DNF at 8%, because the prose, questionable at first, is increasingly poorly organized and distracting. I gave it a chance because it was free. But I'm not wasting more time trying to follow the intent of someone who hasn't learned how to write yet. ( )

It took me a bit to get into this one, but once I reached the fifty-two percent mark, I found it difficult to put down. Sarah Davis does a brilliant job at world building and writing character development. The relationships in the book were also written very well, and I found myself fully invested in Penny's friendship with Noah.

Penny was one of the best female characters I've read about this year. She was strong, smart, independent, and determined to get her way once she set her mind on something. I loved to watch her interact with not only the humans around her, but the animals. She was a sweet, genuine character that I couldn't help but find a connection with.

Penny suffers from PTSD, which quite honestly, is kind of rare to me. I hardly ever find books with characters that suffer from this specific disorder. I think Davis did a great job of teaching the reader about the disorder through Penny. I learned a few things about PTSD while reading this book, which I wasn't expecting when I first started it.

Penny's family and close friends were really interesting as well. Noah was probably one of my favorites. He reminded me so much of my boyfriend that I couldn't help but love him. Penny's mom, Eelyn reminded me of my own mother: strong, dedicated, and wholesome. You could tell she truly cared for her family and close friends. Even though we didn't see too much of Lucy - mostly her thoughts to Penny - I liked her from what we did see.

The main focus of the book was the murders and finding the serial killer, but it felt like that was over fairly quick. The revelation of the serial killer was very unexpected and shocking, but I expected it to be drawn out a bit longer than it was. Despite it lasting for a solid chunk of the book, it just felt shorter than I feel it could've been. In addition to the mystery, the book also talks a lot about marine life and Alaskan life. I actually learned quite a bit from this book when it comes to marine biology.

Other than the pacing of the mystery, my only real complaint would be wishing we saw more of a few characters. I loved Aunt Bianca's characterization, but she wasn't mentioned very often. Otherwise, it was a good book with plenty of twists, romance, and animals to satisfy almost anyone.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via Rachel's Random Resources. This did not influence my opinion in any way. ( )