A seventeen-year-old struggles to remember the tragic night that changed her life forever in this twist-filled debut novel of psychological suspense for fans of Sharp Objects and The Last Time I Lied.Evie and her uncle Jim have just moved to an isolated cabin in a remote beach town–a far cry from their hometown of Melbourne. But Evie isn’t her real name. And Jim isn’t really her uncle.Jim tells … isn’t really her uncle.
Jim tells Evie she did something terrible back home, that he’s hiding her to protect her. But Evie can’t remember anything about that night–for all she knows, he’s lying. As fragments of her memory return, she starts to wonder if Jim is really her savior…or her captor.
In a riveting novel that fearlessly plumbs the darkest recesses of the mind, J.P. Pomare explores the fragility of memory and the potential in everyone to hide the truth–even from themselves.
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What a ride. I hadn’t expected to finish so quickly, but I found myself stealing reads through the day, I had to know what was happening. I had to know who I could trust. The flask backs on whetting my appetite for needing to know more about Kate, and Evie. That poor girl, surrounded by evil. Or is she?
What is it about small town New Zealand which lends itself to evil simmering below the surface of emerald coloured native bush and verdant rolling hills?
As a form of storytelling, the flashbacks, radio broadcasts, text messages and newspaper snippets made the book almost a police file, giving you enough clues to speculate on what happened and how it happened, but like any investigation, a key piece is missing, the dots not quite joining up, leaving you to turn the pages faster and faster, to find out.
If only she could remember…
Loved it. Can’t wait to read his next one.
Call Me Evie is told in the first person point of view by Kate, a seventeen-year-old girl. She has found herself taken from her home in Australia by her Uncle Jim and brought to the small remote town of Maketu in New Zealand to help keep her safe and help her “remember.” The story bounces between the “After” and the “Before,” little snippets are revealed from the past, some of which seem true, but Kate can’t be sure, she feels like her uncle is manipulating her memories, drugging her and telling her things that can’t possibly be true. If Kate can’t trust her own memories how can we the reader trust her? And if her Uncle Jim is drugging her how can we trust him and what he tells Kate. This is just one aspect of this book that makes it such a compelling read. The “incident” takes on a life of its own, becoming a character unto itself which in turn entirely consumes both of these characters. The author does a fantastic job in developing both the main characters and also the supporting characters. I found my self aligned with Kate some of the time while reading this book but also could understand where her uncle was coming from in other parts of the book.
This psychological thriller has everything necessary to keep you guessing till the very end. Call Me Evie is a complex well-written book, with twists, turns, deceit, and an intense, fascinating plot. I found it absolutely unbelievable that this was J.P. Pomare’s debut novel. I hope to read more from this up and coming author. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a smart, mesmerizing psychological thriller.
***I kindly received a DRC of this book by way of Edelweiss/publisher/author. I was not contacted, asked or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion .***
Loved it! I’d say it’s YA. Seventeen- year-old Kate Bennet from Melbourne, finds herself living in a remote coastal town in New Zealand with a man she calls ‘uncle’. What happened on the night that changed her life? She can’t tell the difference between her memories and dreams. Told mostly in first person with two timelines- before and after. I read it in one day.
I ended up really enjoying this debut novel, but I must admit that at first, I was very confused and I thought that the pacing was slow. About a third of the way through, the pacing picked up, I got more absorbed in the book, and it really began to make sense. Evie is in a small cabin in New Zealand with a man named Jim who tells her that he is saving her from the consequences of what she did in Australia. The entire book is about Evie trying to remember what she supposedly did and Jim trying to hide her. The people with whom Evie interacts seemed to be to be shallow and less than helpful in her quest to escape from Jim and discover the truth about her past on her own. There was a surprise twist at the end that I didn’t see coming. I recommend this book to those who enjoy psychological suspense.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I won this book from the publisher, #G.P.PutnamSons, via a giveaway on #Goodreads. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
So this is one of those puzzling enigmas that you find yourself questioning almost everything from the instance you pick up this story.
From the onset here, events are obscured with an overwhelming sense of mystery and confusion and it almost feels like you are deciphering a puzzle of sorts.
Told in a series of flashbacks of then and now this story was just such compelling reading.
It weaved a web of intrigue and a vibe of almost chilling suspense and I just couldn’t stop myself from turning the pages here, all other tasks were put on the back burner as I lost myself in this enigma of a narrative.
Who Is Jim and how is he involved in all of this?
Kate/Evie what happened in Australia and why are they hiding together in New Zealand?
Why is Jim locking her up in her room at night? is it for her own protection or his?
These were the question in my head, looping on a repeat cycle.
This story makes you question the fallibility of memory and if what we recall at a later date is actually authentic to the actual event.
How memories can be fabricated and manipulated and just how reliable is human recollection itself.
I especially liked how things were turned on there head here.
But I did actually guess the outcome here and I found the finish to be slightly predictable.
Also, the finale here for me was slightly anti-climatic considering the hyped build-up and tension achieved throughout.
Over than that I really enjoyed this.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of “Call Me Evie”
All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
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