Review of Cedar

[Stephanie Elizabeth]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Cedar" by Katie Bieksa.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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It's been several years since the incident, followed by the confusion, pills forced down her throat, and the way Jill's parents tried to erase her sister Cedar from her memory. Cedar's death was unfathomable, and Jill hadn't stopped for one second, believing that her sister was still alive. They'd always shared a telepathic bond. Almost a decade later, she still hears Cedar's faint whisper, calling for her sister. Still, she is a career woman now with a beautiful apartment and a devoted boyfriend, which is why she can't reveal that she saw her dead sister wave to her from a window on a busy street in the middle of the day. Divulging this would make her appear haunted and unhinged. What would her boyfriend, Will, think?

Will has been living this little charade for quite some time. At first, he thought it would be an easy paycheck—romancing Jill and appeasing his father. But then he began to fall for her—deeply. Now he's between a rock and a hard place, continuing to report back to his father and sleep in her bed under false pretenses. Why is his father so obsessed with Will keeping tabs on Jill, and how will he ever tell her the truth?

Cedar by Katie Bieksa is a gripping psychological book that will have readers wholeheartedly immersed in Jill's plight. The story is told from the first person perspective, alternating between Jill and her boyfriend, Will, who both seem to withhold information from each other—the fragility of Jill's mental well-being and Will's ruthless deceit. The couple must come to terms with the superficiality of their relationship while finding themselves embroiled in a scandal.

I love how the plot slowly unraveled, revealing more tidbits of the truth. It caused me to constantly flip-flop between thinking Jill was becoming unhinged or that she was the target of a cruel joke. The author is skilled in creating suspense, particularly when Jill views old photographs from her keepsake, and something she'd been so sure of before was absent from the picture, and when she makes a scene at the office, swearing to everyone that she saw Cedar. Was she going to have a flown-blown mental episode, or would the photos unearth something important? As an avid reader of psychological thrillers, I usually have a fairly strong inkling of where the author is going with the information. Still, I was guessing until the end of this adrenaline-inducing story!

Another thing that kept me immersed in the story was Will’s internal struggle between honoring his loyalty to his father and protecting the woman he had grown to love. With every chapter, it seemed his heart wavered, and I was intrigued by his inner dialogue. Who would Will honor? I was desperate to find out.

The book was professionally edited, and there was nothing to dislike. I have chosen to give the writing a rating of five out of five stars because it reeled me in with its suspense and expertly curated pace. In addition, the alternating perspectives allowed me a unique glimpse into both characters’ psyches.

For readers who enjoy thrilling stories with dysfunctional characters, particularly ones hiding secrets from one another, you'll love Cedar. I could definitely see this book made into a movie!

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Cedar
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[Amy Luman]

I guess this sort of thing happen more than anyone thinks. A man intends to scam a woman by playing on her emotions, but ends up falling for her. I have read books with this as the plot before. (It could work the other way, too.)

[Laney K]

I am a huge fan of psychological thrillers so reading about Jill's story and Cedars death sounds fascinating.

[Alex Reeves]

This book really has a lot of baggage and secrets. It's sad that although Jill may really be seeing Cedar, people still call her unhinged. I really don't understand Will's case, but I think his father seems to know more about Jill's family than he admits. There's definitely some high-level suspense and thrill emanating from this novel. Great review.

[Shedrack A]

It must be difficult for gill to keep seeing her supposedly dead sister and not being able to talk to anyone about it.

[NetMassimo]

This seems like an intriguing psychological thriller that makes me curious about the possible twists in its plot. Thank you for your great review!