We are very excited to be working with Raincoast Books (the Canadian publisher of the Harry Potter series) on the BluntMom Book Club. A few of the other BluntMoms kicked off our virtual book club last month with “Love Letters to the Dead” and this month we’re pleased to bring you our reviews of That Night by Canadian author Chevy Stevens. I’m always pleased to support young, talented Canadian women in the arts and Ms. Stevens is definitely one to watch. Her debut novel “Still Missing” was on the NY Times best seller list and won the International Thriller Writers Award for Best First Novel. Her thrilling, fast paced novels have won her praise from critics and authors alike, including “Gone Girl” author Gillian Flynn who called “That Night” “Gripping…unforgettable”
“That Night” tells the story of Toni Murphy, typical small town teenager in the throes of young love and adolescent angst. She’s a pretty, scrappy girl with a quick temper that provokes the “Mean Girl” posse to torment and tease her mercilessly. Her mother is highly critical of Toni’s choices and constantly compares her to her perfect younger sister, Nicole. Toni wants to chart her own course and plan her future with Ryan away from the suffocatingly small town. After a series of escalating conflicts with her parents, head Mean Girl Shauna and local authorities, Toni and Ryan becomes the prime suspects in the grisly murder of Nicole.
The novel takes the reader from picturesque Vancouver Island to surreal halls of the justice system to the singular monotony and explosive violence of a woman’s prison (shades of “Orange of the New Black” where there is brutality and kindness to be found in the most unexpected places). After her release, Toni does her best to make a fresh start but the past continues to haunt her and she seeks closure. No spoilers here, but the ending was unexpected and strangely satisfying.
Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan of the murder mystery genre, but I did enjoy “Gone Girl” and read Gillian Flynn’s other novels as well. Reading “That Night” I was reminded of Flynn’s pacing, strong female protagonist and climactic ending where all secrets are revealed. There is humour, humanity and hope found throughout “That Night” and I look forward to reading more from Ms. Stevens.
That Night is available TODAY Tuesday June 17th but if you want to ask Chevy Stevens questions about the book, her writing style or how she balances being a mom AND a New York Times best selling author, join us on Wednesday June 18th at 5:00 PM PST/ 8:00 PM EST for a live Google Hangout event with Chevy Stevens. Log in and use the Q&A box to ask Chevy questions that she will answer live on air.
All of the BluntMoms participating in this month’s Book Club picked their Must Read Books of Summer and now you can enter to WIN THEM plus a copy of That Night (Prize valued at over $250!)
Click the link below to enter & good luck, book lovers!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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