They Called Me Wyatt

This book had such an interesting premise that I immediately downloaded it and put aside the rest of my current reading list. The main character has such a strong, compelling voice that I was completely drawn in and it ended up exceeding my expectations!

During Part 1, Siwar alternating between flashbacks as herself in Amman, Jordan and current three-year-old Wyatt in Seattle. I loved her instinctual reactions to both Western culture and the idiosyncrasies in the life of a toddler. The second part almost feels like a sequel to the first part, with Siwar's consciousness being the connecting factor. There's a struggle for control during the majority of Part 2 between Siwar and her now much older host, Wyatt.

The second part also focuses more on the mystery of who killed Siwar 25 years prior. You're kept guessing even when you feel like you've figured it out! While we never figure out how or why Siwar woke up in Wyatt's body, the author manages to wrap up the story with a satisfactory bow.

They Called Me Wyatt is broken up into two distinct parts, with a unique twist on the “multiple point of view” idea over the novel’s duration. Part I presents Siwar, a 25 year old Jordanian student studying at the University of Maryland. In her own words, Siwar is murdered at the hands of a mysterious assailant, as she’s pushed off a rooftop bar, falling to her death. Despite the notable handicap of being dead, Siwar still communicates with the reader through the being of another normal three year old child. Wyatt, a child born possibly at the same moment of Siwar’s death, is the vessel to which Siwar’s life force awakens three years later. While having the motor skills and general appearance of the toddler, Siwar controls Wyatt’s body, and tasks herself with trying to communicate with Wyatt’s parents, who can’t seem to figure out what’s so peculiar about their first born child. As Siwar struggles to cope with this cruel interpretation of the afterlife, she kindly supplies the reader with stories of her Jordanian childhood, and what shaped her into the person she was, up to the moments before her premature end. Part I’s structure can be a little confusing at first, as we have to be careful to comprehend whether we’re reading something from the past or present. Once you get the hang of this however, the content is engaging and the anecdotes of Siwar’s Jordanian upbringing helped me personally understand the perspective of the character. As a relatively uncultured American, I found it compelling to grasp the cultural differences and unfortunate prejudices that would challenge a young woman from Jordan transporting her life to the “land of opportunity.” 


Part II flashes forward to Wyatt’s 25 birthday, the same age as Siwar at the time of her death. Wyatt these days has control of his faculties…sort of. Unbeknownst to him, Wyatt’s life has become intertwined with Siwar’s. He has interests in Middle East language and culture, and surrounds himself with people that Siwar would surely approve of…including having a relationship with a member of Siwar’s extended family. For some reason that he couldn’t explain if he tried, Wyatt is compelled to learn more about the death of this young girl, and to solve the case once and for all. Through Part II we still have a back and forth narrative, but Siwar’s energy is more complex now. She’s somehow grown as an entity inside Wyatt’s mind, and both of them are struggling with this arrangement. Siwar appears to being growing insane in her prison, and understandably so. Her attitude to the reader becomes more daft, while still yearning for justice. In my personal read-through, Siwar’s mannerisms in Part II were akin to the 80s character Max Headroom, which probably wasn’t the intent but seemed to mildly amuse my “audience-of-one.”


My favorite concept that was explored throughout the entire novel, but particularly in Part II, is the idea of deja-vu. Our main characters are battling inexplicable familiarities with people, places, and experiences they may never have had themselves. While Wyatt is plagued with this more than the average person, the author’s interpretations make me wonder what else might be living inside my own mind. Do we all have souls pass through our energies as we live our day to day lives? While I’ve thankfully never had recollections of gruesome death, who’s to say that the old ice-cream shop or football field that display in my mind from time to time don’t have a meaning to some other person that’s interacted with my being. While I’m not the most spiritual person in the world, the author’s concept allows me to explore that possibility in my mind, and gives a strange sense of comfort to some inexplicable feelings or memories that may never have been mine in the first place.


Rating: They Called Me Wyatt by Natasha Tynes is a well-developed, complete novel that is best described as a “page turner” that doesn’t need to rely on dramatics to keep the reader interested. Believable characters, interesting settings, and detailed experiences of life both in the Middle East and America aid in keeping us focused despite the novel’s unconventional pace. If you’re able to keep your mind as open as the novel’s concepts suggest, you might even learn something about yourself in the process.

Wow this book was really good. To be honest I didn't expect it to be that good. I don't read mystery books very often but when I read the blurb on this one I was very intrigued.
I was so engaged with the story. The mystery around the murder kept me reading and reading, I so wanted to find out who killed her. But it wasn't just that. The whole book is written in really unique way. I loved how the author delivered the story to the readers. And I really loved her writing. The pace was good too. I enjoyed it very much. Although is not my go to genre I did enjoyed it and I highly recommend it to people who like mystery suspence books. I think this book will be a total hit. And I give it 5 stars. Amazing read. Well done to the author.

Let me just say, They Called Me Wyatt is not something I would have picked up on my own. However, reading the synopsis seriously intrigued me and I found myself sucked into this strange and unique story of Siwar and Wyatt. They Called Me Wyatt was an entertaining read for sure and lovers of supernatural mysteries will love it! However, I felt like I was drowning in the details of Siwar’s life. While I enjoyed getting to know her, and she was a well-developed character, I couldn’t get attached to her or to Wyatt for that matter. The chapters interweave between Siwar stuck in Wyatt and her time in Jordan as well as in the US before her death. That is until halfway through the book when the story is picked up by Wyatt solely.

I’m a stickler for well-edited books and this one definitely needs to be edited as there were many grammatical issues I found that distracted me from the story. Still, Natasha Tynes has created a remarkable and unique mystery that I think many will enjoy! I have never read anything quite like what she has written. The way she manages to fit the pieces of the puzzle together are outstanding and I look forward to reading many more of her works!

**I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review.**

This was a great story that takes place in both the US and the country of Jordan.
Siwar dies at the same time Wyatt is born. Siwar's consiousness is awakened 3 years later in the body of Wyatt. Years later, when Wyatt is 25, Siwar starts "talking" to Wyatt and we eventually follow his journey to find out what happened to Siwar. I was on edge as we got closer to finding out the truth and it's not what I expected.

The blurb of They Called Me Wyatt was nothing short of intriguing. I was hooked. I wasn't too keen on the cover but the premise definitely got me reading the book. Aside from wanting to know who killed her, this different kind of reincarnation was a fresh take on a fictional work. And I wasn't disappointed.

The book is divided into two parts. Part I is wholly from the point of view of Siwar, the Jordanian girl who was pushed to death on her 25th birthday, and whose consciousness transferred to Wyatt, a three-year old with whom she shares her birth date. The how and the why of her reincarnation, if you can call it that, was not explained. Maybe because it simply is unexplainable.

It’s wonderful to find laughable incidents when Siwar realised she's in a different body. They served as a breather from all the mystery and darkness that surrounded her murder.

In Part II, the point of view switched between Siwar and Wyatt, who is now a fully grown-up man whose extremely interested in Middle Eastern culture, with her niece as his girlfriend. The development of Wyatt's awareness of Siwar's presence in his mind and her hand in almost all aspects of his life was convincing and unnerving. It raises many questions as to his true identity and personality, though. How much of Siwar was Wyatt? Who, really, is Wyatt? Or, worse: Is there really a Wyatt?

For the most part of the book, Siwar's loneliness, regrets and sadness prevailed. Dying young has robbed her of many things in life. She had many dreams and aspirations which were cut short by a murderer. But perhaps, the most glaring of all her misgivings was her disappointment in dying with her virginity intact. Her insecurities and repressed sexuality resonated throughout the book. In relating her life story, the author brings us a vivid glimpse of Arabic, specifically, Jordanian culture, and how girls are treated (or judged?) there, especially when it comes to having relationships with boys. The narratives involving Siwar's involvement with several boys foreshadowed the solution of the crime. The twists and turns are enjoyable and the murderer turned out as someone you'd not imagine it to be.

There are a few typographical and grammatical errors which could have made reading this book more pleasant. But all in all, They Called Me Wyatt is a fine work of fiction that is at once humorous, poignant, and suspenseful.

I loved the premise of this story. It was what made me so excited to picked this book up in the first place. I haven't seen a ton of racial diversity in mysteries, so it was nice to see that this was what appears to be an #ownvoices book, as the girl who was murdered is from Jordan and the author is Jordanian-American.

The story itself was interesting. I was engaged from the first page of the story. The main thing that bothered me was that this book definitely needs a good edit. There were multiple mistakes that would be remedied with a good edit, from punctuation to some minor grammatical errors.

I did like that, during the first part of the book, it was all from Siwar's point of view as she tried to navigate things in the body of a three year old boy. You caught the tiniest of glimpses of what went through her mind whenever the diaper had to be changed on Wyatt's body and how she dealt with having a penis all of a sudden when she hadn't had much interaction with one in her own life prior to her murder. You could also see the struggle of having to learn out to navigate this three year old body when her 25 year old self says, "I know how to do this!" Especially since at the age of three, Wyatt is speech delayed and she can't use his voice to explain what had happened to her.

During part two, the voices of Wyatt and Siwar were just different enough to be noticeable. There were parts that felt like that they were on the similar side. But after cohabiting in someone else's mind, I can easily forgive that part. Even with living with someone for that long, you tend to pick up at least one habit of the other person. And since Siwar had nothing but her consciousness, I could easily get past that.

Towards the end, there was a conversation that Wyatt had with his friend Adam over the phone that felt a bit forced. The things that were said didn't quite flow naturally. I cringed a bit reading that specific bit of the story.

When we got to the end of the story where we find out who actually committed the murder, I was hoping that it would be a cop out. The story took a bit of a turn before we found out and, for the most part, I wasn't super surprised at who the murderer was. It did, however, make sense that the murderer was who it was.

Rating: Ignoring the punctuation mistakes: 3.5/5 stars Not ignoring the punctuation mistakes: 2.75/5 stars

They Called Me Wyatt is one of the most unique books I have ever read. The storyline is very original and you should go into reading it with an open mind. It took me awhile to adjust to the story and was unsure for the first few chapters, but once I got the pages turning I was pleasantly surprised at how captivated I became. The book deals with contrasting Jordanian and American cultures, and has a depth I initially wasn’t expecting. It was interesting to read about life growing up as an Arab girl, versus an American boy. I would recommend They Called Me Wyatt to anyone looking to expand his or her perspective. It was a refreshing and intriguing story.

They Called Me Wyatt was such a unique and captivating read. Thank you Natasha for providing me with an ARC of your debut novel for an honest review. Coming to you in June 2019.

They Called Me Wyatt is about a young Jordanian woman, Siwar, who was murdered on her 25th birthday. After Siwar’s death, her consciousness survives by being implanted in a speech-delayed 3 year old boy, Wyatt. Her conscious goes dormant while Wyatt grows up, but on his 25th birthday, the same day she died, Wyatt learns about Siwar’s death thus awakening her conscious. Wyatt finds himself inexplicably drawn to this case and will stop at nothing to find out who killed Siwar.

This was a story unlike anything I have read before. Natasha seamlessly blends murder mystery and the supernatural together in this story. I loved how the book was told in alternating points of view, between Wyatt and Siwar’s consciousness. The setting takes place back and forth between the United States and Jordan, letting you get a glimpse of life as an immigrant and the hardships endured. What an amazing cross-cultural read with a mystery that kept me guessing until the very end.

They Called Me Wyatt was unlike many books I have read before. First, a thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of your debut novel for an honest review. Coming to you in June 2019.

They Called Me Wyatt is about a young Jordanian woman, Siwar, who was murdered on her 25th birthday. After Siwar’s death, her consciousness survives by being implanted in a speech-delayed 3 year old boy, Wyatt. While Wyatt grows up her voice does not interfere with Wyatt's life. On her 25th birthday everything changes, Wyatt learns about Siwar's death and her conscious awakens as well. .

Once Wyatt learns about Siwar's death it is safe to say he becomes obsessed with finding out what happens to her. The story starts alternating points of view, and it is so interesting to hear the perspectives of Wyatt and Siwar throughout the novel. I also thoroughly enjoyed the different cultural aspects of being able to see what a life of an immigrant from Jordan was like, compared to Wyatt's life.

What an intriguing book. Split into two parts, one told from Siwar's POV and one from Wyatt's POV, this story kept my attention and had me asking the the question... Who killed Siwar?

Natasha Tynes offers a unique voice in They Called Me Wyatt. Not only is a murder mystery it is a coming of age for two characters. This story unfolds with a Jourdian women finding conscious self trapped in an american three year old boy. Not only is it a culture shock its a life shock. This novel is a great read.

I would like to thank the author Natasha Tynes for reaching out to me via Instagram and asking if I would be interested in receiving a copy of her novel via Netgalley to review.
Once I read the synopsis I couldn’t help but be intrigued.

I could not put this novel down, the plot line had me hooked straight away, as soon as we start the first chapter we are reliving Siwar’s death and the moments leading up to it.

This novel is told in 2 sections- the first being Siwar’s consciousness inside 3 year old Wyatt, her anger at not being able to communicate and tell her story, her frustration at being a 25 year old Jordanian woman inside the body of a 3 year old white male, noticing the difference in their lives, her discomfort at being a “male”.

A lot of the first section is Siwar comparing the differences between Wyatt’s life and what her life used to be like, comparing his parents to her parents, remembering her life back in Jordan. Throughout this we are introduced to various friends and a couple of romantic interests, and we learn more and more about Siwar’s personality, interests and struggles to find somewhere she belongs.

Throughout the first section we also find out that Wyatt’s family life isn’t that great, his mother and father are constantly bickering, we learn that his father Noah is racist and there are hints towards an affair, his mother Krista is trying to give him the best life possible despite the friction between her husband and herself.

The second section takes place 22 years later, Wyatt has been dating a young woman Hoda (who we learn would have been Siwar’s niece) and has a keen interest in the Middle East.

Siwar doesn’t have as much control as she did when Wyatt was younger, but she is still able to have some control of his actions every now and then- usually when he has been drinking.
Something which she does take advantage of sometimes- I can’t say I agree with her method but I can understand why she would do it, after all her death had been ruled as a suicide for 25 years and she Needed the truth to be known.
Unfortunately this does cause a lot of friction between Wyatt and Hoda throughout their relationship as neither of them can really understand his obsession with finding out what happened to her Aunt, but by the end of the novel they do appear to be in a better place.

It was quite interesting to read from Siwar’s perspective 25 years on as she still has the mentality of her 25 year old self- albeit even more frustrated that she is still stuck in limbo.

This was definitely a “whodunnit” novel, any time I thought I had guessed who the culprit was, I ended up second guessing myself, I wouldn’t say that Siwar had any enemies, but there were definitely a few people that I had listed as possible suspects.

I was definitely on the edge of my seat the whole time reading this, I was so invested in Siwar’s story, I actually heaved a sigh of relief once the truth was out there and Siwar was able to find peace and move on.
Not only for Siwar though, her family finally knew the truth and they could finally find their own peace as well.

One thing I found very interesting was the differences in cultures, I am learning more as a 30 year old adult through reading than I ever did at school.

Tynes created such a unique story, that will definitely stay with you.

Natasha Tynes is one to look out for.

I can't even describe how original this book is of all the books I've read!

They Called me Wyatt is a speculative novel developed between the United States and Jordan. This novel deals with topics such as immigration, identity, different kinds of love and the constant need to integrate into a foreign land.

In this book we are introduced to the story of Siwar Salaiha, a Jordanian student, who was murdered on the day of her 25th Anniversary, and whose conscience migrated to the body of a boy named Wyatt who was born the day she died.

Three years later, Siwar emerges from the subconscious of this little boy and that's where she begins to tell us her story through Wyatt's eyes, focusing on the present as a 25-year-old woman in the body of a 3-year-old, in a family that is not hers, and focuses mainly on the past, in the life she lived and left incomplete.

The story is divided into two parts. In the first part, while Siwar despairs of her condition of having "reincarnated" in the body of a baby, who does not even know how to speak and read, flashbacks are presented about her life in Amman and later in the US.

Siwar has known a lot of "trash boys" throughout her life, and even Wyatt after growing up is a bit of an idiot, but on the bright side, at least he's not a complete idiot and helps to solve the mystery of her murder .

Siwar is a strong protagonist, full of life and dreams. And that's why her family does not believe that her death was suicide.

Siwar has a presence that is impossible to ignore. And that's what Wyatt will find out. The blue-eyed blond boy grows up and realizes that he is different, that something inside him changes his choices, that something makes him feel familiar with things that he shouldn't be familiar with, that something compels him to visit Arab countries, that something attracts him to a Jordanian girl whom he does not even find very attractive.

So in the second part of the book, the story unfolds around what happened to Siwar and about the whirlwind of emotions that exist within Wyatt's body.

Natasha writes so well, even criticizes herself in some way through the main character and creates a very interactive narrative, which has to be mencionated because the first part of the story is practically told only by Siwar.

I confess that history took a path that I did not expect, it adopted a futuristic plot and it pleased me very much. It was more of a quirk that made this book so original.

One of the things that struck me most was the fact that Siwar said that she never thought much about the color of her skin in the country where she lived, but when she went to the US she realized that her skin and her accent would always be a differential. And that made me think of all the hate crimes that happen around the world where people are excluded, injured or murdered just because they come from another country.

They Called Me Wyatt will be released on June 11st by California Coldblood Books and I cannot wait to buy it and offer it to my bookfriends.

"You know what they say about birthmarks?"
"No, I don't." he said, his eyes closed.
"They are the wounds of your previous lives."
Wyatt chuckled.

Oh.. My.. Word!! Words simply cannot explain how much I liked this book, and it's not even a horror! This little murder mystery (with a supernatural element) is a true gem and simply unputdownnable, YES... as in really, really. This book had me so intrigued from the start that I simply had to finish most of it in one day (received it a bit late on the first day I started). I didn't care about kids, dinner or beddy-bye time... I JUST HAD TO FINISH IT! It's been months since I picked up a book that had me so fervently reading to the end. This is Natasha Tynes' debut novel (which I find hard to believe) and trust me, when it comes to debut novels this one's as good as they get...
Things I absolutely loved about this book:
1:What is worse than a 25-year-old's mind stuck in a 3-year-old's body? Very few things I suppose. This is a concept I've never read before, it's very unique.
2:The author has a wicked sense of humor and some of the funniest comments come from the first part of this book when Siwar is stuck in Wyatt's body. Example:" I thought about ending it all, but how? A knife? Krista keeps sharp objects out of my reach. I won't be able to get pills or even a rope. A gun? No way, Krista doesn't even allow water guns around the house." LOL.... This is horrifying, but funny at the same time.
3: I loved that this story had two points of view, both male and female. The female POV has been just as hilarious at times. The comments she makes about certain things are just so typical female, I could absolutely relate (we all seem to have a little bit of bitch inside of us).
4: Thoroughly enjoyed the fact that she incorporated her Jordanian heritage and Arabic words into this story. Had to Google some things whilst I was reading and that was quite the learning experience.
5: Best of all.... I could never quite figure out the whodunit in this mystery. Not until right at the end of course... And then (ha-ha) she threw me a curve ball. I LOVED THAT!!! Very sneaky indeed....
Would I recommend this book? Hells yeah, I would!! This has been a fantastic reading experience for me and I would strongly recommend anybody to put this on their TBR-list.
The publishing date on They Called Me Wyatt is 6/11 and I would just like to thank the author, Rare Bird Books and NetGalley for giving me this opportunity to read and review this novel.

alright, for how short this is it took me what felt like forever to finish. and it's not even because i didn't enjoy it, this was really well written, i love siwar a lot, and i enjoyed reading about wyatt a lot more when he was 3 than when he was older, but even so. there were a lot of grammatical errors but i understood regardless what was being said. i loved siwar's voice so much, it needed to be heard and it was, by wyatt and the reader both. i didn't really like wyatt so much when he was himself, but admired the drive siwar put into him, makes me curious how he will live on his own. this book at it's core was about incels and they rate they will go to when they feel threatened or don't get their way. learning about other cultures so intensely was amazing and also heart breaking with what they must endure. being a woman can be extremely difficult but being a woman of color is something i'll never understand personally but my heart goes out to all of them, and all my positive thoughts to get them through even every day life.

The story focuses on the life and untimely death of Siwar. A Jordanian born student who makes an escape to the US in search for a better life. Siwar is a strong, independent woman who longs for a taste of the western life but soon realises the grass is not always greener on the other side. *
When Siwar dies, her unconsciousness is transferred into the body of Wyatt (What?! I know that’s what I was thinking) and she can’t move on until she finds out who pushed her. *
This book is definitely unique and different to any others I had read so far this year. It has a good concept, combining a murder mystery with an underlying tone of sci-fi. I enjoyed the cultural background to this story and Natasha draws upon her own experiences of Jordan to make them come alive to the reader. However there were lots of Arabic words in the book I couldn't read, and guessed at unless I looked them up on google.
A unique read for those interested in after life, sci-fi and murder mystery.

It was a great read! Natasha gave us insight into the world of women in the middle east. Their kinds of traditions and roles. What they really have to do to fight for their rights. It was a little slow in the beginning for me, but it picked up after Wyatt turns 25, and he starts investigating. I liked the glimpses you get of Siwar's life, and her relationships. She is an interesting woman, wanting more out of life. I liked that about her. She was passionate, and creative.

This is a very strange book of the kind I don't think I've read before. I was very intrigued by the synopsis given I'm from a middle eastern background but not from the same country as the main character, Siwar. I found the beginning a little long as the first part of Siwar's story (and her background) dragged on, but I quite enjoyed how the story was set out. From Siwar's family life and childhood, waking up in baby Wyatt's body to what happens later. I felt sorry for Wyatt once he realised why he'd grown up feeling different from others.

This reminds me of Sarah Pinborough's book 'Behind Her Eyes' which is also mystery mixed with the supernatural and also done very well. Another aspect I enjoyed was Natasha's integration of Arabic words and the culture. I love it when authors do this as I feel it educates readers on a small scale.

A murder mystery with a twist! This novel is fast-paced with a unique concept that pulls you right in. I enjoyed the characters and their distinct voices, and I found the overall plot interesting as well. I loved how the author exhibited extreme culture differences throughout the chapters and also used the concept of déjà-vu in the second part of the novel to show the connection between Siwar and Wyatt. I would recommend this novel for anyone looking for a good mystery/thriller (plus the author is super nice and responsive!).

4.5 rounded up to 5 🌟 A novel of so many facets and faces, supernatural and a bit futuristic. Beautiful in its complexity of thought and plotting, yet very easy to read and down to earth.

I was hooked from the very first chapter: the amazing story of Sriwar aka. her murder mystery unfolded slowly, carefully, with ease and wickedness. I cannot really write mkre without giving out spoilers. Truth is I really feel the need to talk about this noe and its implications.

First of all, there is the Jordanian- Arab world with all its restrictions for women versus the Land of the Free, the USA where freedom is like magic. Then there is the life and hopes of young Sriwar with its cliches and dreams. Last but not least, the supernatural element of a conscience residing a living body, two conscience in one so to say. Well this was mind blowing.

Many thanks to Natasha Tynes and Netgalley for inviting me to read and review this arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Siwar, an immigrant from Jordan moves to the US to attend university. On her 25th birthday, she is pushed off a roof and murdered, but her consciousness survives in the body of a Seattle baby boy, Wyatt.

22 years later, Wyatt is in university, has an affinity towards the Middle East, and a fear of heights. When he learns of Siwar's death through his girlfriend, he becomes obsessed with Siwar and investigates her death, which has been erroneously ruled a suicide. He feels a deep connection to Siwar, and thinks he can solve the mystery.

I was lucky enough to be given an ARC of this book by the author, Natasha Tynes, and I finished it in 24 hours. It pulled me in immediately with it's original premise and the compelling character driven story. This book sits in the middle of genres - fiction, mystery, and supernatural. I found it very informative and educational on the Middle East & Arab customs and way of life. This is the type of story that stays with you when you're finished reading - I'll miss Siwar, Wyatt, Hoda and Krista.

Natasha Tynes did a beautiful work in the story with an original plot line and gray, and compelling characters.
It is about 25 year old Siwar from Jordan who wants to live her life in freedom, she is brave and a bit dramatic but she doesn't shy away from what she wants and feels the need to fight for everything she deserves. When she is tragically killed on her 25th birthday itself, her consciousness gets trapped in the body of a new born baby, Wyatt, who was born on the same day. Being trapped in his mind, Siwar experiences her second chance at life but she can't rest until she finds her murderer. By the help of Wyatt or by manipulating his decisions she finally remembers what happened and gets justice for herself.
I loved how the story was portrayed through the characters. But it was also very confused at times. The voice of Wyatt grew and became more mature as the time went, but the narrative grew more confused and edgy. Sometimes the side characters were proud of what Wyatt did and sometimes they weren't supportive. Even Wyatt was not very clearly portrayed and the tone was quite hazy. The question of who did it kept the book driving forward and the pages turning. It was confusing and indefinite but it was also unique and captivating.
I am grateful for getting a chance to read the advanced copy of this book.
My rating : 4/5

Siwar Salaiha is a college student in her 20s in Maryland, enjoying her life as an immigrant from Jordan and experiencing new things. Or at least she was, before she fell to her death on the night of her 25th birthday. Siwar's consciousness remains alive, however, and she wakes up in the body of a toddler boy named Wyatt. Because of his speech delays, Siwar's attempts at communicating with Wyatt's parents repeatedly fail. Siwar knows her death was no accident, and it most definitely was not a suicide, as the police wrongly determined. After a medical procedure, she remains dormant in Wyatt's body, awakening every now and then when she can, trying to get his attention as he ages. Can she get Wyatt to understand and communicate, and bring herself to justice?

They Called Me Wyatt is a murder mystery unlike any I've ever read before. The plot and storyline is so original and unique. I couldn't read fast enough to satiate my desperation to know what happens next. I devoured this book! This novel also delves into Jordanian culture, what it means to be an immigrant, identity struggles and the need to fit in, family, and love and women's issues. I loved learning about Jordan and the city of Amman.

The one part that bothered me about this book was a detail that may be a spoiler, so I won't reveal it, but I will say that it is about the ending. It was satisfying, but it did feel a bit rushed.

Overall, an excellent read and definitely recommend if you enjoy murder mysteries with ordinary citizens attempting to solve cases that the police couldn't. 4/5 stars

Thank you to @natasha.tynes and @netgalley for my copy of They Called Me Wyatt. I was approached by Natasha and asked if I would be interested in providing an honest review in exchange for an ARC. The story sounded intriguing so I was excited to start reading.
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Siwar, a Woman from Jordan was murdered in the US and her consciousness transferred into the body of three year old Wyatt. I thought that this was a little bit of a slow burner but a great original story. For the first half, I found there were too many flashbacks to Siwar’s past and not much focus on the present but this completely changed in part two when Wyatt turned 25 years old. Siwar’s death was ruled a suicide so she is trying to find justice through Wyatt. I didn’t particularly like Wyatt as I found him a little boring and some of his thoughts and speech irrelevant to the plot but I did like Siwar and Wyatt’s girlfriend Hoda. Both were very strong, opinionated characters.
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Wonderful insight into the hardships of being a woman in Jordan. Siwar had a difficult upbringing due to her gender and she was held back by many restraints, especially when it came to romantic relationships.
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Surprising ending, didn’t see it coming ! I wouldn’t say this is really a thriller, more of a light supernatural murder mystery mixed with migration, racism and a look into different cultures. If you are searching for something different to the norm then I would definitely recommend.

This book intrigued me from the moment I read the synopsis. A murder mystery solved by the murder victim is certainly a unique perspective.
So this book starts with Siwar, and essentially cuts straight to the last few moments of her life, we learn more about her story in the latter chapters of the book; flashbacks, or related storylines. What is particularly strange, is to hear Siwar’s thoughts whilst Wyatt is just a child – adult opinions coming from a child’s viewpoint and Wyatt’s parents’ relationship nearly entirely takes away from what this book is truly about. This seemed to take up a relatively large portion of the book – for what it was.
However the mystery is gripping, particularly in that Siwar, Wyatt, and the reader all want to know what happened and are discovering this story at the same time. I would’ve liked a more obvious set of clues because although I like a surprise, looking back I still can’t make much of a path and the culprit came entirely out of the blue. However I’m here for the story as a whole which is compelling, gripping, and vibrant.
This book doesn’t just focus on the murder, but also on Siwar’s struggles as a Jordanian woman in the US, feeling like she should belong in the US but is someone who will always be seen as an outsider. Though whilst living in Jordan she wanted the thrill the US seemed to offer, the relaxed attitudes towards friendships and relationships.
Part of the charm of this book is the narrative, particularly later on when Siwar’s voice can only prevail when Wyatt is weak – i.e. drunk or tired, and her influences become not so subtle. It is in these moments that you realise how flawed each member of the cast is, yet this is something I love in a book – no one is perfect and I love seeing more authors do this.
Overall I’m awarding this a rating of 4/5; the voice was a bit of a love/hate for me, it came across strange in places and sometimes limited the range of what the reader saw, but it was unique and provided a gripping and exciting new perspective on the classic murder mystery. This book also explored much deeper social issues seamlessly, and provided an extremely satisfying conclusion. It’s a quick read too – in both length and in that you won’t be able to put it down!

I really enjoyed They Call Me Wyatt- Siwar’s story pulled me in and kept me wanting more.

This book is a unique take on a sort of reincarnation mixed with murder with some Jordanian culture thrown in to top it off. Wyatt & Siwar finish strong & I recommend this book for anyone looking for something different in the thriller genre. Natasha Tynes is a force to be reckoned with - I’m a fan!

This is definitely a unique book and one hard to categorise. Murder, mystery, coming of age, culture , identity and lots more are explored

I found the book initially a bit of a slow burner as but once the story picked up I found myself page turning sometimes with sleepy eyes as I read just one more chapter .

The book itself is divided into two parts . The first is written from Siwar’s viewpoint, a Jordanian living in America who died after falling from a building on her 25th birthday. Although I found this part slower to read it was fundemental in giving the reader insight into the rest of the story . After Siwars death her consciousness is transferred to Wyatt a baby who is born in America the same day as Siwar died.

Wyatt has always felt he was different as struggled for years with his uniqueness but when he is 25 he starts feeling Siwar’s presence in his mind. He feels so drawn to her that he makes it his mission to find out the truth of how she died. Was is suicide as the police at the time concluded or was it something more sinister???

Many twists and turns happen throughout Wyatts quest each unraveling another part of Siwar’s life story,

I loved the cultural aspect of the book. The contrast between living in Jordan and the United States is immense and something I’d never really considered before. Woman in particular have a very different life in Jordan. The writers understanding of the cultural differences definitely shows throughout the book.

I stood beside Wyatt in wanting to solve the mystery surrounding Siwar’s death and my instincts were totally wrong as the conclusion of the book left me speechless.

Overall a really unique memorable book , I will watch out for this authors next book as this was a fantastic debut novel.

Thank you to netgalley , Natasha Tynes and the publishers for my chance to read this fantastic book.

I received an Advanced Readers' Copy electronic version of this book from the author, Natasha Tynes, and publishers, California Coldblood Books and Rare Bird Books, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is incredibly unique and unlike anything I've ever read before! Jordanian student Siwar's consciousness transfers to a boy born in Seattle the same day she is murdered. When a seizure in this young boy awakens Siwar, she must adjust to her new reality in this young boy, Wyatt. She finds that she's unable to communicate effectively with those around her to explain her story. Fast forward two decades, Siwar finds ways to make herself known to Wyatt and the story that unfolds is a thrilling adventure to attempt to uncover the truth behind Siwar's mysterious death.

Siwar and Wyatt's stories captivated me from the start and I found it difficult to put this book down! The general concept was fascinating, the cultural differences made the story complex and unique, the characters were well-written, and I can honestly say I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out who the killer was. If you're looking for a mystery/thriller that is different from anything you've ever read, this book is for you!

GoodReads review link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2751602300

Thank you to NetGalley, Natasha Tynes and California Coldblood Books for a free ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

The concept for this book is so intriguing and I am so happy that Natasha reached out to me to review her book!

When Jordanian student Siwar Salaiha is murdered on her birthday in College Park, Maryland, her consciousness survives, finding refuge in the body of a Seattle baby boy.

I don’t think I even read the blurb for this book, I totally went in blind and I am glad that I did. I was sucked in from the get-go, and the alternating chapters between Siwar and Wyatt's conscious keep the pages turning. It wasn't predictable, it felt really fresh, and at the same time still very interesting.

I have been umming and arring over stars but I reckon this deserves five for being so different. I didn’t once get annoyed whilst reading this which can often happen. There were no forced plots, everything made sense. It was really a great read for me.

I can’t wait for whatever may be next!

I really enjoyed this book and it pulled me in right from the first page! It was told from two POV’s, Wyatt and Siwar. Siwar was murdered on her 25th birthday and somehow woke up in a three year old’s conscious, Wyatt. I loved trying to figure out what happened and what was real or not. Very interesting and such a quick read! I was surprised by the twists and turns but wasn’t disappointed with how things turned out.

This had such a good plot and theme. I loved reading about how a woman is treated in the Arab world, especially from her point of view.
The story, which is about a murdered woman waking up in a toddler's body. She does not remember who killed her, and she cannot communicate what she remembers to cause an investigation in her own murder, because he is a toddler.
Years later, when the toddler is a grown man, she steers him unconsciously to solve the mystery.
I loved how this story was back and forth with her memories of her life as a woman, back to Wyatt who is a grown man obsessed in a way with her story. How intertwined both lives got. And the end. Very unexpected.
There's so much of powerful investigations of sexism and racism, and it's done beautifully. The descriptions of Jordan are inviting, you could almost feel yourself in her neighborhood.
I loved how this was a bit futuristic, and fantasy-like. The only issue for me was pacing.

A 25 year old Jordanian college student, Siwar is murdered in the U.S. in 2001 months before 9/11. Her consciousness wakes up in the body of a 3 year old boy. She is intent on finding out who murdered her but unfortunately Wyatt barely speaks. Her efforts are not successful. Fast forward 25 years to 2026, Wyatt is 25 years old and having recurring dreams about falling, has a strange affinity to Arabic and is dating Siwar's niece. Siwar must convince Wyatt, somehow, to follow up on her case and try to solve her murder.

I really enjoyed this book. A unique and different story, it centres around the murder of Siwar but is not a crime thriller. It deals with lots of topics, from racism, gender equality and stereotypes to fitting in and standing out. I particularly liked reading about Jordan, it's culture, traditions and general way of life. Siwar and Wyatt are great, well developed multi-faceted characters and I was rooting for both of them throughout the book, It wasn't a major whodunnit but the story was nicely tied up at the end. 4/5

A very entertaining read! I loved the Arabic flair and the unique story. I’ll miss Siwar and Wyatt.

***

Let’s be honest, there is a weird thing about a grownup in a toddlers body. The author did a splendid job, still it was I bit weird for me. At least the first couple of chapters.

Siwar is a very likable person. I really enjoyed the jumps to the past and Siwar telling the reader about her childhood and teens in Amman, Jordan. I’ve been to Jordan (sadly not Amman, I only got to see the airport of Amman) and really loved this country. It has a certain flair which is hard to explain. (Find out more on this German article on my blog).

The author captured Siwar great, I had a clear picture of her in my head and I was cheering for her all along. The story starts with her murder and the only thing I was thinking on those first pages was: Why? And Who?
Well, you have to read, to find out.

The story had me hooked within one chapter. I immediately liked the characters and the way the story was told. Also I find the idea to be quiet unique.

Between the lines of the story, the book focuses on racial clichés and the question of ‘belonging’. Siwar has a hard time adapting to her live in the US and has to overcome some of the clichés which are stuck in her head about Americans. I really enjoyed these parts of the book, because it brought me a lot closer to Siwar. As a ‘boring’ Caucasian Female, I (luckily) never experienced any racial related rejection or discrimination, therefore I was enjoying to read more about Siwars experiences.

Don’t mistake it for a crime story. It’s not. Not really at least. Yes the murder of Siwar is what the story is built on, but the book didn’t feel like a crime-story to me. There is a twist coming up but not as in those thriller-books where you get all like wohaaaaaaaaa wtf. It felt more like deserved closure!

A very entertaining read! I loved the Arabic flair and the unique story. I’ll miss Siwar and Wyatt.

A very intriguing novel that had me instantly engaged, They Called Me Wyatt is about a woman murdered on her birthday whose consciousness unexpectedly survives in the body of a 3-yr old boy. The central question - who killed Siwar - is so strong it carried me through the whole novel.

Unlike anything I have read before.

Definitely not your usual murder mystery, a unique story about reincarnation, This book was a bit of wildcard for me but the premise intrigued me and I couldn’t put it down once I had started reading it. The first part of the book tells us about Siwar’s life in her native country and and highlights the culture differences and restrictions placed on young girls growing up in Amman Jordan and to my surprise I really enjoyed learning about this. The book then becomes Wyatt’s story the struggles he’s had and his obsession to find out what happened to Siwar and get the answers she deserves . This has my favourite ending a twist you didn’t see coming . If your looking for something different to your usual murder mysteries then look no further.

I've had the chance to read the book twice now, before writing this review, and I have to say it was a wonderful experience. The plot had me engaged since the first chapter and I couldn't put it down until I finished. I indulged in a reread it again, a few weeks later, and the thrilling sensation of discovering the Siwar's story didn't fade.

Siwar, a young Jordanian woman, is murdered the day of her birthday, and her consciousness survives, this time in the body of a 3 years old boy. As an arab female, she opens up about the good and the ugly of being one, that way you can understand her thinking in many situations. She rebirths in Wyatt's consciousness, she gets to live with him, like him, until he starts to investigate the Siwar's murder.

The plot was suspenseful and original, I adored the characters and how they evolved in the story. The author plays with a bunch of subjects: migration issues, gender and cultural differences, and that makes it unique. Plus the vivid descriptions of places and situations made the reading experience more exciting. This was a book like any other that I've read before.

"Hell doesn't necessarily involve fire"

Synopsis: Siwar, a Jordanian woman, is murdered on her 25th birthday. However, not all of her is lost; her consciousness survives, carrying on in the body of a 3-year-old boy, Wyatt, living in Seattle. Siwar struggles to communicate through Wyatt. And due to a heavy medical procedure, Siwar's soul falls dormant for 22 years. Now 25, Wyatt has unexplainable fascinations with the Middle East and this woman named Siwar's death. He can't shake why he's so passionate about solving her "unexplained" death. The question is - what will he find out?

First off, what a fascinating plotline! I was immediately intrigued and captivated by soul duality and the incessant need to solve this crime. There was this element of "deja-vu" that Wyatt continued to experience that was so clever. It really tied together the essence of Siwar "residing" within him. In a way, it reminds me more of a supernatural fiction, than a thriller.

Character development was spot on. You instantly get a sense of who Siwar is, and even while she's "within" Wyatt, the use of flashbacks keeps you connected to her core character.

My favorite aspect of this book, though, was the Tynes' profound language. There were so many thought-provoking quotes. She mastered this art of thrill-seeking and prose. It truly was such a lovely experience.

Thank you, Natasha Tynes and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for my review!

A haunting debut., Compellingly told and rich with psychological insight.. Natasha Tyneside gives us some real nail-biting stuff..
Engrossing from start to finish..

An interesting book. When a 25 year old Jordanian woman dies on her birthday she awakens in the body of a 3 year old American boy. She can't fully remember her death but knows she was pushed off a roof.

When the boy, Wyatt, reaches 25 his life becomes obsessed by finding Siwar's killer.

Intriguing and a good read

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Imagine if, on the day you died, your consciousness entered the brain of someone that was born at the exact second in which you died. When Siwar Salaiha is murdered on her twenty-fifth birthday, she wakes up three years later in the subconsciousness of three year old Wyatt’s body. She has her own thoughts, but she cannot communicate or speak because Wyatt can’t communicate or speak. Siwar’s death was ruled a suicide, but Siwar was such a happy person, many don’t believe she would have died by suicide.

Fast forward twenty-two years, to Wyatt’s 25th birthday and the 25th anniversary of Siwar’s death. Unable to figure out why he is so connected to her, Wyatt is determined to find out what happened to her that night, twenty-five years ago.

The storyline was very unique, unlikely many of the book in similar genres I have read. Part I is about Wyatt’s childhood from the moment that Siwar is ‘awakened’ in his body at the age of three when he has a seizure. This section also focuses heavily on Siwar’s past leading up to her death as she tries to piece together what has happened, amidst the frustrations of being trapped in a three year old’s body.

Part II moves ahead 22 years to when Wyatt is trying to find out what happened to Siwar. I would have loved for the book to focus more on the research that led up to the final reveal on who killed Siwar. I felt that part one of the book was not as necessary to the storyline.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story! I liked learning more about the culture of Jordanians and those practicing the Muslim religion, and what it is like moving to the US as someone that sees themselves as white but is not seen as white to those of European descent living in the US. I look forward to reading more by Natasha Tynes!

I loved this book, I picked it up and I couldn’t put it down. It somehow perfectly encompassed a mystery, immigration, love, and a little magical realism. I can’t say any more without giving anything away, but I would highly recommend this book to everyone!

Synopsis:
They Called Me Wyatt tells the story of Siwar Salaiha, a girl from Jordan who found her calling, her freedom in the University of Maryland (USA's) Creative Writing Course. The book starts with her death on her twenty-fifth birthday, a mysterious death, the details to which she cannot remember. Her death was ruled as a suicide by the police but she denies it, adamantly. But, how is she denying it if she's already dead?

Siwar's consciousness has found its way into a baby boy from Seattle, Washington. A boy who goes by the name Wyatt Shepard. He was born on the exact day that Siwar died. What is this bizarre connection that years later, twenty-five years later to be precise, Wyatt is determined to find out as to what exactly happened to Siwar on that ill-fated day, without knowing what is it that drives him to do so?

Review:
My first read from this genre – speculative novel – where the epigraph itself pulled me in.
"Yes, there's something the dead are keeping back." (from Robert Frost's The Witch of Coos)

"Dying was not the worst part. It was what came after dying."
Some strong opening lines, and bang on to the essence of the storyline, as everything in the story begins after Siwar's death – an intriguing afterlife in the body of a three-year-old toddler. The book is divided into two parts. The first part follows the events leading up to Siwar's death and her tough days as an adult brain in Wyatt's three-year-old 'speech-delayed and limited fine motor skills' body. The second part starts with a twenty-five-year-old Wyatt and is majorly told from his point-of-view with Siwar butting in a few times in-between. With the author highlighting the dates with the chapter numbers and often mentioning the years going forward and backwards throughout the story, the timeline of the story runs smoothly and there are no issues in following it.

The first part has a slow build-up and the book picks up steam only in the second part. But, it is totally worth every page. It's like enjoying the spicy flavours of a dish, slowly. Siwar's various exploits make for enjoyable reading.

The author writes a gripping narrative, with cross-cultural references, in a tight-knit story. It is a heart-warming blend of everything similar yet different. The author also goes in-depth in trying to break free of the prejudices against other cultures – prejudices which mostly arise from wrongful depictions in movies and popular media. And when one of my favourite dishes is mentioned, I love the book more for it.
"We chatted for a bit then she invited me to breakfast. She made me Shakshuka, a tomato egg dish that was brought to Israel by Tunisian Jews."
It is quite an ingenious concept, though as intriguing as the story is, it did remind me of Stephenie Meyer's The Host.

On to the characters, Siwar is just your average girl, looking for an escape from the stifling boundaries of her country and society, dreaming of the free world overseas. She is such a relatable character.
"They keep saying that I'm good at school and that I shouldn't waste my time on novels."

"So, here you are
too foreign for home
too foreign for here.
Never enough for both."
(Another epigraph which resonates throughout the story. From Ijeoma Umebinyuo's Questions for Ada.)

Also integral to the story are Wyatt's as well as Siwar's respective families. The connection between their families through Wyatt's relationship with Hoda (the daughter of Siwar's older sister) may have been engineered by Siwar but provides quite the conflict to the story. At times, I even felt bad for Wyatt whose entire life seemed to be consumed by this one girl. Was anything even real in Wyatt's life? His relationship, his studies, etc.

With the introduction of Hoda in the second part, the story gets as eerie as it is exciting.
"You know what they say about birthmarks?"
"No, I don't."
"They are the wounds of your previous lives."
And the futuristic technology is also interesting, some things new while there are also good old few. After all, the story terminates in the year 2026.

The ending is something else, totally unexpected, out of the blue. It hits you and keeps you on edge. Siwar not only smiles but shines throughout. The case is finally closed. But, I have mixed feelings. Siwar and Wyatt's relationship is odd while his and Hoda's is confusing but, the story wasn't really about relationships so… Though Krista did provide a nice perspective on that. (Oh, I totally forgot to mention that she's one of my favourite characters – Wyatt's mother. While Ibtissam, Siwar's mother's intuitiveness had me spellbound. Mothers are of a different ilk, aren't they?)

Highly recommended!

P.S. I wish I could read Siwar's entire journal, like Wyatt had the chance to read it.
"Guilt, women's middle name. Apology, their first."
Kudos to the author for giving such a strong voice to Siwar.
(I am saving her journal entries for re-reading, for every time and always both – On Belonging and On Death.)

It would have been a 5/5 and 'all the stars in the world' read for me if not for the ton of grammatical mistakes, incorrect tenses, repetitions, misspellings and missing words.

Also, I sometimes feel that I am different too and I have felt so for quite a long time. And I have a birthmark too (nope, not saying where it is!). Does that mean I have a previous life which I don’t remember? (grins and winks)

I want to quickly say thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to have a copy of this book. This book automatically drew me in because of the plot and the cover. I really enjoyed the book and seeing the distinction between the two characters Siwar and Wyatt. The author did an amazing job in making me feel for the characters as the last half left me anxious when the killer was revealed. I loved hearing about Siwar's childhood and how she grew up. There are so many positive things I can say about this book as I loved reading it and I couldn't put it down. I definitely recommend checking out this book.

"You know what they say about birthmarks?"
"No, I don't." he said, his eyes closed.
"They are the wounds of your previous lives."
Wyatt chuckled.

This is the story of Siwar, a Jordanian student, who was murdered on the day of her 25th birthday, and whose conscience is trapped in the body of a boy named Wyatt who was born the day she died.

WOW this was good! Never once did I think i had the mystery solved, which kept me turning the pages! The book focuses on many topics, but to me the topic of "belonging" was the most prominent. I really enjoyed this book and would reccomend it.

Thank you to the author Natasha Tynes for reaching out to me and asking if I would be interested in receiving a copy of her novel via Netgalley to review. Thank you for creating such a unique and unforgettable story.

This book starts off with the murder of Jordanian student, Siwar Salaiha on her 25th birthday. Her consciousness goes into the body of Wyatt who was born on the same day Siwar was murdered. I received an advanced copy of this book from Natasha Tynes and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review and it comes out on June 21. This book was unlike anything I have ever read before. The story kept me guessing up until the very end as to who killed Siwar and I loved Wyatt's character.

Siwar Salaiha is a Jordanian college student in Maryland. It’s her 25th birthday and she’s at a bar celebrating with friends when suddenly her life is cut short and she is murdered. Siwar may be dead physically but her consciousness is reborn into the mind of three-year old boy named Wyatt. Once Siwar comes to terms with her new situation, she is determined to somehow find her murderer through Wyatt. Time passes and Wyatt eventually grows older, making it easier for Siwar to “push” him into investigating her murder, even guiding him back to her homeland, Jordan. Wyatt’s life is turned upside down as he becomes enthralled in solving Siwar’s murder, and eventually comes across a clue that slowly unravels the truth about that night.

This book has a lot of different emotions wrapped into one great story. Most importantly, it’s a glimpse into a young woman’s journey through her short life and the risks she takes in an attempt to find her true self. Siwar’s upbringing is detailed and narrated with such skill that you can’t help but put yourself in her shoes and react to situations as if they were happening to you. As a Jordanian, Siwar’s upbringing was very different than mine, but being raised by immigrant parents myself, it was nice to see some similarities. I really enjoyed how Natasha Tynes skillfully described the culture and life in Jordan without veering away from the storyline. From beginning to end, this book held my attention and wrapped up nicely. I recommend adding this to your TBR list for the summer!

This is a book unlike any I have read before. The premise was intriguing and pulled me in from the first page. The story is about a woman murdered on her birthday whose consciousness survives in the body of a 3-yr old boy. I wanted, no I needed to know who killed the woman and why!

I fell in love with the characters and the mystery. I was flipping the pages like a crazy person.
This is definitely a genre bending novel which doesn't conform to norms, which I absolutely applaud and love. Elements of thriller, supernatural, and a peak of Magical Realism.

I enjoyed the geographical setting of both Jordan and the US, this added to this character driven story.
Highly recommend this book !