Cover Image: One Year Gone

One Year Gone

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Member Reviews

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.

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Really enjoyed this book. The twists kept coming. Not the ending I had expected. Easy to read, couldn’t put it down

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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 explain 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 confessional trope that I don't care for.

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)
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.

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Ok. What a rollercoaster!! Filled with many and many twists and turns.

A wonderfully written story that pulls at your heart. Had a hard time keeping up with the characters but thats my only complaint.

I definitely recommend especially if you enjoy psychological thrillers Thank you for this arc

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This is a book set in small town America telling the story of Jess and Joe, searching for their missing daughter. Wyn ran away a year ago and things start to happen to help uncover what truly went on that night. Plot twists and confessions really keep you guessing right up until the end.

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4.5 stars - I really enjoyed this one! Twists and turns I never saw coming. Told from a mother/daughter perspective from then and now. Characters were well developed and the story nicely unraveled in a way that kept you wanting more.

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Thrills, chills, twists, turns. If you like a predictable story you can avoid this one! You don’t know what the next page holds.

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This is my second book by this author and they do not disappoint. Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. I enjoyed all the twists and turns of this book. When you think you know and then BAM! The ending when it all comes together and all the secrets. Wow! Loved this one and will definitely be recommending. 4.5 lovely thriller stars!!

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I really enjoyed ‘One Year Gone’. I found the start quite slow in terms of settling into the different narratives/timelines but as soon as the first part was over, I quickly devoured the rest in quick succession.
I kept trying to guess the ending but the book left you guessing right till the very end which I appreciated as there could have been so many different outcomes!
I thought the characters were likeable and relatable and I really felt all the feelings with Jess trying to figure out what had happened to her daughter and not feeling the backing of her ex and the people around her, she was a woman on a mission.
I look forward to reading more from Avery Bishop.

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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.

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"One Year Gone" is an incredible thriller that keeps you guessing until the very, very last second.

I can't say much without giving everything away - but I can say this is one of the very few books that I've heard where the author did an incredible job with multiple perspectives and flashbacks. These techniques worked so well for how this story was told.

I would highly recommend this book - and plan to check out the author's other works as well. Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to enjoy this one!

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To be honest, I didn't love this book. I found the writing style and plot to be a bit dull and the ending was a bit wishywashy. Someone else might enjoy this but it just wasn't for me

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I enjoy a book that engages my super sleuth radar from the first page and this one fits the bill. Wyn is seventeen when she disappears. Everything points to her running away since nothing has gone right for her since she lost her best friend. It seems that everyone has accepted the fact that she left because she wanted to; the community, her friends, her father, except her mother, Jessica.
A year has passed with no word from Wyn when she suddenly texts Jessica in the middle of the night. Wyn states that she has been abducted and fears for her life, sending Jessica on a desperate search to find her daughter. There are roadblocks everywhere she turns, and deciding who she should trust might be the difference between life and death. Wyn doesn't know where she is or who her kidnapper is, but she knows one thing, he has a badge.
The story is told from Wyn and Jessica's POVs. Wyn from a few days before and up to the day she vanished, and Jessica from a year ago, and now. The past doesn't provide Jessica with many clues, but the more I read Wyn's POV, the more anxious I became. There are a lot of twists and turns in One Year Gone, and I was gutted when everything was revealed.
No spoilers, but some of the characters I looked at more than once, were indeed guilty. However, one that never even made a blip on my radar was a total surprise.

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Thank you Netgalley as well as Lake Bishop Publishing for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Avery Bishop is new to me, but I will certainly be looking for more of her books. This is the story of a missing teen, that the police think is just another runaway. "Wyn" has been missing for over a year, The story alternates back and forth between past and present. In the past we see what Wyns life was like with her friend and with school.
In the present we see how Wyns mother Jessica is coping and not giving up on the chance to find her daughter.

There are plenty of twists and turns in this one. While some may not like the flipping back and forth between past and present, it is essential in this book to put all the puzzle pieces together.

The story is beautifully written and hearts are tugged at in this one.

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A twisty thriller that will keep you saying one more page, one more chapter and then the book is finished. I really enjoyed this book. I love a thriller but I enjoyed how this touched on other areas too - Bronwyn's treatment at school, how she was bullied, Jessica's alcohol abuse and then Bronwyn afraid to come to terms with her sexuality.

It was fast paced and every chapter was a cliffhanger leaving you wanting more. There were times my heart was in my mouth and then times I thought I had it all figured out but there would be a new twist and I was back to square one and this was right up until the end which was my favorite the suspense and twists were there right until the end.

I really enjoyed the book, I liked all the characters and Bishop's style of writing.

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I finished the book. There were enjoyable elements. Different perspectives. A degree of mystery. The protagonist Jess was somewhat likeable yet flawed. Parts weren't written well but it wasn't terrible. Twists weren't massively surprising. Found the end a but disappointing.

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One Year Gone is a psychological mystery about a missing girl, Bronwyn. Initially thought to have run away after problems at school and the trauma of the death of her best friend, there is no communication from Bronwyn until her mother, Jessica, receives a series of texts suggesting that she might be held captive somewhere and that her captor may be a cop. With multiple viewpoints and leaps from the present time to the time of the disappearance, the story is compelling and keeps the reader’s interest throughout. The twist at the end was maybe a little bit too unexpected to feel completely authentic but I could not fault this book’s pace and the author’s ability to engage the reader. Thanks to Net Galley for an advance copy.

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I received One Year Gone as an ebook via NetGalley and Lake City Publishing. This book is the story of a missing teenager told through the eyes of her mother, one year after she disappears. The chapters alternate between the daughter’s view leading up to her disappearance and her mother’s view after.

The author slowly builds the two main characters as the story unfolds, giving you just enough information to intrigue you and keep you wanting to learn more. I quickly felt intense emotions for both mother and daughter, wanting to sit with them and hug them.

There were a few parts that, while reading, I thought weren’t needed in the book but when it all came together in the end I realized that they were key parts. In the beginning the story seemed to be slow going but the last part of the book certainly made up for that. I believe it’s a good trait that the author did not need to describe any violence in graphic detail, allowing the event to be the key part, not the gore.

A few of the details in the ending didn’t come through as realistic and seemed out of place for the story but in general all of the twists came together to make a great read. I read it in one day, staying awake late so I could finish it. If you like a mystery that has emotion, intrigue and a roller coaster ride of twists you will like this book. You certainly won’t have this one figured out until the end.

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Jessica's daughter, Wyn, went missing after a pep rally gone wrong. One year later, Jessica receives a text from her daughter begging for help. Now Jessica will stop at nothing to find the truth about her daughter's disappearance.

The book shifts from present to one year earlier, including multiple points of view. The beginning (and the storyline) definitely got me curious and interested. I was really intrigued and excited to see where the story would go. The end was a little too much for me. Don't get me wrong; I love a good twist, but there were just too many twists and new information right at the end. Joe's character was a little questionable. It still was a fun read, and I would recommend it to anyone that likes thrillers filled with twists and turns. Thank you, Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing!

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I read very few mysteries/thrillers and the reason is I can't seem to put them down until I finish the book. One Year Gone was exactly that kind of book. It has everything a reader who loves a good whodunnit is looking for. Lots of twists and turns and great writing, too.

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