The Father She Went to Find offers a unique blend of psychological suspense, family drama, and a road-trip mystery, anchored by a compelling protagonist, Penny. As a savant with a photographic memory, Penny’s perspective is captivating, and her quest to uncover the truth about her father’s disappearance sets the stage for an intriguing plot. Carter Wilson crafts a story filled with emotional depth and tension, exploring Penny’s journey of self-discovery as much as her search for answers.

However, while the premise is strong, the pacing of the novel can feel uneven at times. Penny’s exceptional intellect and abilities are fascinating, but her naivety in navigating the outside world occasionally makes the plot feel less convincing. Some of the twists and turns in the story, while suspenseful, don’t always land as effectively as they could, leading to moments where the tension falls flat.

Despite these shortcomings, Wilson’s portrayal of Penny’s internal struggles and her relationships, especially with her missing father, adds emotional weight to the story. Readers looking for a character-driven mystery will find plenty to enjoy, but those hoping for a more tightly plotted thriller may be left wanting.

Overall, The Father She Went to Find is an intriguing read with a memorable protagonist, but it doesn’t fully capitalise on its potential. It’s a solid exploration of family and identity, though its execution may not fully satisfy all suspense lovers.

A gripping novel that will have you hooked until the end. An enjoyable read that I would recommend. I look forward to more titles by this author.

Penny's roadtrip to track down her absent father seems simple at first, but it gets out of control with a series of events which had me turning the pages fast to keep up.

Review of The Father She Went To Find by Carter Wilson.

First, thank you to the author, @kayepublicity, and @poisonedpenpress for the paperback and ebook copies of this one. I enjoyed the last book I read by this author, so I was excited to read this one. It was a good read for me overall. The author did a great job of developing the main character and telling her backstory as well as creating a very tense atmosphere throughout the entire book. I thought there were a few places where the pace could have been somewhat faster, but overall it was a solid and suspenseful read for me. There were events and characters developed in the story which gave it more depth than I was expecting, which is great. I did enjoy the ending and thought it tied things up very nicely.

Synopsis:

A road trip to find closure... or a reckless chase that could turn deadly?

Penny has never met anyone smarter than her. That's par for the course when you're a savant--one of less than one hundred in the world. But despite her photographic memory and super-powered intellect, there's one mystery Penny's never been able to solve: why did her father leave when she was in a coma at age seven, and where is he now?

On Penny's twenty-first birthday, she receives a card in the mail from him, just as she has every year since he left. But this birthday card is different. For the first time ever, there's a return address. And a goodbye.

Penny doesn't know the world beyond her mother's house and the special school she's attended since her unusual abilities revealed themselves, but the mystery of her father's disappearance becomes her new obsession. For the first time ever she decides to leave home, to break free of everything that has kept her safe, and use her gifts to answer the questions that have always eluded her. What Penny doesn't realize is she might not be able to outsmart a world far more complicated and dangerous than she'd ever imagined...

Penny, the MC, has a gift where she can memorize really anything, even peoples faces. She was pushed down the stairs when she was 7, causing this brain-altering injury. On her 21st birthday, she decides to go find her dad who left after her injury.

This turns the story into a roadtrip to find closure, but Penny meets a lot of trouble on the way. Not only does she meet trouble that turns deadly, she meets two people willing to help her on her journey - Travis & Fia. The three go through a lot against the wrong crowd of people, and have to stick together.

The Father She Went to Find was absolutely wild and captured my attention right away. I devoured this story in just under two days and I really felt for Penny. There was a lot of turmoil in her life and a lot of the stuff she couldn't even remember right away. I loved learning about her story throughout the book and how she turned out.

First, I wish to thank netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an advanced copy. This is a beautiful story and I see potential, however, I do not think this was for me personally. I decided to stop reading at 20%. The character and world building is strong, and I really wish that I could finish it!

Hmm....I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this one. The description piqued my interest, but the story didn't quite deliver what I was hoping for. I was expecting more of a mystery, but it turned out to be more of an action-packed suspense tale. It was kind of weird how it seemed like a young adult novel at first, but then it got really dark, so it's definitely not suitable for a younger audience. The story just seemed to be all over the place.

The writing was good however and there were some aspects to the story that I found interesting, but overall it just didn't quite hit the mark for me. Towards the half mark I was ready for it to be over.

At the time, I marked this as will not finish. I saw it on Libby as an audio and I knew I wanted to give it a second chance.

Overall, I really liked it! It was written wonderfully and the narrator did a fantastic job. I will definitely recommend this book to others

One women's adventure to find the father she barely remembers ... and find herself along the way. "What Penny doesn't realize is she might not be able to outsmart a world far more complicated and dangerous than she'd ever imagined..."

This one gave me mixed feelings. The storyline is unique and intriguing, think Stranger Things minus the monsters and mixed with your favorite psychological thriller, but the delivery fell flat. It lacked the shocking twists and turns that a story like this could so easily deliver. That being said, I did enjoy the characters - and that meant I couldn't stop reading.

The author's writing style is easy to read and I will definitely return to read more from him.

Penny, a savant, feels like she knows everything. Well, everything except what happened to her father all those years ago. When she gets a card from him with a return address, she can't help but fixate on it. After all this time, this is her chance to put her past to bed and get some answers. This is an edge-of-your-seat thriller that has you holding on for a wild ride. Penny was a fun character to spend time with, even if some of the situations were a bit unbelievable.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.

We are introduced to Penny, a young savant with exceptional intellectual abilities, including a photographic memory. Raised in seclusion due to her gifts, Penny's life takes a sudden turn on her twenty-first birthday when she receives a farewell card from her long-lost father, complete with a return address. Driven by the mystery of his disappearance since her childhood coma, Penny embarks on a daring road trip to uncover the truth. As she ventures into unfamiliar territory, Penny discovers a world more complex and perilous than she imagined, testing her intellect and resilience in pursuit of closure and answers about her father's past. The novel intricately explores themes of identity, family ties, and the consequences of seeking truth, woven into a suspenseful narrative that captivates until its gripping conclusion.

After a traumatic childhood accident, Penny gains a photographic memory and excels academically. At 21, she decides to embark on a road trip to find her absentee father, encountering colorful characters and risky situations along the way. While Penny's naivety and some over-the-top scenarios give the story a young adult vibe, it remains strangely addictive, making it hard to put down. The audio narrator captures Penny's character well, though the male voices may sound a bit off. Despite initial hesitations due to the title, the book proves engaging, showcasing the author's storytelling powers!

Gratitude to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity.

Penny is both endearing and enigmatic, and the supporting characters add depth to the narrative. The story was a roller coaster ride of suspense, intellect, and heart.
Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

A little torn on this one… Penny is introduced in the lead up to her 21st birthday. She is considered a rare form of savant because her skills and talents arrived through an accident rather than through birth. She sets off to find her father who left her in her youth, but she still talks to him - in her head, and he responds. So she heads off to California to find him where she begins to experience the world for the first time. Thanks to NetGalley for the read.

I enjoyed the short chapters but the story seemed a bit choppy to me and all over the place. I didn’t know what I was getting from one second to the next.

I loved this book for so many reasons. Firstly, the main character is neurodivergent. At the age of seven, Penny is involved in an accident that leaves her with a photographic memory, artistic skills as well as seeing numbers in colours. Already this makes an interesting story but on top of that Penny hasn’t seen her father since the night of the accident so fourteen years later on her 21st birthday she decides to embark on a road trip to find him and solve that mystery. This is one unforgettable journey that reaches an unpredictable ending. At first I thought “what?!?” but after thinking about it I realised that it had a deeper meaning which makes it an ending like no other.

This is my first book by this author and definitely not my last.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

Penny was a fascinating MC to read about. She's neurodivergent, a savant who is able to remember everything that has ever happened to her in vivid detail. Despite her abilities she's very sheltered, which leads to some interesting scenes. The narrator did a great job of portraying her innocence!

The action on this road trip is nonstop entertainment. It reminded me a bit of Finlay Donovan, where one thing after another happens to comically keep the MC on their toes.

My only gripe was the cliffhanger ending. Some people like those, but I want closure! Regardless, this was an interesting thriller that kept the pages turning.

What a long, strange trip this one was! Thoroughly engaging in the style only Carter Wilson can deliver. I devoured it & fell in love with the unique cast of characters. Savant Penny is not only the smartest gal in the room, she’s a true prisoner of hope which had me rooting for her from the jump! HIGHLY RECOMMEND this one & any other CW books you can get your hands on.

The Father She Went To Find by Carter Wilson was such a good and intriguing read. After a few chapters I was invested and I wanted to know what was going to happen next and I kept thinking I wonder how this is going to end. Well, I certainly wasn’t disappointed and I can say this was well worth reading. With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my digital copy to read and review.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This is hands down one of the best books I have read in a long time! I loved the suspenseful storyline and was hooked from the first page. Our main character Penny was so well done! This is a fantastic suspense thriller with this tons of twists, highly recommend