REVIEW: I HOPE YOU’RE LISTENING by Tom Ryan
This is my first read by author Tom Ryan. I was really drawn to this story’s premise, a teen (named Delia “Dee” Skinner) who starts an anonymous podcast that helps solve true crime cases via laptop detectives. Her journey to do this started when her best friend was abducted when they were kids. Yet, she doesn’t use the podcast to try and solve that one personal case. Instead it’s like a coping mechanism to help others, until she gets tangled up in another abduction that involves people close to her.
The first third of the story may have been a tad slow for me. But it picked up steam after a few chapters when Dee peeled back the layers of the cases and herself. She really never healed from the loss of her friend. Then, I went on this a steep rollercoaster with fast-paced action, new reveals, and a very motivated main character who took risks in uncovering secrets.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and found myself staying up late to get in another chapter to know how everything ends. I look forward to reading more from this author!
Title: I HOPE YOU’RE LISTENING
Author: Tom Ryan
Rating: 4 | 5 stars
Available Oct. 6, 2020 from Albert Whitman & Company. Preorder today!
About the story:
In her small town, seventeen year-old Delia “Dee” Skinner is known as the girl who wasn’t taken. Ten years ago, she witnessed the abduction of her best friend, Sibby. And though she told the police everything she remembered, it wasn’t enough. Sibby was never seen again.
At night, Dee deals with her guilt by becoming someone else: the Seeker, the voice behind the popular true crime podcast Radio Silent, which features missing persons cases and works with online sleuths to solve them. Nobody knows Dee’s the Seeker, and she plans to keep it that way. When another little girl goes missing, and the case is linked to Sibby’s disappearance, Dee has a chance to get answers, with the help of her virtual detectives and the intriguing new girl at school. But how much is she willing to reveal about herself in order to uncover the truth? Dee’s about to find out what’s really at stake in unraveling the mystery of the little girls who vanished.
Thank you to NetGalley, Tom Ryan, and Albert Whitman & Company for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
And check out Tom’s other books on his website.