A big thank you to Netgalley for giving me this book in exchange for a fair and frank review.

I have never read a book like this before and I am so glad I requested it. Its not something I would ordinarily read but I am glad I die. I could not put it down from the start and read it in one sitting. It kept me in suspense and excitement throughout. I loved the characters and I loved to hate his mother. I have not read as good a thriller as this in a long long time.

I started reading this a while ago and was loving it! So engaged and I couldn't put it down! Only...the farther I got in the story the more my enjoyment dissipated and I lost interest. I'm not sure why, but the story started off great and then tapered off for me. So much so I set it aside for later for long enough that I forgot what happened and had to start again. The second go-round didn't go much better than the first and I put it aside again and decided this is just not the book for me.

Enjoyable quirky read. Never came across a story like this. The imagination to create such a story is to be commended. Careful focus is warranted with the changing timelines. Started off as a slow burn, but quickly picked up. Book had me on my edge the whole reading. Liked the characters and they stayed with me long after completion. They were complex and written well. Understand that this is the beginning of a series and I look forward to continuing the journey.

The Confessions of Jonathan Flite by Matthew J. Beer.
The Jonathan Flite Series Volume .
Jonathan Flite claims to have memories he can’t explain. Seven layers of them, to be exact, all belonging to a group of teenagers who disappeared from a place called Idle County in 2010—ten years before his birth. Seventeen years of anxiety, violent outbursts, and refusal to admit he is lying have landed him at Crescent Rehabilitation Center, a seaside juvenile center for rich kids, and nobody has ever dared to believe his memories might be real.
A very good read. 4*.

I was intrigued by the concept of this book, and it was definitely a doozy. Not one of those books that you can just idly read- you really need to pay attention, as it is very complex and layered and tangled, but brilliantly so. Despite the complexity of the story, which stretches from the not-so-distant past to the not-so=distant future, it was easy to follow along on the journey that Beier takes the reader, and I was engaged from start to finish

I had not realised that this was book one of a series when I began reading it. It is somewhat complex and travels between 2010 and 2034. At age seventeen, Jonathan Flite is sent to a facility for troubled wealthy children. His mother has had enough of his violent outbursts and what she sees as his continual lies. Jonathan swears that he has memories of seven children who went missing ten years before he was born.

His mother researches his stories and finds that they link to a cold case in Idle back in 2010. When Jonathan kills a nurse at the facility, he is transferred to a rehab centre where he will serve a life sentence.

Thomas Lumen enters the story and shows an interest in what Jonathan has to say about the missing children. But he isn’t the only one that wants to know just how much Jonathan knows. A group of terrorists are drawn into the mix, and things become very deadly for anyone close to Jonathan.

It is a strange and fascinating story aimed at a teenage audience, but I was hooked. I liked how the characters developed through the story. The core of them is still recognisable but changed with the years too. Not everything was as first thought, and I had an uneasy feeling about how things were developing. It will be fascinating to see where this is going in the coming series. It is an excellent introduction.

I wish to thank Net Galley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book that I have reviewed honestly.

ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“The Confessions of Jonathan Flite” is part paranormal, part sci-fi, and part mystery. In the year 2037, we are introduced to the main protagonist, Jonathan Flite, a teenager who has claimed throughout his life to have the memories of a group of children who disappeared in Idle County many years before he was even born. Naturally, no one really believes him, and he spends a good deal of his life in juvenile facilities with apparent behavioral problems.

Over thirty years before, we follow the story of Molly, one of the doomed Idle County Seven, one of the group of children who disappear under mysterious circumstances, never to be found. During Molly’s timeline, we are introduced to what happened prior to her disappearance as she and her best friend begin the search for a ghost. Their search gives them far stranger results than either of them expected and place them in danger.

The timelines flip back and forth between Jonathan’s present and Molly’s past lives. After a terrorist attack in Geneva in Jonathan’s present, events unfold that begin to give credence to his claims of memories of the Idle County Seven, and, most specifically, Molly’s. As Jonathan’s truth is slowly revealed and Molly’s story begins to unfold, the story begins to intertwine with the very real terrorist attack that has rocked the world. How is it all connected? Is Jonathan lying, or does he really know what happened to the Idle County Seven? What really happened to Molly?

The questions pile up in this book. As more of the story is revealed, more questions are posed. The stories become tangled, weaving a web of mystery that, unfortunately, is left hanging in the balance at the end of the novel. Yes, I entered this book knowing that this was part one in a series. However, I didn’t expect the book to leave everything open with a question mark. Nothing was resolved or even partially resolved. With seven books in this series, I am guessing that nothing will really be resolved until book seven based on this author’s writing.

Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy the book. The characters were flushed out nicely, and the multiple timelines crisscrossed with ease. It was easy to follow along and intriguing enough to keep me reading. This first book has set up a captivating storyline with a lot of interconnected parts. I was just left frustrated by the lack of any resolution at all at the end of the book. Did it leave me wanting more? Possibly. Frankly, the book has me torn.

Overall, the book has an interesting, original premise as the first in a series of seven novels. The reader is left with major cliffhangers and an unresolved storyline, pushing the need to continue with the series to hopefully eventually reach a satisfying conclusion. I think this first book has left me with enough questions that I will pick up the next book in the series to see how it is. However, it has left me frustrated enough that I felt compelled to give it three stars. Is every book in the series going to leave me with the same mixed feelings? I don’t know. Will the ending be worth it? I hope so.

All in all, this book would be ideal for a young adult reader, as long as that reader is prepared to read the whole series (I’m guessing at that at least based on this first book). The storyline is original enough to intrigue some adult readers as well, but be prepared to go the distance or face some frustrating disappointment. I’m just curious enough to at least pick up the next book in the series. I’ll just have to wait and see if Jonathan Flite keeps me intrigued enough to follow along with him to the very end.

Rating: 3.5 stars

The Confessions of Jonathan Flite was an enjoyable mysterious paranormal read with diverse, complex and likeable characters. I didn't know that this book is a part of a series, so I was a bit disappointed wanting to know the answers of so many questions left unsolved by the end of book one. I would definitely recommend this book.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have to say I struggled womanfully with at least 50% of this book before getting my head around just what was happening.
For me the chapters were too short and felt broken in some way and there were just too many timelines to capture fully the complexity of the narrative, and the narrative was indeed, complex, novel and ultimately worth getting through. This is the first in the series and perhaps suffers from the need to build characters and storylines that can be taken onward.

I will read the other two that I have (again from Netgalley) but I feel like i will need to do that soon or i might forget just who is who.

*Copy provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

I don't exactly know how to classify this book, and personally don't care about it. Its brilliant plot speaks for itself.

Matthew Beier crafted a multi-genre sensational story that keeps you reading from page one, with low key discussions of science and religion, walking the verge of questioning what happens when we die and most importantly: what choices and actions impact our lives and others'. Masterfuly managing different time narrations and engrossing the reader in every character tale, Beier crafts a fast pace tale of wonder, ghosts and schemes, presenting you with and undeniable truth: you will be hooked until the end.

I loved this book. Couldn’t put it down. Suspenseful all the way through! The characters were well developed - the mother really annoyed me. One of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read.

Seven teenagers disappeared in 2010. No one knows what happened to them. Idle County can only say that they disappeared in the Moon Woods. A decade later a woman bears a baby which she named Jonathan. After turning seventeen years old he is committed to a Crescent Rehabilitation Center for troubled youth. His mother did this as he would violent outbursts and refusal to admit he’s lying. He knows what happed to the seven teenagers. He has memories that adults think are impossible for him to have. Three months after a nuclear terrorists attack in Geneva,, Switzerland, an ex-CIA psychiatrist, Dr. Lumens arrives at Crescent to interview Jonathan about the Idle County seven teenagers disappearance. He wants anything and everything Jonathan knows. As Jonathan tells what he knows, he reignites the same group of terrorists from Geneva deciding that Jonathan must stop telling about it or else.

The author weaves characters and and plots together". The stories paranormal elements are fascinating. The many shifts in perspective and time are disorienting at times. The story is engrossing. I kept wanting to know the answers to questions I had but did not answer in this book. I liked the mystery of the story even though it’s not solved in this book. I can’t wait to read the next one! This is a book that can be enjoyed by enjoyed by young
adults and adults.

3 for neutral. This one was not my cuppa tea, but will definitely update if able to finish at a later date! Did try a couple times, but didn’t get very far.

I got a newsletter from Netgalley saying I should really get the Jonathan Flite books while they were still available, so I did and I'm really glad I did. I wasn't expecting much because I barely read the summary, trusting that if other Netgalley readers were making it a best-seller it must be worth it. Wow, the plot is twisted but the story-telling is very well done and all the strings of past present and future weave together without forming knots, everything flows into place flawlessly. I loved that the characters ranged so widely from kids looking out for ghosts to various kinds of doctors, people aging with or without sickness, most characters holding deep and painful memories that give them ground and volume to hold their spot in the story. Now this was a promising start, I'm excited to read the next ones!

This book is amazing! I really had no idea what I was getting into and was blown away. I have no idea how this book snuck under the radar from me all these years. The story is top-notch. It really has a bit of everything. It's a thriller that has ghosts, cults, murder, and more. The characters are very well-written and even though there was kind of a lot to keep track of, the core group was easy to remember. After the first half, I went and sought out the next two books right away. There was no way I could let this story drop knowing there was so much more. The writing style is really fantastic and keeps you locked in. I can't wait to get into book 2 later today. This author is massively talented and I am so glad that I stumbled across their books.

Jonathan believes that he has the memories of a group of teenagers who disappeared before he was born. Nobody believes him, they think that he is obsessed with the incident and he gets all his information from the internet and news articles.
I enjoyed reading parts of this book but be I found it a complicated story because of the multiple time frames.
Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Im not really sure how to describe what I loved about his book.. Except to say that I loved all of it!
This story has so many layers, its like we are peeling an onion.. The more layers we travel through, the closer we are getting to the truth.. The truth about what happened to the Idle County 7.. The only person who knows what happened to them other than their killer, is a boy named Jonathan Flite.. We follow him as he grows up.. He tells his mother that he has a bunch of people in his head.. Of course she doesn't believe him, and he is sent to a psychiatrist.. After an angry outburst that leads to Jonathan killing his nurse, he ends up in an institution.. Only one person on the outside seems to believe that he actually knows what happened to these missing teens.. Dr. Lumen.. He grew up in Idle county, whose claim to fame isn't only the missing kids.. Alot of strange things happen there.. Not only the people missing, but cults, murder, and even ghosts..
We get to see quite a few perspectives throughout this story, but mostly we follow Jonathan, and Molly.. Molly is one of the kids who went missing and we get to see through Jonathans eyes what happened in the time leading up to her going missing.. Jonathan and Mollys story sucked me in completely, and I can't wait to see what new things we are going to learn in the next book!

This story had a great premise: 1)Why won't anyone believe Jonathan even though he knows things that he shouldn't be able to know? 2) And what happened to the 7 teenagers who disappeared?

I was drawn into this story from the beginning and couldn't wait to find out. I loved the friendships between some of the characters and I also loved seeing Jonathan's mom feel some sort of remorse/regret about how she raised her son.

But the ending was so abrupt and unsatisfying. I didn't realize at first that this book was part of a series, so maybe knowing that ahead of time would have warned me to sort of a cliffhanger type ending. But I was disappointed that the "explanation" amounted to 1 sentence basically.

This book was amazing! This is the story of Jonathan Flite, a teen who says that he has the memories of the Idle County Seven, a group of teenagers who disappeared eight years before Jonathan was born. Tormented by the memories, and more importantly that no one believes him, Jonathan occasionally lashes out. Unfortunately, during one of these episodes Jonathan kills his nurse. Sent to a mental hospital, Jonathan's story is suddenly taken seriously after a terrorists sets off a nuclear bomb destroying Geneva. Told in flashbacks, Jonathan relates the story of Molly Butler, one of the Idle County Seven, while trying to protect himself and those he loves from unseen enemies. Enemies that have something to do with the disappearance of the Idle County Seven.

I absolutely loved this book! Both stories were compelling. I didn't feel like one was just there to move the plot along. Beier's language is beautiful and manages to capture the feeling of tweenhood. His characters are complex, fascinating and ring true to life.

I would recommend this book to everyone who likes science fiction, mysteries and/or just plain good writing. I can't wait to read the next installment in the Jonathan Flite saga.

A teenage boy just might be at the center of two historical events: the disappearance of seven kids in the Moon Woods that was never solved and happened years before he was even born and the nuclear bombing of Geneva that happened in the boy's present life--being locked up in a juvenile detention center. He claims, and has claimed since he was very young, that he holds the memories of one of the kids who went missing. Does he have some sort of past-life connection; reincarnation? A psychiatrist writing a book on the unsolved case seeks to find out. Some pieces line up while others do not. But what makes it all the more pertinent is the boy's memories or visions of Geneva, seemingly just before the bomb exploded. The FBI has connected that bomb to a Catholic clergy member with a militant outlook and an open wound of the world turning its back on organized religion. This Catholic terrorist also has a connection to Victor Zobel, who is another key player at the center of these two historic events. Zobel was not only the founder of the cult that drew people away from churches but his stepdaughter was one of the seven missing kids.

Can you sing dun, dun, duuuuunnnnnn?!

This story is complex, webbed, tangled, layered, interwoven. You must pay attention not only to follow along but to catch the hints and clues. Each character is complex with their own little piece to add to the bigger puzzle. The timeline stretches from 2037 to way back in 1910! So, new and unknown-to-us tech is used as well as relics from our history books. Despite all this, I didn't struggle following along, I never got confused. In fact, I quite enjoyed tagging along and working to solve the mystery.

The writing was superb! Smart, individualistic, and flowed like a mountain stream. The characterization was believable. The plot, with all its twists, landslides, and explosions was absolutely gripping in every conceivable way. It was chilling, goosebump-inducing, and it had the little hairs on my arms and the back of my neck standing straight up. This story was a masterpiece from start to finish and Beier is an instant favorite from who I look forward to reading more.