A Review by Kym and Gidget Today’s blog was a special treat for me. I read the book along with a young reader, and then we sat down and wrote our reviews. This was her very first review, and I have to say, I think Gidget has a knack for the craft. Much more so than I do. A well-written review has insight into the reader’s mind—its audience. The review should capture the attention while bringing out positive and negative details the reader might find helpful in making a decision about the book. The review does not stay in the character’s mind where I tend to dwell. Yet as an author, I have to wonder if that isn’t where my insight should begin. Like most authors, I have stories busting at the seams to get out. This week’s blog as taught me that maybe, just maybe, I should learn something from young Gidget about engaging the reader’s imagination first, to get my stories heard. I hope you enjoy our reviews of FRAGMENTS OF THE LOST by Megan Miranda. FRAGMENTS OF THE LOST by Megan Miranda Jessa Whitworth knew she didn’t belong in her ex-boyfriend Caleb’s room. But she couldn’t deny…

There’s something I find fascinating about main characters you can’t trust. Whether they’re amnesiacs, liars, or some degree of delusional/mentally off-kilter, an unreliable narrator will keep you guessing up until the end. And they’ll make you question their version of reality. Such is the case with Astrid O’Malley, the protagonist of my debut novel, ASLEEP FROM DAY, who finds herself exploring strange corners of Boston as she tries to recover one lost—but pivotal—day of her life. Here are some other books I recommend featuring unreliable narrators: BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP by S.J. Watson: I’m a sucker for a good amnesia story, and this is one of my favorites. Every day Christine wakes up with zero recollection of who she is. She relies on a journal and help from a doctor and her husband to piece together her memories and identity, but as she discovers more about her past, things take a more sinister turn. THE RAW SHARK TEXTS by Steven J. Hall: Another great amnesia tale, but this one takes lost memories to odd and marvelous places. Eric also wakes up not knowing who he is, and follows a trail of paper clues written by his pre-amnesia self. Is…