Robert Zimmermann

*Read as an ARC copy received from the author

Tiffany King has yet again wowed me with her writing. I’ve read all of her books since Wishing For Someday Soon was published earlier this year, and I’ve never been disappointed.

In her newest novel, Miss Me Not, King has stepped outside of her comfort zone to write a story that packs a punch for anyone who reads it. It’s edgy. It’s hard-hitting. It’s going to make any reader stop in their tracks and rethink various aspects of life. It might even make some readers feel more grateful for the life they lead.

What I enjoyed most was seeing the inner workings of Madison’s mind. This novel is told in the first person point of view, though Madison’s eyes. I don’t think it could have worked better if done much differently. Without that window into how Madison saw things, I don’t think the reader would be able to sympathize with her character as much. The experience of various events would have been to limited from an outsider’s perspective. On the topic of POV, I did think that at certain times, it would have been nice to get to see Dean’s view on things. I think knowing his motivations in a less limited way would have furthered my understanding of the story, as a whole. What was his plan from the beginning? How did everything factor in together? I think knowing from his POV earlier one would have worked well. Don’t get me wrong though, aside from my wish for some of Dean’s point of view, the first person from Madison worked very well.

Another thing worth mentioning is that the pacing of the story is definitely different from King’s books like Forever Changed and Unlikely Allies. It wasn’t as fast paced when I read it. In a way this worked very well to allow me to soak in what I read. And on the other hand, I enjoy a book that goes, goes, and keeps going. King has a gift when it comes to a smooth and fast paced story-line, all while not hindering the reader from grabbing every detail of a story. Again, another personal opinion here.

The darker subject matter and emotional ride Miss Me Not holds within its pages made me at times put down the book and take a step back. It’s not the easier stuff to deal with. There’s bullying, broken families/friendships, thoughts of suicide, and other topics I won’t bring up in the review. Let this be known: Miss Me Not might not be for every reader. There were times when even I didn’t know if I wanted to pick the book back up. This isn’t saying that it’s a terrible book. It’s the opposite of that. It hits close to home in many areas and in relating to some parts of the story it makes too a little uncomfortable. I feel this is the work of genius storytelling.

In closing, I feel that this story, for me, deserves another read through sooner rather than later. Now that I’ve finished it, I think I’ll appreciate it even more than I already do by experiencing it all over again.