Review from 4/10 2019:
For the last year I’ve been having a HUGE fear of missing out regarding thrillers. And this was because I didn’t read thrillers, I had a preconceived notion about being able to predict the twists and turns. Which would make this genre automatically boring for me. Boy, was I wrong!
When I read the synopsis for Call Me Evie I was hooked. I wanted to know every twist and let the story unfold before me. And I was not disappointed. As I was reading the story I would put the book down and rather convincingly lay out the case and soon to be plot twist to my boyfriend with a smirk on my face. Feeling like I had figured it all out. And a few pages I would have to mutter "Oh, I was wrong." and the process would repeat itself at least 3-4 times during my read. And I loved being wrong and surprised by the unfolding story. The story is cleverly written in different timelines, so you read chapters before and after the terrible thing that drove Jim and Evie to the eerie setting of the little beach town i New Zealand.

I read this book in the couple of months after my first child was born a few years ago (which is why the review is delayed!), but it is one that has stuck with me, so I think that speaks volumes! This is a psychological thriller that really delivers with slow reveals and enough twists to keep your interest piqued throughout. Fortunately it was one that did keep me second guessing what I was thinking (thank you!) and I enjoyed the read as a whole.

Such a brilliant story! Well plotted and fantastic characterisation. I truly adored it and will definitely be reading the authors next book! Absolutely excellent.

In this propulsive, twist-filled, and haunting psychological suspense debut perfect for fans of Sharp Objects and Room, a seventeen-year-old girl struggles to remember the role she played on the night her life changed forever.

It's great to be in a position to recommend much more diverse books to our young people at school. Building the senior school library as a place where students actually come and find books that they want to read as opposed to books that teachers think they ought to read is an important responsibility and one we take really seriously.
Books like this are such a positive move as they will appeal to a broader set of readers than we are usually attracting. Dealing with modern issues in a clear and captivating way with a strong narrative voice and characters that the students can relate to is critical as we move forwards. This book is both an intelligent and compelling read that will hold even the most reluctant reader's attention and keep them turning the pages long into the night. It keeps the reader on their toes and ensures that you give it your full attention too. I found myself thinking about its characters and events even when I wasn't reading it and looking forward to snatching kore time with it and I hope that my students feel the same. An accessible, gripping and engrossing read that I can't recommend highly enough. Will absolutely be buying a copy for the library and heartily recommending it to both staff and students.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

Totally addictive book that kept me desperately turning the pages until late into the night!!

Kate is living with Jim in a remote cabin in New Zealand. Jim is protecting her from a tragedy that happened in Melbourne but drugged Kate does not know what memories are real or imagined. Is Jim her saviour or captor. Kate’s real name is Evie and at times she is close to Jim but other times desperate to run away. Even the locals are strange and scary. Who can Evie trust?

The story alternates between the present day and Evie growing up. We discover that a childhood accident left her scarred and afraid of baths. We explore her growing up with her dad and the friends she had, slowly finding out what happened in Melbourne.

I was hooked from the start, I had a gut instinct that Jim had ulterior motives for keeping Evie. I thought I had it all worked out, but there was more to come. I kept changing my mind out who Jim was (was it her dad, boyfriend or a random man?) it certainly had me guessing!!

I will definitely be reading J.P Pomare’s next book. This was a chilling debut that I highly recommend reading.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

A great read, definitely keeps you guessing as to who is telling the truth! I changed my mind a lot of times as the narrative flipped between before and after. My head was spinning by the end! Totally gripping and full of suspense. Can't wait to read more from the author.

Twisted, Good Crazy, Wickedly Outstanding is the first words that spring to mind.

Then I’d say.....you love a twisted thriller? I recommend this one!

I saw my book buddy Ludwig reading this, read his review and bumped this up my TBR list. He was absolutely correct in what his reviews says.

The timeline changes from past to present. It’s not confusing at all, what it is though is like a revelation you are being fed morsel by morsel. Drip, drip, drip, that spins your thoughts and brain whirling at speed.

My jaw dropped to the floor as I got toward the end. I kid you not, I literally gasped and raised my head in amazement. Not once, not for one mini second did I think of that. then it threw in something else, another honesty.

I’m not hyping this book, I’m telling you what effect it had on me personally as a reader.

One of my top 10 this year in thrillers for sure

Call Me Evie is a novel full of surprises, secrets and a real sense of suffocation. Evie is being held captive in New Zealand by someone she calls her 'uncle', far away from her home in Australia. Slowly we start to piece together what may have happened - and J.P. Pomare does a great job of drip-feeding us details and hints. However, there's still some surprises towards the end, even if you've kind of figured out a main part of the story along the way, and this counteracts some of the slightly slower-moving parts of the story

We're not sure who Evie can trust - her 'uncle'? The family she befriends? Herself? This really adds a sense of paranoia and confusion to the story which I really liked. I was rooting for Evie, and I felt myself becoming so tense during certain chapters (doesn't sound fun to take on Evie's tension, but it shows the power of the writing - and it only adds to the addictive nature of the story!) 

This story is packed full of suspense, with interesting characters and enough drama to keep you wanting to turn the pages without being over the top or unbelievable. I really enjoyed this taut, gripping novel and would really recommend it.

Call Me Evie is one of those books that feels like it should be better than it is.
It begins slowly, with the focus on Evie. Evie is seventeen, seems mentally fragile and is being held in isolation by someone called Jim. We don’t know who Jim is, or why he’s with Evie, but we do get to learn that Evie is not her real name.
The story switches between the present - where Evie is in a remote New Zealand town - and the past - where we learn Evie is actually called Kate and she is the only daughter of an Australian sporting legend.
In fragments we get to piece together details of Kate’s life. A controlling boyfriend who humiliated her by leaking an intimate video, a friend who deserts her in a time of need and a father who seems to fear what is happening to his daughter.
Alongside these details we learn that Evie doesn’t trust Jim. Her every move is monitored and she is aware of fragments of memory coming to her. She recalls an accident and there is talk of life support being shut off. Whatever is going on is serious.
The lack of detail regarding the key event in this meant that by the time we were told what had happened I couldn’t have actually cared less. The twist was quite apparent once you take into account the recurring focus on memory and the ability to change memories.
This, sadly, wasn’t really one for me due to the style. Thanks, however, to NetGalley for allowing me to read this prior to publication.

There has been an awful lot of hype surrounding the release of Pomare's debut literary thriller and all of it turns out to be completely justified. This is undoubtedly up there with some of the most spectacular reads of the year. Intelligently plotted and an utterly compelling story which focuses on issues associated with memory, trauma, deceit, duplicity and manipulation and the precariousness of each. As if the nail-biting tension wasn't enough Pomare uses the harsh, isolated setting to create an oppressive, claustrophobic atmosphere.

Protagonist Evie's life has been nightmarish by anyone's standards, so it's hardly a surprise that she's an unreliable narrator. She's broken and very troubled as a result of incidents from her past. There are twists, turns and red herrings aplenty and the fast-paced wholly engaging narrative keeps you reading and guessing, wrongly in my case, for the whole duration of the novel. This is an entertaining, perfectly plotted psychological thriller which I heartily recommend. Many thanks to Sphere for an ARC.

This is a great psychological thriller.
Written in chapters 'before' and 'after' this book takes you on Evie’s journey leading up to a major incident and also afterwards.
Taken from her home, friends and family, she’s unable to remember her past.
Evie has to work out if anyone can be trusted.
The book is full of twists and turns and I loved the ending.
I won’t say any more as I don’t want to spoil it for you.
If you like a good psychological thriller then this is the book for you.
Thanks to Little Brown Book Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I should start this review by saying that there were parts of this that I did not see coming. It is a relatively short read and packs a lot into that little book. We have one unreliable narrator who is trapped in a house with a man we only know by the name of 'Jim' and things seem very dire. There are flashbacks of sorts to let us know the kind of life 'Evie' led before ending up in this place. As more information is revealed, things start to get clearer.

The ambience and the tone of the narration keeps you guessing about what the situation might be and for readers of the genre, this may hold a few surprises. There are very few characters introduced to us and this reduces the possibilities of who might actually be in the wrong. Some of the situations seemed too impossible with regards to how the neighbours react and the fact that I guessed part of the ending are the only reasons I do not rate it higher. 

I know this sounds like an abrupt review but the there is not much more that I can talk about a book like this without giving away unnecessary information with regards to who,where and what.

With an unreliable narrator and a dual timeline, Call Me Evie is a psychological mystery/thriller that keeps you guessing until the last page. In fact, for most of the book, the author plays tricks on the reader to distract from the truth while also planting clues like breadcrumbs, redirecting the story back and forth while also keeping the general atmosphere of danger - and all I gotta say is 'Well Done!'

So, the story goes like this: Kate aka Evie is currently being held captive by a man named Jim in a small town in New Zealand, because he says he is protecting her from something that happened back in Melbourne. She is allowed to go around the town, but only with him, and is being watched when he isn't around; she is also being forced to take some drugs while he says he is trying to make her better. She is essentially trapped and can't leave, and neither can she ask for help (in the start) from the townsfolk because the police would get involved. As the story progresses, we, the reader, piece together the events that led her to getting carried out of Melbourne, as well as who Jim is in her life.


A lot of the book is about her being trapped in the house, not sure if she can trust Jim's version of events but can't rely on her non-existent memories either.

"It’s as though the kinetic energy is working to dislodge something in my mind, but how can I possibly distinguish between what is a memory, what is a dream and what I have invented from everything he has planted in my head with his stories?"

The build-up of clues also points to a sinister motive for Jim to keep her captive, and the way he is paranoid about them being discovered but also her fearing police involvement point to a crime having being committed for which they are fugitives. The 'before' parts in the first half only set up characters, so it is a slow but tense progression in the first half, with the initial part of the second half sort of lagging (this was my one quibble with the book, which was otherwise hitting all the sweet spots of a mystery). The final quarter of the book, though, picks up the slack very well, and brings together the mystery of the crime as well as the events leading up to it. There were still a couple of things that I felt were never explained until the end (who picked up her call; who leaked the photos in the newspaper and why), though.

My biggest surprise was Jim's identity, because yes, I got nicely led to a red herring (even though there were two big glaring clues in the middle; I am so ashamed I didn't catch them earlier!) and when it was revealed who he was, it was a whole shift in how I had perceived their interactions until then! And then that ending! It was *chef kiss* damn good because even with Jim's POV chapters, things weren't really clear (there was an unreliable narrator in more ways than one, I tell you!) and then it delivered that epilogue! Finally, all I can say is that while it has a good enough start and a slow middle, the ending makes up for it!

I had heard lots of good things about this book so was eager to dive right in. Love the cover too!
I found it quite slow and confusing to start but the pace built to reveal a shocking twist at the end.

'Its important to see the world the way it is, you cant do anything about it if your not aware'

And Evie is not aware, or is she?

When I started this I read 25% of it straight off the bat, and when I wasnt reading it I was thinking about it. Who is playing the mind games? Who is manipulating who? At 80% I thought I knew, turns out i didnt.

This is being compared to Room, but I felt more Gone Girl to be honest. And like Gone Girl I was hooked. There was a point when I thought the ending was going to let the whole book down, and then the plot spun again and all was redeemed.

I loved this, a brilliant debut and will definitely be the running as my top psychological thriller of the year I'm sure.

I am going to be completely honest and say that this was a highly anticipated book for me, yet it took me about a week to read it (which is really long for me - I usually read books in 2-3 days!) and I almost gave up on it a few times. Although I struggled with it at times, I’m glad I finished it as the ending truly shocked me - I thought I had it all worked out, but I could not have been more wrong! The story left me with a few questions, but I actually liked the twist at the end.
The story jumps between timelines - the before and the after- and is mainly told in first person by a 17 year old Kate Bennet - who is currently being called Evie by the mysterious Jim, who holds her captive. We soon learn that they have fled Melbourne, Australia and are currently hiding in Makatu, New Zealand. Kate has no recollection of the events before they came here and is struggling with her memories - or the lack of them. She doesn’t trust Jim, and he definitely is acting odd.
We only know that they are running away from the brutal events that happened back in Melbourne, and Jim is saying he’s protecting “Evie” - but she starts questioning his motives soon, especially when she finds messages in a book that say “Don’t trust him.” We know “they” are after them, but Jim is reluctant to share anything with Evie.
We find out about Evie’s past, what happened in her childhood and her love affair with Thom, which led to trouble.
The story itself was ok, and as I said the twist shocked me, but I found the writing dragged a bit at times, and I lost interest and focus several times because some events were overt descriptive.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and the publishers for my free advanced reading copy!

So this is one of those puzzling enigmas that you find yourself questioning almost everything from the instance you pick up this story.
From the onset here, events are obscured with an overwhelming sense of mystery and confusion and it almost feels like you are deciphering a puzzle of sorts.
Told in a series of flashbacks of then and now this story was just such compelling reading.
It weaved a web of intrigue and a vibe of almost chilling suspense and I just couldn't stop myself from turning the pages here, all other tasks were put on the back burner as I lost myself in this enigma of a narrative.
Who Is Jim and how is he involved in all of this?
Kate/Evie what happened in Australia and why are they hiding together in New Zealand?
Why is Jim locking her up in her room at night? is it for her own protection or his?
These were the question in my head, looping on a repeat cycle.
This story makes you question the fallibility of memory and if what we recall at a later date is actually authentic to the actual event.
How memories can be fabricated and manipulated and just how reliable is human recollection itself.
I especially liked how things were turned on there head here.
But I did actually guess the outcome here and I found the finish to be slightly predictable.
Also, the finale here for me was slightly anti-climatic considering the hyped build-up and tension achieved throughout.
Over than that I really enjoyed this.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of "Call Me Evie"
All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

This was seriously good!
It starts with a young girl and her guardian- apparently an older man, she prefers to call as Jim, starting to live in a remote part of NZ. Their relationship is weird, and although Evie / Kate seems like captive, it's not really feels like she is too!
I raced until the end to learn what happened and I think overall in this genre this was a 5 star read, delivering the suspense, thriller elements with ease and there hasn't been a single yawn moment! Highly recommended, for lovers of Before I Go to Sleep, Girl on the Train, etc.