BLOG TOUR: Nocturnal Meetings of the Misplaced by R. J. Garcia

Nocturnal Meetings of the Misplaced
by R.J. Garcia
Genre: YA Mystery/Suspense
Release Date: May 1st 2018
The Parliament House

Summary from Goodreads:

Mystery surrounds the town of Summertime, Indiana, where fifteen-year-old Tommy Walker and his little sister are sent to live with relatives they’ve never met. Tommy soon makes friends with Finn Wilds, a rebellious local who lives with his volatile and abusive stepfather, who also happens to be the town’s sheriff.

Finn invites Tommy to late night meetings in the woods, where Tommy gets to know two girls. He forms a special and unique connection with both girls. The meetings become a place where the kids, who don’t fit in at school, or home can finally belong. As the group of friends begin to unravel clues to a cold case murder and kidnapping— they learn the truth is darker and closer than they ever imagined. Even if they live to tell, will anyone believe them?

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MY REVIEW

I received an Audible code for the audiobook for an honest review. What follows is my opinion and mine alone. There was no compensation for this review.

Nocturnal Meetings of the Misplaced by R.J. Garcia is a contemporary thriler young adult book that centers on some pretty deep topics. There is child abuse, sexual abuse, murder, drug abuse, and the foster care system. It is written with the alternating viewpoints of Tommy and Finn, two young men who become fast friends and bond over their own lives and the mystery circling a young girl.

The book itself is fairly slow moving. Not a bad slow. More like a slow burn of suspense. I found myself looking at every adult and wondering which one was the real antagonist. Everyone looked shady.

The chapters themselves are short but each one is just a step closer to the revelation. You begin to wonder just what is happening. Are these teens getting into trouble because of their imagination? Is there something really going on?

And I’ll tell you, I was not expecting what happened.

As for the audio part, I felt the narrator was a good match. I think I would have liked it a bit better if Finn and Tommy’s narrations had a bit more separation but the chapters do indicate who is talking.

All in all, Garcia weaved a great mystery that deals with multiple issues. It felt like a modern YA southern gothic with the layers on layers of intrigue and suspense. I definitely recommend for the YA thriller or darker contemporary reader.

Final Rating: 4/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

R.J. Garcia is a wife and proud mom. She earned her MSW and worked with foster children and as a school social worker. Writing has been her other great love. She has published several non-fiction pieces. She has been writing short-stories for as long as she can remember. To her amazement, those short stories became novels!

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