Review: When the Lights Go Out by Mary Kubica

Title: When the Lights Go Out

Author: Mary Kubica

Published: September 2018, Park Row Books

Format: ARC Paperback, 336 pages

Source: Publisher

Summary:

A woman is forced to
question her own identity in this riveting and emotionally charged
thriller by the blockbuster bestselling author of The Good Girl, Mary
Kubica  

Jessie Sloane is on the path to rebuilding her life
after years of caring for her ailing mother. She rents a new apartment
and applies for college. But when the college informs her that her
social security number has raised a red flag, Jessie discovers a
shocking detail that causes her to doubt everything she’s ever known.

Finding
herself suddenly at the center of a bizarre mystery, Jessie tumbles
down a rabbit hole, which is only exacerbated by grief and a relentless
lack of sleep. As days pass and the insomnia worsens, it plays with
Jessie’s mind. Her judgment is blurred, her thoughts are hampered by
fatigue. Jessie begins to see things until she can no longer tell the
difference between what’s real and what she’s only imagined.

Meanwhile,
twenty years earlier and two hundred and fifty miles away, another
woman’s split-second decision may hold the key to Jessie’s secret past.
Has Jessie’s whole life been a lie or have her delusions gotten the best
of her?

My thoughts:I have been a fan of Mary Kubica’s books ever since meeting her at Book Expo back in 2014 when she was there signing copies of her debut book, The Good Girl. I have read each and every book she has written and anxiously await her new one each year and let me tell you, this latest one definitely did not disappoint!

This book has so many parts that I could relate to – first and foremost the insomnia angle. OMG – I think that was what had me so excited for this book because I unfortunately suffer from this all too often and was curious to see what Mary Kubica would do with that in a story line. It’s not something I’ve seen tackled before and WOW…it definitely makes me want to get a handle on it for my own sanity!

I loved the way this story is told – alternating timelines that quickly pull you into each character’s life. Jessie in the present day and Eden starting in 1996. The way the Mary Kubica writes her characters and story, we become completely enthralled in their lives as they each spiral out of control – Jessie as she copes with her grief and becomes an insomniac and ends up not sleeping for nine days straight; Eden as she makes it her sole focus to become a mother, to the point it becomes a complete obsession, practically destroying everything else in her life. And of course, the whole time, we are wondering how these characters and their stories will intersect.

So many times I thought I had things figured out, I thought for sure I knew where this story was going to end up, and then a new development would throw that theory out the window. I was so invested in this book, I was emotionally attached to these characters and just wanted to know what was going to happen. Never would I have guessed the ending…and I loved it! I actually gasped out loud – it took me by such surprise. But that’s such a good thing! This book is such a good read – it’s intense, it’s emotional, it’s suspenseful right up to that final reveal. I definitely recommend picking this one up! Mary – you did it again and I can’t wait to see what comes next!!!