BOOK REVIEW: MISTER TENDER’S GIRL BY CARTER WILSON

Mister Tender’s Girl by Carter Wilson

Published February 13, 2018

Paperback, 400 pages

MY GOODREADS RATING 4/5 STARS

(Thanks to a BookishFirst.com raffle & Sourcebooks, I received a copy of this book.)

 

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

*Now under option with Legendary Television for development as a TV series*

How far are you willing to go for Mister Tender?

At fourteen, Alice Hill was viciously attacked by two of her classmates and left to die. The teens claim she was a sacrifice for a man called Mister Tender, but that could never be true: Mister Tender doesn’t exist. His sinister character is pop-culture fiction, created by Alice’s own father in a series of popular graphic novels.

Over a decade later, Alice has changed her name and is trying to heal. But someone is watching her. They know more about Alice than any stranger could: her scars, her fears, and the secrets she keeps locked away. She can try to escape her past, but Mister Tender is never far behind. He will come with a smile that seduces, and a dark whisper in her ear…

Inspired by a true story, this gripping thriller plunges you into a world of haunting memories and unseen threats, leaving you guessing until the harrowing end.

MY THOUGHTS:

I thought the cover of this one had just the right amount of creepiness to draw you in to picking up the book, because once you read the synopsis I feel like there is no way you wouldn’t want to devour this book.  I like that the author talked a bit about her brother having Lyme Disease and Bipolar Disorder. It really added something in for me to learn more about, and I loved the way it was explained.

I could relate to Alice on so many levels, especially her panic attacks. They were extremely similar to the ones I suffer from. There was a quote said during a scene where Alice is having a panic attack. “There is nothing in this world more trapping thank one’s own mind.” I felt it such a powerfully perfect quote when dealing with panic. I found that the descriptions of her panic attacks were so real I could feel myself actually getting anxious for her at times. This is because I’ve been there so many times and it really just hit home. I found myself not trusting any of the side characters, there was not one that I wasn’t weary of. I enjoyed the fact that there wasn’t a romance as a focal point of the story. It really sets it apart from the thrillers where there is some sort of romantic savior.

There was a lot going on throughout the story, I feel like it really added to the twists because there were more details to be sorted out. I was surprised during each of the twists and turns, and there was no lack of them. I had a hard time seeing any of them coming, and I feel like that really makes a good thriller! I like the way everything was pulled together at the end, it left me not having to question any loose ends, which is what I look for in a standalone book. This author is an absolutely amazing storyteller and I will not be missing any of the books he writes.