Official Review: The Knowing by Sarah Elmore

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ritah
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Official Review: The Knowing by Sarah Elmore

Post by ritah »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Knowing" by Sarah Elmore.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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The Knowing by Sarah Elmore is a riveting mystery novel that takes readers on a thrilling and intense journey into the world of the supernatural. This gripping tale also explores themes of romance, corruption, betrayal, and murder.

To get away from her abusive stepfather’s drunken rage, six-year-old Sheridan would grab her doll, Becca, (which she considers her only true friend) and run into the forests of Lyle Mountain for safety. However, one fateful night, her place of refuge becomes a hellish nightmare when she comes face-to-face with death at the hands of an evil shadow. The vengeful murderous shadow’s aim is to shift the natural order of things by eliminating the young Sheridan because it has been foretold that she will be the one to unmask his true identity and evil deeds while saving the lives of millions. After being plagued by visions of the shadow’s intentions, Meredith races to stop the evil shadow so as to retain the natural alignment of prewritten paths. Even so, her actions result in consequences that cause dark days and deep-rooted affliction for others. Who is behind the evil shadow, and what fostered the wickedness within the monster? After being battered and broken, will Sheridan realise her strength and responsibility in fighting the evil shadow?

Sarah Elmore impressed me with her well-written debut novel. The intriguing storyline captured my interest and held my attention from start to finish. The book is divided into two parts: the first part is set in 1997, and the second part begins in 2013. The first part takes us through the dramatic set of events that forever change the families and children touched by them. In the second part, we meet the two leading characters we got to know during their childhood in the first part of the book (and whose lives are intertwined) as adults. The two characters embark on their own journeys to better understand and make peace with their tormented past. These journeys ultimately lead them to encounter ghosts from the past and an unsolved murder case.

The use of details and description are just enough to give readers a visual of the characters, their world’s events, and their emotions while still keeping the story moving forward. The set of well-rounded characters are both believable and fascinating; both the good and bad characters in this story have their flaws. At times, certain aspects of the characters personalities surprised me, but that is what gave them the unpredictability that is human nature. An example of this unpredictability is Derek, Meredith’s son, who seems like an all-around good guy but has angry outbursts when someone disagrees with him, despite that person having supported him for many years. He also seems to disregard others’ feelings, is quick to place blame, and sometimes reacts violently.

What I liked most was how the narrative was like a puzzle that got more complex as I tried to solve it; with each passing chapter, a layer of depth was added to the story. These unexpected plot twists and revelations blew my mind with their sheer brilliance and how well they all fit into the narrative. Additionally, I loved how at some point, I thought I knew who the murderer was, only to be left second-guessing myself towards the end. When the murderer was finally revealed, I was left thinking that there was no way I could have guessed it, yet it made so much sense.

It is my pleasure to rate this book 4 out of 4 stars for all the points mentioned above and for its clever and page-turning plot. The novel appears to be professionally edited, and in all its pages I only found a handful of errors. I feel I should mention the story does contain swearing and graphic details of violence. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a beautifully written and well-crafted narrative. Also, fans of mystery and suspense novels that feature the paranormal will love this one.

******
The Knowing
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Post by alan0803 »

It's a well crafted narrative and I sense horror on this one, my favourite.
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Post by AmySmiles »

Wow! Great review! I want to read this book. Thank you!
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Post by daydreaming reader »

This book certainly sounds excellent. I like that both the good and bad characters have flaws as this makes me more curious about them. Thank you for great review.
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Post by Dollydave »

Impressive review!
Seems pretty much like a Gothic thriller. Anyways, I'd love to read this book.
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Post by Kate S »

Consider me intrigued! I LOVE a good mystery novel that lets you form your own theories. Your review makes this book sound like a lot of fun, so I'm going to write down the title and author, and look them up later.
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Post by funder »

The book is a total mixture of human nature,that deal with the natural and supernatural.
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Post by kandscreeley »

Wow! I love the layers in the book that make the puzzle even more difficult to solve as it goes along. The cover screams supernatural to me, so the author did a great job with that. All in all, this is a very complementary review, and it makes me want to go get the book! Thanks so much.
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Post by Cecilia_L »

You really did a great job of conveying the suspense you felt while reading this book. Great review!
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Post by Penbreath09 »

Nice book review!!!
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Post by anwidmer »

I've read this and it is phenomenal! I couldn't agree more with your excellent review, those thinking about giving it a try you won't be sorry you did! I just read it in 2 days! With a toddler no less lol
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Post by anwidmer »

kandscreeley wrote: 20 Jul 2018, 08:17 Wow! I love the layers in the book that make the puzzle even more difficult to solve as it goes along. The cover screams supernatural to me, so the author did a great job with that. All in all, this is a very complementary review, and it makes me want to go get the book! Thanks so much.
I was literally shocked this was a debut novel as when I read it it read like a seasoned author wrote it. I'd say it's a mixture of Dean Kootnz, Nora Roberts and Stephan King, seriously excellent is all I can say.
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Post by anwidmer »

AmySmiles wrote: 19 Jul 2018, 15:28 Wow! Great review! I want to read this book. Thank you!
I loved it as I've already stated. I believe it appeals to all genre lovers, aside from non-fiction of course lol but seriously it was well worth buying the paperback which I rarely do these days. Do you prefer ebook or paperback?
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Post by AmySmiles »

Ebook for me. I don't have storage for books.
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Post by anwidmer »

AmySmiles wrote: 21 Jul 2018, 14:13 Ebook for me. I don't have storage for books.
I bought the paperback after reading the sample but then saw the ebook version is only 8.69 worth every penny though for sure!
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