The Undercurrent by Sarah Sawyer is a haunting story of motherhood and mystery. Bee, a new mother overwhelmed by postpartum depression, finds her world thrown into chaos when her childhood crush, Leo, brings her face to face with unresolved trauma. Drawn back to her Texas hometown, Bee becomes obsessed with the decades old disappearance of Deecie Jeffries, a mystery she had long left behind but now can’t escape. The story unfolds across two timelines, delving into the lives of Bee’s family and neighbors, and gradually exposing secrets and fractured bonds that shaped them. Bee’s journey is as much about discovering her family’s buried truths as it is about facing her own struggles with identity. Through shifting perspectives and beautiful storytelling, this book will keep you hooked!

Wow.

Layered with so many velvety bands of literary texture and nuance, this is an absorbing, mesmerizing, haunting read, leading the reader deep into the hidden lives of two families, — the stories untold, the fears blindly enacted, the words not spoken but festering, for years, and even decades, stultifying all characters held in their clogging masses.

"How can there be so little to say aloud when there is a torrent of words gushing beneath the surface?"

Alternating between two timelines, this is the tale of 1987’s fifteen-year-old Bee (Beatrice) Rowan, her twin brother Gus, and her mother Mary Rowan, living in Austin,Texas. In the same timeline, we enter the world of Leo Nastasi, Gus’s best friend, and his mother Diana, an almost-tenured professor.

Although the two families exist across the street from each other, aside from the relationship between Gus and Leo, they are not at all close. Until the terrible happens — a thirteen-year-old girl, last seen in the field that abuts both houses, disappears, — and the terrifying emotional crises that follows overwhelms them all.

Decades later, the timeline is now 2011, and Bee, married with a new baby, estranged from both her brother Gus and his friend Leo, is struggling. Try as she might, Bee is emotionally disconnected, unreachable — the fallout from decades-old questions and fears rendering intimacy impossible.

As the author slowly and deftly unveils worlds, exquisitely fragile in the tentativeness of their telling, we the reader struggle to put the pieces together. Bordered on all sides by heart-stopping love (mother, sister, lover, friend), ravaged by the wildness of grief, longings and imaginings, and of course, built on secrets, — when all is revealed (no spoilers here) the revelations will be seen to be as tragic as they are illuminating.

A beautifully written, deeply stirring, magnificent read (not to be missed in the opinion of this reader), this is definitely one of 2024’s best.

A great big thank you to #Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

This novel set in two time periods - 1987 and 2011. The prologue shows us 13 year old girl Deecie, who goes missing in the summer of 1987. The book then jumps to 2011, when Bee is a new mother who hasn’t seen either her twin brother Gus or their friend and her teenage crush Leo, in many years for reasons we don’t know. But when Leo returns and tells her Gus wants to see her, it stirs up old feelings, and an interest in the unsolved disappearance of Deecie, who lived in their neighborhood, all those years ago. The 1987 chapters, meanwhile, are told from the perspective of Mary (Bee and Gus’s mom) and Diana (Leo’s mom).

I’m usually more tolerant of slow mysteries more than most people, but this one was a little too slow even for me. I think it might have been better if I had approached it as a literary novel rather than a mystery, because the mystery really didn’t even get going until the back half of the book. And honestly I was still confused about some things when the book ended. The writing was interesting though, and the end of the book was really good. I may not have loved this one, but I’d still try Sarah Sawyer’s next book since this was a debut novel.

3.5 stars

“𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵.“

Thank you Zibby Books Publishing and Netgalley for this advanced readers copy.

Do you ever read a book and realize by the end that you’re probably not the best audience for it?

Let me start off by saying that both Gillian Flynn and Chris Whitaker have high praise for this one. Also, I still am struggling with post-concussive syndrome, so reading is a challenge, be it an ebook or physical, making it likely I missed things or just didn’t process it correctly. However, upon reading other reviews, it seems like I’m not the only one with feeling lost by a haze or overdone descriptions.

We are given primarily three POVs: Bee, her mother Mary, and their neighbor Diana. It has very strong themes of motherhood, family, loss, belonging, loyalty, achievement, obsession…

The first theme is often a disconnect for me, especially when it’s so heavily woven into the story (I’m a single, childless 31-year old) so at times I struggled getting through these parts only because I truly cannot identify with it. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just not my experience or present circumstance so it makes it harder for me personally to relate, though I’m sick of reading about one character’s leaky breasts (it was like every POV for her it’s mentioned at least twice).

It’s a slow burn and around halfway I began seeing the layers being pulled back; the mysteries coming forth. At that point I had been liking it but then I got lost with how things unfolded, like I was missing something/s that made it all make sense. That further added to my disconnect as I just didn’t see how the puzzle came together. Content includes a missing child, miscarriage, and brief mentions of infidelity, masturbation, and an active shooter situation.

Overall, the writing is lovely but it felt like it wasn’t fully formed while overelaborated at times, if you get what I mean. And for those of us who aren’t mothers, we might not relate as well as those who are. Again, that’s not a bad thing, and I’m certainly not saying don’t read this; just know there’s a possibility of that disconnect. A curious and intriguing premise but ultimately I don’t think I’m the right person to give you the best opinion on it.

This is a debut novel about a girl gone missing. To me this book could have been so good. It had so much promise. But the author overdid some things. The descriptions were overdone.

There could have been more about the girl who actually went missing. More than what I read at the ending.

It seemed to be more about Bee and her leaking breasts than anything. Yes it happens but in this case it was just used to fill space I believe. Also the parts of her and Leo. What was the point. Yes she had a crush when she was a kid but she was grown, married, with a newborn baby. Not even married that long. To think about Leo that way was in my opinion just too much.

Then the part about her twin brother. She hasn't seen or heard from her twin in seventeen years. I hardly believe that. They were twins. Even with his problems they would have at least talked over the years. With what happened to him there should have been more about what it did to him and maybe then I could have believed he would leave and never talk to his sister again. He talked to his best friend and his mother. But not his twin. I'm not sold on that.

Then the loss of a baby. That was a bit much too. Not the loss but that Bee actually named her baby after one that did not survive. One her mother lost. I just didn't like that part. It could just be me but it just didn't seem to fit. Especially since Bee was not that close to her mother.

This story is told from two timelines, 1987 and 2011. It is told from three perspectives, Bee in 2011. Her mother, Mary, in 1987. And Leo's mother, Diane, in 1987. I was not impressed by either mother. Not even Bee. Bee in my opinion was not a good mother or wife. I actually didn't like any of the characters. None made me feel anything other than anger. No tears or laughter. Just the anger.

Thank you #NetGalley, #ZibbyBooks, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

2.5 stars increased to 3.

This quiet debut novel is infused with heart-gripping and heart-rending characters. And, though it is billed as a mystery and even a mystery thriller, Sarah Sawyer’s insights into motherhood and friendships are what drive the novel.

Moving between two timelines—2011 and 1987—and told from multiple viewpoints, the story is set in Texas and Maine. When a thirteen-year-old girl goes missing from an Austin neighborhood, everyone is affected. Soon, secrets and lies lead to a tangle of emotions and fears, assumptions and choices. Readers have to concentrate on piecing together what the truth is, but the undercurrent carries you along.

It’s a family drama that’s well-written and original. I look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you to Zibby Books and NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Zibby Books for this copy of "The Undercurrent."

What an amazing debut! It was haunting, "crawling with unease," and evoked so many emotions. While reading, I kept feeling like this was a long lit fuse that was leading to a big explosion.

It's the story of two families and the secrets they keep. Twins Bee and Gus and their friend Leo were inseparable as children. But when they're 15, a girl from their school is reported missing around the same time that Gus and Leo start to exclude Bee.

Then 20 years later, the missing girl's backpack is found. And Bee gets a text from Leo....

The story is very effectively told in dual timelines and from different characters' perspectives. But it's the insights of the families' mothers, Mary and Diana, that are so heart-rending and important to unraveling the mystery.

The perfect book for mystery lovers during this moody fall season! A young girl vanished years ago and the mystery of her disappearance has never been solved. Now, Bee, a woman with a connection to this crime, decides it is time to unearth the truth about what actually happened and she decides to revisit the past.

The story is a slow burn but steady and maintains a good deal of suspense throughout. I enjoyed the ride and the final conclusion. It is worth mentioning that this book received impressive blurbs by both Gillian Flynn and Chris Whitaker who both called it, “stunning”. Very impressive praise for a debut author!!

Stressed to her limits with a newborn, mother Bee is visited by a former neighbor/friend/crush she hasn't seen in years, a simple meeting that opens the Pandora's box of Bee's past, from her twin brother, her father's death, the girl who went missing from their small Texas town. Slow-paced and studded with complications and characters, the story feels on the verge of being a truly gripping mystery grounded in home, family, and relationships, but with an uneven pace and repetition, leaving me wanting more and less at the same time. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Bee is a new mom who is still haunted by her childhood. When her estranged brother's best friend (and her childhood crush) comes back into her life, her world is turned around. Memories of the summer that changed them all comes flooding back to her, including the night a girl from their town went missing. Bee is now forced to confront her childhood again and the memories that she had tried to escape by moving away.

I wanted to like this one, and I've discussed it with 2 friends (both who felt similarly to me, which always makes me feel better when I don't love a book) and this one just didn't work for me. The pace was too slow and the writing too subtle - I kept waiting for more. I thought the story had promise but it just didn't take me all the way there. I do think parts were well written but the novel was walking a tightrope between being literary and being a mystery and it didn't really choose its course.

3.5

Thank you to Zibby Media and NetGalley for the ARC to review

This is an enjoyable read, but whew, there's a lot going on and I feel like it would have been stronger if it had been streamlined. The descriptions are repetitive, and the plot developments sometimes felt random. There's a lot of story thrown in, but it doesn't necessarily feel well planned out. Are all these perspectives really necessary? This might have been better as a novella or even a short story, but the author seemed determined to toss in more words to make it novel-length. I wish publishers were not afraid to let stories be the length they need to be. This would have been great if the author and publisher had streamlined it and made it a novella. Readers have limited attention spans these days, and I worry they will put this one down, which is a shame given the author's obvious talent. All in all, I did enjoy it though, and I will look forward to more from this author.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

Debut author Sarah Sawyer drew me in with her spot on depiction of Bee as a new mother struggling with the exhaustion and the demands of a newborn. Bee is also haunted by childhood trauma of losing her father and unanswered questions of why her twin brother became so distant & troubled. Can she face what she may find out about the girl that went missing from their neighborhood? How far will someone go to protect the people they love? I was captivated by the characters & mounting questions about what happened during Bee’s childhood. I wanted to read this book in one sitting just to find out! An engrossing mystery! Thanks to Netgalley and Zibby Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Bee, a new mother, is having a hard time adjusting to life with her newborn. (A lot of descriptions of the old milk let down feeling.) An old friend shows up in her Maine town and asks her to meet up for a drink. It is Leo, her twin brother’s best friend who grew up across the street from her in Austin, Texas. Bee hasn’t seen her twin, Gus, or Leo for fifteen years — and in that time, we understand that Gus has been involved in petty crime and drugs. Bee finds herself googling her brother every so often to try to keep tabs on him. Leo tells her that Gus wants to speak with her. A good chunk into the book, we learn that Bee’s mother had a miscarriage and shortly thereafter her father got in a car accident and died. Then she remembers, about 100 pages into the book, that a younger girl went missing across from her house in between the miscarriage and her father’s accident.

This book felt like a clown car with the amount of story lines that randomly popped up. It was trying to do way too many things. At the same time, it was so, so slow. There was way too much lead up and not enough character development. The story is told from alternate perspectives: Bee, her mom, Mary, and Leo’s mom, Dianna, but I never felt like I got to know any of them, nor did their voices seem very distinct.

I would take a pass on this one, unfortunately.

This was a slow burn, character driven mystery that had many different layers and themes giving it tons of depth. It’s a quiet style of suspense, there’s not a ton of action but I still found the narrative to be compelling. I loved the themes of motherhood and the exploration of how far one would go to protect their children, this lead to so many secrets and fractures in both families and I was so curious to see how things would play out. You get two timelines, one in 2011 and one in 1987 and I was equally invested in both. The authors writing was strong and engaging and I’m impressed this was a debut, if you enjoy mysteries with some meat and substance with characters that will linger with you try this!

This complex look at motherhood wrapped up in an intriguing mystery is solid. There is a haunting quality to this one.

“The Undercurrent” by Sarah Sawyer is such an impressive and emotional mystery debut. I truly enjoyed the story and the mysterious writing. This is going to be one of those books that where you think you'll have figured out the twists and turns, but then a few pages later you’ll realize how wrong you are. I was very surprised by the ending!

The main themes of the book focus on the act of mothering, how far mothers will go to protect their children, family secrets, and sacrifice. I enjoy how it is told from two timelines and various points of view.

When 13-year-old Deecie disappears in 1987, Bee and her twin brother, Gus are 15. Their childhood friend and neighbor, Leo, is also 15; he lives across the street with his professor mother, Diana. Gus and Leo are best friends, both troubled in different ways, they seek each other out for friendship and understanding and push Bee away, genuinely to protect her.

As the story unfolds Bee and Gus mother, Mary, and Leo’s mother, Diana both know that the boys were in the field across from their neighborhood the night Deecie disappeared. Each mother makes assumptions that drive them to make secret decisions. They each think they are protecting their own.

I enjoyed how this book pulled me in; I kept turning pages wanting to know what we would uncover next. I enjoyed how I was suspicious and assuming with certain characters, only to have their actions explained in the next chapter. My curiosity was piqued all along.

Thank you to Zibby Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Undercurrent.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

Trigger warning: sexual abuse.

This book would appeal to readers who like literary fiction or character-driven stories. Bee and Gus are teenage twins, living across from friend Leo, when a young girl goes missing. The story is told from Bee's perspective, her mother's, and Leo's mother's. Many secrets are under the surface about what happened that night and what estranged Bee from her family. This is a sad book, so don't read it if you're looking for a happy story. But the writing is great and I didn't want to put it down.

Secrets, lies, and a past she didn't fully understand loom large for Bee a new mom living in Maine. It's her childhood in Texas however, that's important, with unresolved issues, especially the question of what happened to Deecie that looms large. Interesting characters but know that it's a slow burn. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Impressive debut. Emotional and I enjoyed the story and writing.Two of my favorite places Texas and Maine. As a mother this one hits home. The isolation of being a new mom can be haunting.

This book was not my personal taste. Too literary and too detailed to be a mystery for me. I felt like it drug on with little pay out.