desire to search wasn't present from the very first day she disappeared; this mindset is fuelled by the fact that Wyn’s life has been far from a walk in the park in her formative years and that this was the precipitating factor to her "escape". She had dreams of becoming a prominent singer-songwriter and her mother, Jessica, the proprietor of a bar, is now struggling to get through each day and restrain herself from drinking profusely to blot out the fact that she has no idea what happened to her young daughter. The uncertainty of not knowing whether she is alive or dead eats away at her from the inside out and she often ponders whether she will ever see her again, dead or alive; it really is like a form of sadistic torture.
Then late one evening, Jessica receives a frantic-sounding text message claiming to be from Wyn begging for help; this, of course, both terrifies and overjoys Jessica just to hear that her long-lost daughter is still seemingly alive and kicking. But when she visits the police and informs her ex-husband about the recent contact neither of them believes it to be her. They think it is merely a sick joke perpetrated by trolls. The texts keep arriving intermittently stating that Wyn has been in captivity all this time, that she is in grave danger and that the person holding her is a cop. It doesn't take long before Jessica's sanity is called into question, but nothing and no one will stop her from finding out the truth; after all, her precious Wyn may still be reachable. This is a compulsive, enthralling and emotionally fraught thriller with all the elements necessary to make it a real page-turner. Told from the switching perspectives of Wyn on the days leading up to her disappearance and Jessica’s present-day search for answers, this affecting, rapid-fire novel features rocketing levels of suspense and a plethora of possible suspects and motives. There are clues interspersed throughout and an explosive and deviously twisty ending which thoroughly satisfies.
Then late one evening, Jessica receives a frantic-sounding text message claiming to be from Wyn begging for help; this, of course, both terrifies and overjoys Jessica just to hear that her long-lost daughter is still seemingly alive and kicking. But when she visits the police and informs her ex-husband about the recent contact neither of them believes it to be her. They think it is merely a sick joke perpetrated by trolls. The texts keep arriving intermittently stating that Wyn has been in captivity all this time, that she is in grave danger and that the person holding her is a cop. It doesn't take long before Jessica's sanity is called into question, but nothing and no one will stop her from finding out the truth; after all, her precious Wyn may still be reachable. This is a compulsive, enthralling and emotionally fraught thriller with all the elements necessary to make it a real page-turner. Told from the switching perspectives of Wyn on the days leading up to her disappearance and Jessica’s present-day search for answers, this affecting, rapid-fire novel features rocketing levels of suspense and a plethora of possible suspects and motives. There are clues interspersed throughout and an explosive and deviously twisty ending which thoroughly satisfies.
June 14, 2021
I'm a huge fan of Avery Bishop. Girl Gone Mad and Dear Seraphina were both excellent reads! So I was very much looking forward to reading this book. It's not as good as Bishop's previous two efforts, which is really confusing to me. If this had been Bishop's first book, I could let a lot of things slide. But it's not, and Girl Gone Mad was written much better. This feels like a step back in that it feels like a completely different writer for the first half. The second half was great-pretty much on equal standing with Girl Gone Mad but I can't discount some of my gripes when I review this book. So I'm going to highlight what I liked and disliked.
Dislikes:
~There's so many unneeded lengthy descriptions of things. And this started very early on in the Prologue:
The town's name was Bowden. A rural town located in North Central Pennsylvania. The kind of town that's not big enough to have a Walmart, because there's a Walmart one town over, but still big enough to have two grocery stores, three banks, a bowling alley, a four-screen movie theater, a gun shop, a diner, and two restaurants, not to mention a McDonald's, A Burger King, and a KFC, as well as a Subway in the small strip mall that also hosts a gym and Chinese restaurant and nail salon and a Radio Shack that would one day go out of business, leaving behind the husk of a storefront sitting empty for years.
There's no need for this level of description. We all know what a small town looks like.
Additionally, there were multiple instances were iPhones, VPNs, varies technologies were overexplained.
There's so many examples of this wordiness, and it really hurt the pacing of the book in the beginning.
Thankfully, as the book progressed, this wasn't as much of a problem. But this book could do with a good edit before its publication.
~Another small gripe I have (and this is just a personal opinion) but the town being named Bowden and one of the main characters being named Bronwyn keep throwing me off because they sound so similar.
Likes:
About 30% in, the story shifted focus and stopped being so wordy. The pacing was much better and the story became something I was much more invested in. So, if you're reading and thinking about putting it aside, stick with it because it does get much better. The longer I read, the more I liked this book. It was engaging, keep me interested and I finished it in a day.
~I like the past/present narratives. Jessica is what you expect from these types of books-an unreliable alcoholic narrator. Nothing really new or fresh there. But Wyn's chapters really shined for me. What Bishop does very well is paint a vivid and realistic picture of teenage life, angst and the high school hierarchy.
Yes-I was totally that high school outcast. But reading things like this makes me glad I graduated high school before the age of social media.
~I liked the ending. Some parts were predictable, some parts were dynamic. But the ending was full of heartbreak, shock and a satisfactory (if a bit convoluted) conclusion.
The Epilogue I both like and dislike. I wish the fates of some of the characters had been fleshed out and explained. However, it was a sentimental and poetic conclusion that I did enjoy. (And I'm not the kind for sentiment).
I give this book a solid 3.5 stars.
I do feel like the demographic for this book may be off. Most people who read psychological thrillers have long graduated high school and can't fully relate to this kind of storyline. This is very much like a Karen M. McManus book and would appeal to a YA audience more IMO.
Overall, I'd say give this a try if you're a fan of Bishop's other work and/or are a fan of mature YA lit.
Dislikes:
~There's so many unneeded lengthy descriptions of things. And this started very early on in the Prologue:
The town's name was Bowden. A rural town located in North Central Pennsylvania. The kind of town that's not big enough to have a Walmart, because there's a Walmart one town over, but still big enough to have two grocery stores, three banks, a bowling alley, a four-screen movie theater, a gun shop, a diner, and two restaurants, not to mention a McDonald's, A Burger King, and a KFC, as well as a Subway in the small strip mall that also hosts a gym and Chinese restaurant and nail salon and a Radio Shack that would one day go out of business, leaving behind the husk of a storefront sitting empty for years.
There's no need for this level of description. We all know what a small town looks like.
Additionally, there were multiple instances were iPhones, VPNs, varies technologies were overexplained.
There's so many examples of this wordiness, and it really hurt the pacing of the book in the beginning.
Thankfully, as the book progressed, this wasn't as much of a problem. But this book could do with a good edit before its publication.
~Another small gripe I have (and this is just a personal opinion) but the town being named Bowden and one of the main characters being named Bronwyn keep throwing me off because they sound so similar.
Likes:
About 30% in, the story shifted focus and stopped being so wordy. The pacing was much better and the story became something I was much more invested in. So, if you're reading and thinking about putting it aside, stick with it because it does get much better. The longer I read, the more I liked this book. It was engaging, keep me interested and I finished it in a day.
~I like the past/present narratives. Jessica is what you expect from these types of books-an unreliable alcoholic narrator. Nothing really new or fresh there. But Wyn's chapters really shined for me. What Bishop does very well is paint a vivid and realistic picture of teenage life, angst and the high school hierarchy.
Yes-I was totally that high school outcast. But reading things like this makes me glad I graduated high school before the age of social media.
~I liked the ending. Some parts were predictable, some parts were dynamic. But the ending was full of heartbreak, shock and a satisfactory (if a bit convoluted) conclusion.
The Epilogue I both like and dislike. I wish the fates of some of the characters had been fleshed out and explained. However, it was a sentimental and poetic conclusion that I did enjoy. (And I'm not the kind for sentiment).
I give this book a solid 3.5 stars.
I do feel like the demographic for this book may be off. Most people who read psychological thrillers have long graduated high school and can't fully relate to this kind of storyline. This is very much like a Karen M. McManus book and would appeal to a YA audience more IMO.
Overall, I'd say give this a try if you're a fan of Bishop's other work and/or are a fan of mature YA lit.
July 8, 2022
*rubs forehead* I'm sorry, this was ridiculous.
September 15, 2021
Bronwyn Moore. Only known as Bronwyn by her parents and her birth certificate. Wyn is what her friends called her. Wyn was well known, kind of, but not what most at her school would call “popular.” She was a bit of an outcast, but desired by the mayor’s son and best friends with one of the most popular girls in school.
Best friends with the most popular girl in school, insert name here because I forgot it, whose death is overshadowed by Wyn’s disappearance. And so the story flip flops between Wyn and her mother Jessica’s point of view and the timeline of events. We get Wyn’s version the year prior in the days leading up to her disappearance and her mother's view in the present day, after one year gone.
Well, this was just not a good book. It tried. It really did.
I originally had this rated like 2.5 rounded up to 3 stars. But as I sat on it more, I realized it just wasn't good. The premise of the story...intriguing. The writing… bad. The characters.. meh. The execution… terrible. This book took the thriller genre and threw every twist imaginable at it and hoped at least one would be believable.
The book is just full of every young adult, mystery, and thriller trope you could imagine. Love triangle. Check. Teenage angst. Check. Mysterious deaths and disappearances. Check. Every single twist you could throw into one thriller. CHECK.
I usually break my reviews down into what I liked and what I didn’t like. Most times, the reason I don’t like a book is because of my own biases and I can genuinely recommend the book to someone that might enjoy it. I just can’t do it this time.
The saving grace of this book is that I was actually able to finish it. Not sure if it was more out of a “how bad can this get” motivation or truly wanting to know what happened to Wyn. However, I think this was a book version of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
*I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions included herein are my own.*
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Best friends with the most popular girl in school, insert name here because I forgot it, whose death is overshadowed by Wyn’s disappearance. And so the story flip flops between Wyn and her mother Jessica’s point of view and the timeline of events. We get Wyn’s version the year prior in the days leading up to her disappearance and her mother's view in the present day, after one year gone.
Well, this was just not a good book. It tried. It really did.
I originally had this rated like 2.5 rounded up to 3 stars. But as I sat on it more, I realized it just wasn't good. The premise of the story...intriguing. The writing… bad. The characters.. meh. The execution… terrible. This book took the thriller genre and threw every twist imaginable at it and hoped at least one would be believable.
The book is just full of every young adult, mystery, and thriller trope you could imagine. Love triangle. Check. Teenage angst. Check. Mysterious deaths and disappearances. Check. Every single twist you could throw into one thriller. CHECK.
I usually break my reviews down into what I liked and what I didn’t like. Most times, the reason I don’t like a book is because of my own biases and I can genuinely recommend the book to someone that might enjoy it. I just can’t do it this time.
The saving grace of this book is that I was actually able to finish it. Not sure if it was more out of a “how bad can this get” motivation or truly wanting to know what happened to Wyn. However, I think this was a book version of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
*I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions included herein are my own.*
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August 7, 2022
I had to finish the book to see what happened! I just felt like the total back and forth thing made it a bit confusing. Otherwise it was ok. I felt like this book took me a while to get through. It honestly doesn’t start getting truly interesting until the last 100 pages or so. The ending was really good though! So many twists and turns that I was not expecting.
August 5, 2021
“Sometimes people just disappear. Especially teenage girls.”
Enjoyed this story and the two mysteries within. The first has to do with the disappearance of Jessica Moore’s 17-year old daughter Wynn one year ago who all of a sudden begins texting her mother with cryptic messages beginning with ‘I think he’s going to kill me’. That got my attention!
The second mystery is a long buildup related to a pep rally, the potential catalyst for Wynn’s disappearance. It is where things get a bit twisty. It was hard to resist flipping ahead. I really disliked Jessica’s character and in general there were too many peripheral characters. A solid 3-star read. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Enjoyed this story and the two mysteries within. The first has to do with the disappearance of Jessica Moore’s 17-year old daughter Wynn one year ago who all of a sudden begins texting her mother with cryptic messages beginning with ‘I think he’s going to kill me’. That got my attention!
The second mystery is a long buildup related to a pep rally, the potential catalyst for Wynn’s disappearance. It is where things get a bit twisty. It was hard to resist flipping ahead. I really disliked Jessica’s character and in general there were too many peripheral characters. A solid 3-star read. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
September 1, 2021
Review published in: https://diagnosisbookaholic.blogspot....
Last summer I loved Girl Gone Mad so the moment I saw announced One Year Gone it became one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I’m glad to say it delivered.
Wyn has been missing for a year. When she disappeared everything pointed out to her running away, but when she suddenly texts her mom Jessica in the middle of the night asking for help, she reveals she’s been abducted by a member of law enforcement, sending Jessica on a wild chase trying to find her daughter but…who can she trust?
The story is told from several POVs and timelines and, although at first it was a bit hard to keep them all straight, once I got hooked, I found myself really invested in both timelines.
I really felt for Wyn. Being a teenager isn’t easy, especially when you’re going through what we later found out she was going through, so it was really gut wrenching to read some of her chapters.
I liked Jessica’s determination in finding out what happened to her daughter even when she kept encountering roadblock after roadblock.
As the story progressed my anxiety kept building, cause I was praying for an ending that turned out more improbable as the pages went.
Although I read lots of thrillers/suspense stories, the ending of this one felt like I was punched in the stomach, so vile it was. Even when I thought I could not be more surprised a final twist came that knocked me again. I’ve read some reviews complaining about the ending being OTT and not believable, but you just gotta turn on the news to realize weirder things happen in real life, so I completely bought it.
The only reason this was not a 5 stars read for me was because the middle part dragged along a little bit, but once things started unraveling in the last third it was an absolute rollercoaster.
I will now go wait anxiously for Mr. Bishop’s next release.
Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and, most of all, Avery Bishop for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
Last summer I loved Girl Gone Mad so the moment I saw announced One Year Gone it became one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I’m glad to say it delivered.
Wyn has been missing for a year. When she disappeared everything pointed out to her running away, but when she suddenly texts her mom Jessica in the middle of the night asking for help, she reveals she’s been abducted by a member of law enforcement, sending Jessica on a wild chase trying to find her daughter but…who can she trust?
The story is told from several POVs and timelines and, although at first it was a bit hard to keep them all straight, once I got hooked, I found myself really invested in both timelines.
I really felt for Wyn. Being a teenager isn’t easy, especially when you’re going through what we later found out she was going through, so it was really gut wrenching to read some of her chapters.
I liked Jessica’s determination in finding out what happened to her daughter even when she kept encountering roadblock after roadblock.
As the story progressed my anxiety kept building, cause I was praying for an ending that turned out more improbable as the pages went.
Although I read lots of thrillers/suspense stories, the ending of this one felt like I was punched in the stomach, so vile it was. Even when I thought I could not be more surprised a final twist came that knocked me again. I’ve read some reviews complaining about the ending being OTT and not believable, but you just gotta turn on the news to realize weirder things happen in real life, so I completely bought it.
The only reason this was not a 5 stars read for me was because the middle part dragged along a little bit, but once things started unraveling in the last third it was an absolute rollercoaster.
I will now go wait anxiously for Mr. Bishop’s next release.
Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and, most of all, Avery Bishop for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 17, 2021
“Sometimes teenagers run away…Give her a few days. She’ll be back.”
That’s what the police tell Jessica Moore when her seventeen-year-old daughter, Wyn, vanishes. All signs point to this being true.
Then, one year later, when all hope seems lost, Jessica gets a flurry of text messages from Wyn pleading for help. But Wyn’s terrified plea comes with a warning not to call the police as her kidnapper wears a badge.
As Jessica’s fears are raised again, so are the stakes. Delving into the months leading up to Wyn’s disappearance, Jessica stumbles upon information that could put her own life in danger. With each revelation, the nightmare deepens. Now she must decide just how far she’ll go to bring her daughter home.
An intriguing premise which starts off very well but doesn’t quite capitalise on it.
The plot is narrated across dual timelines and multiple points of view, covering events and circumstances leading to Wyn’s disappearance to Jessica’s present situation. The flashbacks aren’t in any particular order and they involve a rather large cast of characters, none of whom are very likeable, which tends to make you lose interest in between.
But I was desperate to know what happened and fortunately there are plenty of twists in the plot. The ending was definitely a surprise but it felt too unreal!
Overall, an okay read.
Thank You NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC!
That’s what the police tell Jessica Moore when her seventeen-year-old daughter, Wyn, vanishes. All signs point to this being true.
Then, one year later, when all hope seems lost, Jessica gets a flurry of text messages from Wyn pleading for help. But Wyn’s terrified plea comes with a warning not to call the police as her kidnapper wears a badge.
As Jessica’s fears are raised again, so are the stakes. Delving into the months leading up to Wyn’s disappearance, Jessica stumbles upon information that could put her own life in danger. With each revelation, the nightmare deepens. Now she must decide just how far she’ll go to bring her daughter home.
An intriguing premise which starts off very well but doesn’t quite capitalise on it.
The plot is narrated across dual timelines and multiple points of view, covering events and circumstances leading to Wyn’s disappearance to Jessica’s present situation. The flashbacks aren’t in any particular order and they involve a rather large cast of characters, none of whom are very likeable, which tends to make you lose interest in between.
But I was desperate to know what happened and fortunately there are plenty of twists in the plot. The ending was definitely a surprise but it felt too unreal!
Overall, an okay read.
Thank You NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC!
April 18, 2024
What an emotional thriller masterpiece! I literally sobbed at the ending of this gripping mystery! I had the honor of buddy reading with Stacie and very much enjoyed it! This book had me from the Prologue to the end! The story follows Jessica Moore’s daughter vanishes without a trace! Jessica is terrified to learn the truth when the hunt is on to search for her daughter. One year later, with her daughter still missing, and a small town hiding a secret, Jessica receives a text from her pleading for help! Jessica will soon realizes the truth of her missing daughter and the people in the town of Bowden she trusted the most too! A terrific and quick mystery that will leave you wanting more til the very end! A must read!
March 7, 2023
Jessica Moore is a single mom, co-parenting her teenage daughter, Bronwyn (Wyn), with her ex, Joe. Joe is friends with a politician, the mayor of their small town. Joe and Jessica co-own a bar called The Wonderwall. Jessica struggles with alcoholism. One day, following an incident at school Wyn disappears. The police insist she just ran away from home because of a fight Wyn and Jessica got into the night before.
A year passes and Jessica is beginning to lose hope of ever seeing her daughter again, until one night she receives a string of text messages from her, claiming she's being held by a police officer. This sets Jessica on a desperate search to try and find what happened to Wyn.
Was her disappearance really as innocent as a hurt teenager running away from an unfair mom or is there something more sinister happening?
This book is written from two main perspectives and about a thousand different time lines. I like when books bring timelines together, I really do. But this one was confusing and unnecessary at best. We see the world from Wyn's perspective (from two different times). We see the world from Jessica's perspective (from three different times). And we see a few others' perspectives towards the end of the book. It's confusing.
I found the end to be ridiculous. The idea that Joe covered up the murder of his teenage daughter to save the asses of his boss and his bosses kids is absolutely ridiculous. The fact that they dragged police officers AND FBI agents in on it too? Ridiculous. I've heard of political scams but this is just a whole new level of stupid. What does Jessica's father have to do with anything? He's a plot line that didn't need to exist.
The more I think about the ending of this book, the angrier I get.
A year passes and Jessica is beginning to lose hope of ever seeing her daughter again, until one night she receives a string of text messages from her, claiming she's being held by a police officer. This sets Jessica on a desperate search to try and find what happened to Wyn.
Was her disappearance really as innocent as a hurt teenager running away from an unfair mom or is there something more sinister happening?
This book is written from two main perspectives and about a thousand different time lines. I like when books bring timelines together, I really do. But this one was confusing and unnecessary at best. We see the world from Wyn's perspective (from two different times). We see the world from Jessica's perspective (from three different times). And we see a few others' perspectives towards the end of the book. It's confusing.
I found the end to be ridiculous. The idea that Joe covered up the murder of his teenage daughter to save the asses of his boss and his bosses kids is absolutely ridiculous. The fact that they dragged police officers AND FBI agents in on it too? Ridiculous. I've heard of political scams but this is just a whole new level of stupid. What does Jessica's father have to do with anything? He's a plot line that didn't need to exist.
The more I think about the ending of this book, the angrier I get.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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