Unique Story

This was an unusual tale with all of the elements of a paranormal story, though without being scary.

As I read through the strange mystery, I kept asking myself about the various characters' secrets (there are many), what they could possibly be, for whatever they were was enough to orchestrate a strange timetable and turn of events.

There were some confusing elements. Like the POV would suddenly shift without warning (no heading to show that we are now in someone else's head). It was also disconcerting to see Peyton (the MC) showing little emotion when she ran across the strangest and most curious moments as the mystery unraveled. What should have been a shock felt instead like just an odd but not too abnormal shift, when it was anything but. The startling secrets deserved more suspense-filled buildup, and more explanation and time spent on them as they were breezed over once announced.

Payton's own secret creates a divide between Beau and her and is not fully understood until we get to the last third of the book, but even then it doesn't make sense to have created a separation. Another confusion was why Peyton kept referring to her mother by her name, but sometimes as mother as well. Additionally, it was never really clear how Mrs. Miller came into the picture or how Bertha was related to Peyton. There are numerous facts like these whose details unfortunately slipped the author's mind, and thus unwittingly created an unreliable narrator.

The mystery of the tintypes is a very interesting turn, however, and I felt like I had been whisked into a Red Rose (a la Stephen King) world. The writing is compelling in so many ways, aside from the lack of suspense; the whole concept is inviting, especially as answers start to emerge.

As much as the novel intrigued, it also left so many questions unanswered. How did they get into this alternate world? And why does it happen at all? Mrs. Miller and Bertha seem equally involved in what happens, but the reasons remained blurry.