After recently getting back into reading, this was the first ARC I’ve gotten so a huge thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen for that!! I really enjoyed this book. From start to finish!! This was my first book by this author. The details that went into this book painted a great picture in my mind while I read. Loved the twist at the end. Thanks again for letting me read!!

Most of the authors that I love are published by Poisoned Pen so I knew this was going to be awesome!

Penny’s father left when she was a little girl after an accident she suffered. Her mother raised her. The accident caused her to become a savant. She was studied by a huge psychological facility which she wanted to get away from when she became an adult. She wanted to find her father so she set out to do that.

Along the way she picked up some interesting people. She was lacking so many things in her life and was sheltered so much that she didn’t know who to trust. She never really had any loving or trusting relationships so going out “into the wild” was scary. This reminded me of The Wizard of Oz in a sense. She met people on her journey that she didn’t know she needed and had to decide if they were a friend or foe.

This story took a turn about a quarter of the way through it. I thought it was going one way but it quickly took me on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride down the Yellow Brick Road. That is the only way I can explain it. This poor girl was not only in search of her father but also in search of herself and thrust into situations she wasn’t sure she could handle. She met so many obstacles on the way.

I kept thinking about what it would be like to be Penny. It would seem that a person’s brain would never quit and it would be tiring and lonely being a science experiment for others. I know she is a character but by the end of the book I wanted to find her and give her a big hug. What a brave girl.

I liked this book a lot. Again, it was so different than what I thought it was. It was a pleasant surprise each and every time a new chapter began. The chapters were very short but so much happened during each one. I highly recommend this book for those who like psychological thrillers that take you places you’ve never been and didn’t know you wanted to visit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of this book.

"The Father She Went to Find" by Carter Wilson is a suspenseful psychological thriller that had the potential to be a gripping read but fell short in a few areas. While it offers some engaging moments and a unique premise, it also leaves much to be desired in terms of character development and pacing.

This might be one of the weirdest reads I have encountered lately. But, I love weird! I love unique! I love how different and wild (and wildly different) this book was.
It was somewhat weirdly unpredictable also, in a weird way.
Am I just repeating phrases with weird-this and weird-that? Yeah, that’s because I feel like this is the best way to describe it. WEIRD.
Also, it was good. It was fast-paced and it was intense.

4 stars!

After reading the description, I thought I knew where this book was going, but I was pleasantly surprised.
The plot was very original and the book was fast paced, which I always love.

I will be checking out other books by this author!

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC!

I don't know if I'm super confused about this book, or just think it's really weird. Not for me. I just didn't follow it.

This book follows Penny while on a journey to find her father, and herself.
I love how original this character is. So quirky, so fun, so real.
This story left me hoping for a sequel, and I'll definitely be looking for more books by this author.
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

4.5. I’m still trying to unpack this book. I don’t even know how to describe it. So randomly weird and very much fictionally crazy, but I was hooked and couldn’t put it down.

The book is about a girl whose supernaturally smart and on a journey to find her dad who left her. Along the quest, she comes into unbelievably bad situations she has to work through.

Whether you love it or hate it, it’ll definitely a book that will keep you in it until the very end.

Thank you, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the copy of The Father She Went To Find by Carter Wilson. It was really hard to get to know Penny, and she had been so sheltered she made odd choices that were difficult to relate to. I was curious how the book would end, but never found myself completely invested in it. I kept waiting for the story to take off and have a plot but it seemed like a lot of random events and people thrown together that never coalesced. If you like an unexpected reveal and road trips you might love this book.

I won't try and explain what this book is about as the synopsis does this much better than I could. It certainly is a different read and I enjoyed being part of Pennys adventure. I warmed to the characters and I also found it rather thought provoking. It's amazing how the brain works and how trauma can affect us. Memory recalls may vary! I wasn't sure what to expect and it was definitely a pleasant suprise. I also did not expect the ending, some of which is left to the imagination. I would recommend to definitely give this a read.

This book is way more intense than the synopsis would suggest. I’m not typically one to talk about trigger warnings, but I would advise checking them if you’re not already a hardcore thriller reader, or if there generally are some subjects you avoid.

I’m very much a fan of this authors twisty writing style, and he keeps up the twists in this read. Penny has been rather sheltered for the majority of her life, but now she’s embarking on a road trip to find her estranged father. She finds herself in rather sticky situations as she sets out on her own, finding a few friends along the way.

I would recommend this if you’re a fan of road trip style thrillers with an on the run element that may surprise you.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted arc!

Very good book! It was super original and interesting. I really enjoyed the main character Penny. So many things happened, I was so curious to see how the book would end, and it didn't disappoint at all. I'm totally going to recommend this book! :)

Wow! Where to even start with this one?! I loved how original and unique the plot was. The characters were well written and not characters I've read about before a dozen times. The main character was just really likeable and I found it easy to get invested in her life and her story. I genuinely didn't expect a thriller to have so many moving parts and to be quite so engaging. It felt like a film, it was just so action packed and constantly moving forward. I really enjoyed it

What a journey it was! It felt like a movie with unexpected twists and turns. As always, since I did not read the complete blurb, I had no idea which direction the book would take. I did not expect seedy motels,murderous gangsters and evil governments.

Penny, the young 21 year old with a photographic memory and a high IQ makes for quite the interesting character. She is smart but not in tour face about it. She doesn't look down people for their lack of intelligence. She is pure and courageous. Penny was a savant but she was also wise. She was honest and yet duplicitous. Her journey was not only about finding her father but finding herself. The twists keep coming and I enjoyed every last one of them.

I absolutely love old timey settings and the 80s backdrop just adds to the mystery. There is no leaning on technology and I applaud the author for doing that.

My only gripe with the book comes at the end. That's where my own personal bias when it comes to such endings soured my 5 star rating. Again this is my personal bias and I am sure many of the readers would enjoy that bit too.

A huge thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.

Please check the trigger warnings before reading this book.

"The Father She Went to Find" by Carter Wilson is a suspenseful psychological thriller that had the potential to be a gripping read but fell short in a few areas. While it offers some engaging moments and a unique premise, it also leaves much to be desired in terms of character development and pacing.

One of the strengths of the novel is its intriguing premise. The story follows the protagonist, Penny, as she embarks on a journey to find her estranged father, who disappeared mysteriously years ago. The idea of unraveling family secrets and the suspense surrounding Penny's quest for answers had me hooked from the start. Wilson does an excellent job of building tension and suspense, keeping the reader guessing about the father's true fate and the dark secrets that may lie hidden.

However, the character development in the book left much to be desired. Penny, the central character, lacked depth and complexity. I found it difficult to connect with her on an emotional level, and her actions sometimes felt inconsistent with her supposed motivations. As a result, I had trouble empathizing with her, which made it challenging to become fully invested in her journey. The supporting characters also suffered from underdevelopment, with many of their backstories feeling shallow and underexplored.

Despite these shortcomings, "The Father She Went to Find" does have its merits. The writing style is generally well-crafted, and Wilson's ability to create a sense of foreboding and suspense is commendable. There are some genuinely chilling moments in the book that kept me on edge, and the novel's twists and turns added an element of surprise that I appreciated.

In conclusion, "The Father She Went to Find" is a decent psychological thriller that had the potential to be great. While the premise is intriguing, the characters and aspects of plot development prevent it from reaching its full potential. If you enjoy psychological mysteries and are willing to overlook some character flaws and pacing hiccups, you might find "The Father She Went to Find" worth a read.

Carter Wilson is such an incredibly talented novelist, I was very excited to read his newest novel, thanks to the generosity of his publishers and Netgalley. And this book did not disappoint.

After an accidental fall at the age of 7, Penny is in a coma for quite some time. She awakens to discover that not only has she now acquired savant syndrome - with an eidetic memory and the capacity to draw photorealistic art, among other things - she has also been left in the lurch by her father, who has taken off in the interim.

At the age of 21 - having lived a relatively sheltered existence at a neurological institute thanks to her extraordinary brain - Penny decides to venture out into the world in search of her father. That too, whilst not having much of an idea of what is actually awaiting her out there...

As for those of us who might think that we have a better grasp on the mysteries of the big wide world, Wilson nevertheless takes us on a wildly unpredictable ride, packed with quirky, fascinating, and sometimes dangerous characters. The book offers readers a really unique story that does justice to its unique MC. This book will be received as another winner from Wilson, for sure.

WOW

I truly just didn't expect this. I am blown away with how Wilson tied this story together. I Love Penny and Travis. Then the duo became a Trio and it took you through the dedication etween people who just met. You must find trust in someone. She is on a mission to find her dad who left when she was 7. And on her cross country journey Penny finds her self in some really crazy situations!
.
Would absolitely recommend!
*please note there are triggers that should be considered when reading*

3.5 stars

This book features remarkably concise chapters that made for a fast read, which is a quality I typically adore. In fact, I devoured it in a single day. However, I've been mulling over my feelings about it ever since.

On one hand, the narrative proved undeniably captivating, maintaining my attention throughout. The portrayal of the main character as a savant introduced a refreshing and intriguing dimension, a facet of character development I hadn't encountered before. The author masterfully utilized this unique trait, endowing the protagonist with captivating quirks and abilities that enriched the story's appeal.

Nonetheless, my reservations stem from my initial expectations diverging from the actual plot's trajectory. The story ventured down paths I wasn't particularly enamored with, and I found myself unable to fully invest in certain character dynamics. The connection I craved remained elusive, and at times, the protagonist's actions felt discordant with her established persona, like an abrupt shift in her character that lacked exploration or clarification.

The synopsis, I must admit, seemed somewhat disconnected from the story's core. Additionally, there were instances when dialogues felt stilted, possibly due to the author's transition from a third-person, past-tense point of view to a first-person, present-tense perspective during the rewrite. Such changes may not have seamlessly integrated.

In sum, while I thoroughly enjoyed the previous works by this author, I understand that my perspective on this one may not align with the majority. Nonetheless, I remain committed to exploring more, since author's writing style and storytelling craft consistently impress me.

I'm compelled to add half a star solely for the remarkable conclusion—an absolute triumph in itself! As for other aspects of the story, I'll keep my opinions to myself as I wouldn't want to spoil anything that hasn't been disclosed in the synopsis, that I would touch on in my review otherwise. 

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Wow! Just Wow this is such an intense fast paced thriller I loved it !! The twists the turns were brilliant. I couldn’t love it more .

My goodness did I like this book! I thought it was a rollercoaster of a ride to read. I felt like I was on the ride with the characters. The mix of adventures that happen were good ones to get lost in when I couldn't sleep at night. I look forward to more from this author. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Five stars.