The Return by Rachel Harrison

Happy Book Birthday to Rachel Harrison whose debut, The Return, hits shelves today! Readers, this is my favoritest book so far this year and I can't recommend it highly enough. If you're looking for a fantastically creepy escapist read right now, this is it!!!

Julie goes out for a hike one day and doesn't return for two years. During that time everyone is certain that she's dead. Everyone except Elise. Even when they hold a funeral, Elise is convinced that Julie isn't gone.

And then Julie comes back.

Elise, Mae, Molly, and Julie plan a girls' weekend at the remote Red Honey Inn. They haven't seen Julie since she came back but they promise they won't ask any questions even thought they're all dying to know what happened.

Elise is the first to arrive. Mae raved about the hotel, even going so far as to choose each girl's room personally. But Elise isn't charmed by the quirky hotel. In fact, she finds it downright creepy. But she's determined to have a good time. Even when she finally sees Julie and realizes that something isn't quite right.

Holy crap this book is good!

Harrison manages, from the very first page, to create the perfect underlying sense of dread. It ratchets up as the book continues, adding a layer of creepiness under the narrative that becomes undeniable as the story reaches it's crazy-pants conclusion!

Elise, Mae, Molly, and Julie have been friends since college. And they each have their own quirks. Elise, has floundered in life, struggling as her friends have each found their place in the world. Which adds to that sense of dread. She can't really afford the trip but doesn't want to complain. And while spending time together used to be natural and comfortable, Elise's current situation is only part of what makes this particular girls' trip...awkward.

Julie is changed. Her appearance is ragged and unhealthy but she puts up a good front of being the same Julie they all once knew. And yet each of the girls noticed little things that are off about Julie.

She has said, as part of the obvious investigation into her missing time, that she doesn't remember what happened. And her friends have vowed not to ask. But as the weekend progresses, they all decide they have to broach the subject somehow. Because they're worried.

Their overall discomfort is only part of it. As I mentioned above, Elise finds the hotel itself unsettling, a feeling that permeates every paragraph of the book. It just oozes weird! And I loved every page!

This is the kind of genre read that gets everyone excited! A perfect debut, a smashingly awesome entry into the horror world, one that I wish I could read again for the very first time!

Order from BookBar!