Review: The Return of Ellie Black
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My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Written by Emiko Jean, The Return of Ellie Black is an emotion-tearing, impactful story. Chelsey Calhoun is a detective who still faces sleepless nights over what had happened many years in the past — her sister went missing. Chelsey's life is unravelled when one day Ellie Black — who has been missing for two years — is finally found living in the woods.
The mystery of Ellie's disappearance, coupled with finding Chelsey's sister's killer, is a very strong emotional thread right through the story. The beginning of chapter one perfectly captures the raw grief and lingering hope that fuels her relentless pursuit of justice.
The initial chapters of the book were quite engrossing; the narration really kept me hooked right from the very beginning. I could feel all of Chelsey's emotions, her will to know what really happened, and her optimism that the criminals would be punished. I found myself hoping she would reach closure and finally live at peace.
The first two-thirds of the book were a masterclass in suspense, each chapter ratcheting up the tension with meticulous detail. Then, like a sudden storm, the narrative shifted, leaving me scrambling to keep up with the whirlwind of events. The plot twists, though some were unexpected, were less plausible, not having the same effect as any well-structured thrillers.
The climax, while dramatic in its execution, lacked the emotional impact I'd anticipated. The confrontation felt rushed, the tension deflated like a punctured balloon, leaving me with a sense of anticlimactic disappointment. Besides, the ending didn't bring in the emotion and complete closure that the earlier chapters had built. This ending felt very rushed, as if to tie up all the loose ends, and thus incomplete.
Even though this book started so wonderfully, the sense of disappointment from that rushed ending and implausibility in some plot twists leaves me somewhat disappointed. Those who are in for an emotional thriller with a strong girl in the lead should surely go for a read, but only with the caution to be prepared for a somewhat uneven narrative. Generally, it's a good story, though not fully that five-star story I was anticipating from it.
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