October 24, 2016
Banner (The Good Neighbor) milks every ounce of suspense out of this harrowing plot that reveals memory to be both unreliable and impossible to fully wash away. Kyra Winthrop is a 34-year-old marine biologist who lives on a secluded island in the Pacific Northwest with her ever-present husband, Jacob. After a diving accident leaves her with memory loss, she can’t remember the last four years and spends her days hoping to regain her past. As she tries to cope, memories—and eerie recurring dreams—begin to come back but also bring more questions than answers. What was her relationship to her husband’s friend Aiden? Why does she think there were more people involved in her accident than she’s been told? Not all on the island, and in her marriage, is what it seems. Overly emotive writing—“I’m infused with excitement, trepidation, and fear”—and a twist that can be seen coming from very early on keep this from being a riveting thriller. However, Kyra is a believable, empathetic protagonist, and Banner’s ability to maintain tension while teasing out the truth of her hazy past will keep readers engaged.