June 2014

Last July, I was lucky enough to read a manuscript of THAT NIGHT by Chevy Stevens. I remember Chevy’s  debut novel, STILL MISSING, very vividly --- so vividly that when realtor friends say they are hosting an Open House, I always think They will be there ALONE! No, they must read STILL MISSING and rethink that! I read her second and third books, and while I enjoyed them, to me they were not as strong as STILL MISSING. I plunged into THAT NIGHT and immediately got caught up in it; I  pushed every deadline aside to read it.

Here’s why it works for me --- the pitch, the voice, the well-drawn characters and the plotting are dead on. The voice and plotting are probably its strongest points. Every time I thought I knew what was going on, it changed gears. The prison scenes are raw and edgy, but also show the complete desperation that Toni had. Her loneliness, her being abandoned or forced away from everyone. And mean girls. Who does not know them?

Right before I read THAT NIGHT, I had finished watching season one of “Orange is the New Black” on Netflix. As I read it, I was thinking of those prison scenes. The rawness and toughness of the show made what was in THAT NIGHT all the more scary.

The title is perfect too. Simple…but it all comes back to THAT NIGHT. It works for adults, twentysomethings and teens. Lots to talk about in it!