I have been thinking all day about what positive thing I can say about this book. What I came up with is, THIS BOOK HAS A BEAUTIFUL COVER!! Sorry but that’s the best I can do.

Wyn, age 17, has been missing for one year. Since her disappearance the police haven’t been able to establish that a crime has been committed. There is no evidence of foul play and the authorities tell her mother that sometimes kids just run away!

The novel is told from two POV’s, that of Jessica in the present and the voice of Wyn a year ago.

Her mother, Jessica, never married Wyn’s father, Joe. Although he now has a new wife and two young children, it appeared that he was still always a part of Wyn’s life.

There isn’t much in the way of background information on any of the characters BEFORE Wyn’s disappearance.

There is a rather large cast of characters, adults and teenagers, and the two timelines did not flow well for me. I thought it felt disjointed and took away from any tension I might have felt during the present timeline. I also think that the teenagers were so stereotypical that they felt flat and unbelievable. I mean, these kids were just 17, they were all binge drinking and hooking up???? I didn’t buy it !!!

Jessica is still searching for a forever partner. It’s during one night that she sleeps over with Stuart that Wyn goes missing.

Wyn is a hard girl to figure out. She is portrayed as the girl who doesn’t fit in. She isn’t part of the cool group, not a cheerleader or someone who throws big parties. The only reason she is accepted at all is because of her friendship with Taylor. Taylor died two months ago in a car accident, since then Wyn is no longer welcome with the “in” girls.

In this small town high school is portrayed more like it felt in the 60’s with the popular boys being the athletes and the popular girls cheerleaders. Come on, it’s 2021, girls have their own sports to compete in and don’t need to cheer for the boys.

Close to one year after Wyn’s disappearance Jessica gets a text from her daughter. It states that she is scared and needs help, that she is being held hostage by a man who she must call daddy and that he is a cop.

At this all heck breaks loose. Everyone gets involved in trying to discover where Wyn is texting from and why has it taken a year to hear from her, etc etc.

If you have gotten this far remember that no one is above suspicion. I like surprise endings, IF THEY ARE BELIEVABLE, this one was too over the top. There are so many loose threads, added conversations and descriptions that aren’t necessary. Editing may have made this more enjoyable.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.

The novel is set to publish on August 10, 2021

Will post to Amazon upon publication

I really enjoyed this book - the ending was not what I expected. I found the main character rather a sad one - I wanted things to pick up for her all the way through. Good thriller - no 'feel good' about it but one worth reading, for sure.

One Year Gone centers on the disappearance of Jessica's daughter. Wyn disappeared one year ago and the police write her off as a runaway but her mom, Jessica, believes that she was abducted. One year later, Jessica is trying to live her life as best as she can when she receives a text from her daughters phone saying she needed help. Jessica starts on a whirlwind ride of emotions in trying to find Wyn.
This story pulls you in from the first word and kepts you engaged throughout. It is a thrilling, twisty, mystery that keeps you guessing. You don't want to put the book down because you have to figure out what's going on.
Avery Bishop has written another spectacular book. I look forward to reading many other books by him in the future.
Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union publishers for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

PSA: do not start this book the day before eye surgery, or you will end up being a GIRL GONE MAD waiting to be allowed to read more!
One Year Gone is told from multiple POVs and switches between the present and one year earlier. Jessica is an alcoholic mother whose daughter, Wyn, disappeared after a devastating and humiliating event at school. 2 months prior to this, Wyn’s best friend died in a tragic accident. All signs point to Wyn simply being a runaway, but Jessica is not convinced. Suspense grows as we learn more and more about Wyn’s family, friends, and schoolmates. Then, almost a year since Wyn’s disappearance, Jessica receives a text in the middle of the night: “mom”
“please help”
“i think he’s going to kill me”

#OneYearGone was an excellent read that kept me up late into the night. Bishop examines heartbreak, family bonds, high school struggles, adult struggles, and a pinch of small town politics! This is not a book to be missed.

PS: WHO is Avery Bishop? This is the only unanswered question I have!!

I received an ARC of #OneYearGone by #AveryBishop courtesy of #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

One of my favourite things about being a book reviewer is that we get the chance to read books before they are out in the public's view and I was in the mood for a bit of an edgy mystery read after reading a handful of chick-lit/ romances lately. One Year Gone by Avery Bishop isn't one of those happy-go-lucky mystery reads that end in sunshine and roses, so if you pick this one up expecting a happy reunion at the end - then put it back down. One Year Gone is a rocky road type of reading which will have you feeling like you just jumped on a rollercoaster filled with twists and turns and loopy-loos. The book starts with Jess receiving text messages one night from her daughter asking for help. This would have been an ordinary night but for Jess - this is the first time she has heard from her daughter in one year. A year ago, her daughter Bronwyn vanished into thin air and no-one has heard or seen her since. The texts claim that she has been kidnapped by someone in law enforcement. As the book goes along, Jess doesn't know who to trust which as the story progresses and comes to an end we can see why and the ending of this book shocked the heck out of me. I didn't see this ending coming at all as secrets and lies all unravelled. The story is told in multiple POVs from Jess and Bronwyn's - before the incident and after the incident. This was the first book I had read from Avery Bishop, so I am looking forward to checking out her other title "Girl Gone Mad". If readers are looking for a good edgy NA thriller that will keep you glued to the edge of your seat, then One Year Gone by Avery Bishop is the book for you. One Year Gone by Avery Bishop is going into my knowledge bank for one of those books as one of the best OMFG endings.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
A girl is missing and one year later a mother is piecing together the mystery behind her daughter’s disappearance.
This book was full of twists and a page turner.

Jessica Moore’s 17 year old daughter disappeared one night, an apparent runaway. Then one year later, she receives several text messages from her daughter who says she’s been kidnapped. One Year Gone is an entertaining thriller, with an easy-reading style, told in alternating time frames (then/now) which ably fills in the blanks. The ending felt a little rushed, with a lot of things thrown in that took the edge off for me and was a bit deflating. However, at the end of the day I enjoyed the book, and that’s all that matters, right? If you’re looking for a good page turner that’ll keep you guessing, this is it. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jessica is a functional alcoholic, separated from her daughters father, when her daughter disappears. Wyn has been gone almost a year and while Jessica hasn’t given up, everyone else has. The set up for the book is fine, but in the end, I became frustrated with the story. So much of this plot comes down to iPhones. And I kept wondering why they couldn’t just set up another phone or iPad to receive Jessica’s texts at the same time as her phone. It’s so easy. Jessica could have been at the bar, or at home, comfortably alone, while the second device was hooked up to the tracking computer 24/7. And why not hack in to Wyn’s YouTube and Twitter to read her messages?!? She’s being bullied and no one thinks of thus!?!
Ultimately, I’m
I’m giving this 3.5 stars because while I was frustrated with things that weren’t being done, the story kept me wanting to know WHERE IS BRONWYN!? And the answer was definitely surprising.

This fast paced story will keep you on the edge of your seat from the moment you pick up the book. The story is told from alternating points of view: Jessica, the mother who desperately wants to find her daughter and Wyn, the missing daughter, a shy musician with secrets of her own. Avery Bishop has created a heartfelt, suspenseful story that is full of secrets and betrayals: a book that draws you in and doesn't let go until the last page.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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!!

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.

"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!

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

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.