Source Material

by CM Harris

SOMETHING IS STIRRING IN THE HEART OF ILLINOIS
When Jane and TJ agree to attend their high school reunion they never expect to come face-to-face with classmate-turned-stalker Lincoln the moment they return home.

SOMETHING THAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN WOKEN

Unspoken words fester between them of the incident in the local woods twenty years ago when Evie vanished in a flash of amber light. They were the last three people to see her alive.

SOMETHING THAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN PROVOKED

But the trees have been whispering to Lincoln ever since, and as Jane and TJ arrive back in town, the voices call to him again, hissing three solitary words: she is here.

Sharp Objects meets Stranger Things in this razor-sharp small-town thriller - perfect for fans of Stephen Kin

400 pages, Paperback

Published November 25, 2021

About the author

CM Harris is the author of novels SENSE AND INSTABILITY, THE THICKET/SHE NEVER LEFT, MAIDEN LEAP, ENTER OBLIVION, and THE CHILDREN OF MOTHER GLORY

Her short stories and essays appear in O Magazine, The Fabulist Magazine, Escape Artists’ Pseudopod podcast, SALiT Magazine, Harrington Literary Quarterly, Queer Voices: Poetry, Prose, and Pride, and the anthology Coppice & Brake.

Her screenplay The Cost of Glory received a Gold Award for Best Concept Script and a Silver Award for Best Feature Script from the Queen Palm Film Festival. Her screenplay 'A Woman Unbecoming' was a semi-finalist at Horrorfest.

CM Harris lives in Minneapolis with her wife and their twins. She is also the lead singer/guitarist of the indie rock band Hothouse Weeds.

Reviews

[Dana-Adriana B. · Rating 1 out of 5]

First of all, don't let my rating influence you.
TJ and Jane are coming back for the school reunion, this I gathered, after that.....I did not understand anything.
Thank you Netgalley for this book.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dark and creepy thriller which will keep you guessing. Not my favourite this year but still a good read.

[Terry Self · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really my type of story it seems to lose the plot before it gets started.I gave up half way through.Sorry this is just my opinion.Others may find it more interesting.

[Gemma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ooh this was a good one!
A eerie, dark and totally gripping psychological thriller with some Sci fi and horror thrown in too.
With some humour woven through as well this really ticked a lot of boxes for me.
I found it to be well researched and held a lot of accurate information on fungi, it's growth and its role.
I love the " stranger things" retro vibe it has and will certainly be seeking more material from this author in the future.


I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Tanya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for a copy of this book to review. This did not affect my rating.

This book is definitely more Sci-Fi than Thriller which is not my thing, so I need to start there. This wasn't what I was expecting when I read the synopsis, but that may just be me.

Jane and TJ and cousins and friends. These ladies grew up, ditched their hometown of Ketchum and never looked back until they decide to come back and attend their class reunion. The story revolves around the woods in town that seem to be murdering people, including TJ's childhood crush, Evie. Lincoln will be in ton as well and he has a huge obsession with Jane and was with the girls when Evie was murdered by the woods.

The story alternates between the past and present, so anyone who doesn't like that, just giving a heads up.

This book was slow and just did not hold my attention at all. It truly just wasn't for. me. I will say the descriptions were great at time as I could visualize the woods. but other than that I honestly wondered what I was reading and why I was reading it.

[Kori Potenzone · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best way to describe She Never Left, is CREEPY!

This book was insane! I absolutely loved every bit of it and devoured it in one sitting. This is an intense, cat and mouse type of book that will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time!

Jane and TJ went to high school together, when they get notice of their high school reunion they both agree to go. However, they do not know they will be coming face to face with Lincoln. Lincoln has his fair share of issues and has turned into a stalker of sorts.

Twenty years ago something happened to Evie. Lincoln, Jane and TJ were the last people to have seen her before she disappeared.

Lincoln has been haunted by what happened to Evie that night and everything is coming to light now, what will Lincoln do? Everyone knows he isnt stable.

I highly recommend this book to readers who love psychological thrillers! This also has a little bit of a sci-fi edge, I am not usually into sci-fi, but I can tell you that this was enjoyable!

[Tessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐⭐

This has not been a great year of thrillers for me.

I was so excited for this one; lauded as a mix of Stranger Things and Sharp Objects – Who could resist?? Unfortunately, I could not find much here to grasp on to. The relationship between Jane and TJ, which should have been an essential aspect to the plot, came off almost forced and stilted most of the time. The pacing couldn't seem to find it's flow, either dragging on or racing through essential points.

I did enjoy the cloak of eeriness that settled over the prose as the story carried on, but it just couldn't fix the disconnect I had with the entire thing. This, of course, is entirely my opinion, and I'm sure other thriller lovers will disagree.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for gifting me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Kerrie Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cousins and best friends TJ and Jane, haven’t been back to their home town for years but are drawn back by their High School reunion.
Told between 2 times lines the past and the present but also during a period of time where the main characters are under the influence of strong hallucinations, made this story disjointed and confusing.
I struggled to engage with the characters and storyline and unfortunately decided it wasn’t for me
That said there will definitely be the audience for this title and I am sure it will be enjoyed by many

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this title

[Trevene Highfield · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really don't know where to start - the book makes no sense whatsoever and the only thing I can say about it is that a group of high school kids used to hang out in "The Thicket" even after one of them disappeared without trace one night.

Twenty years later, cousins Jane and TJ return to their hometown for a school reunion. One of the school friends, Lincoln is obsessed with Jane and has been stalking her for a few years and turns up wherever she goes now she is back home.

They eat some mushrooms from the Thicket which are hallucinogenic but there always seems to be more to them than just tripping out.

Absolutely no idea what the actual storyline of the book is

[Judy Odom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to agree with other reviews that the blurb does not really match the book although the basic elements are present.

Having said that once I got into the book overall I enjoyed the story of T.J and Jane.

The story starts slowly but does pick up speed as it progresses.

There is a lot happening in this book: supernatural, part mystery , part science fiction.

She Never Left is worth the read and many readers will love it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins U.K. , One More Chapter for the privilege of reading and reviewing She Never Left.

[Rachel Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane and TJ reluctantly return for their school reunion, bringing back unhappy memories for both. And when they meet Lincoln again, the horror of the disappearance of Evie 20 years comes back. Will they be able to discover what actually happened all those years ago?

The Thicket is a gripping story of two friends battling against the horrors of their childhood. A thriller with supernatural elements that keep you guessing from one twist and turn to the next. There were times when it got a little confusing, but overall an enjoyable read.

[Sheri · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story started out promising but as it went on I had a hard time keeping with it. It is a dual timeline story about a woman who goes back to her small hometown for a class reunion. The flashbacks are when she was in school. The Thicket plays a primary role in the story. It is a forest full of mushrooms that the characters use as drugs. I think this is where the story lost me. Between the mushroom trips and the mystery character I struggled to keep up with the story.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled from the beginning with this book. The description of the creepers going down her throat was so graphic that I struggled from there on in. I don't usually have a problem with thrillers but this one was so well written I felt like I was there and it was happening to me. Unfortunately I have had to put the book down until I can try again with it another time. Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to review this book.

[Sue Plant · Rating 3 out of 5]

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

well its a strange one all right...and even though i have finished it i am still trying to get my head around it...compelling read though, theres enough there to grab your attention and keep you reading right to the end...

but its a puzzling one all right

[Victoria Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found She Never Left to be an OK read. I struggled to get into the story at first as there was just something that did not work for me and I found that the description of the book was very different to the actual story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

[Mabel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately I did not enjoy this novel, although I am aware plenty of other readers will find it thrilling and enjoyable. Set in Illinois, Jane and TJ- cousins are drawn back into happenings that occurred in their childhood.

[Denice Langley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story that will creep under your skin and have you guessing with every chapter just how Evie disappeared and will she really appear to seek revenge. Or will Lincoln be the instrument of death? This is not a book to read with the lights off.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot was full of poor choices, unnecessary details and wrong turns every possible time. It became to unrealistic for me which is disappointing since the premise was so promising

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

More a s I fi thriller. Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. Tried but failed. Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an arc

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Harper Collins UK and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

What a page turner! Nonstop thrills.

[Hazel · Rating 1 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, for the electronic copy.

OK, I'm sorry to say that this really wasn't one for me. It's just all so weird.

Twenty years ago a schoolgirl rides her bike into The Thicket - a forested area outside a small town in Illinois. Where she gets "absorbed" into the plant-life. I believe magic mushrooms are involved in all this.
Now, two schoolfriends, TJ and Jane (20 years later) are finally going to attend their school reunion and, of course get drawn into The Thicket and mushrooms once again.

I'm afraid I can't describe it any further. This was a bit too "way out" for me.

This is just my opinion and obviously other readers have found it understandable and enjoyable. So - up to you.

[Caroline 'relaxing with my rescue dogs' · Rating 3 out of 5]

The blurb really excited me and thought yes this would be great, but the book is different from the blurb. Not the author's fault but it wouldn't have been one that I selected. I struggled with it to start but kept going, am glad that I did but it wasn't for me.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.