{Review} ONE STEP TOO FAR by Tina Seskis

ISBN #: 978-0062340078

Page Count: 304

Release Date: January 27, 2015

Publisher: William Morrow

Book Summary:

(As provided by the publisher)

ONE STEP TOO FAR, a revelatory, vivid, impossible-to-put-down debut novel by British writer Tina Seskis, tells the story of a young woman with a seemingly perfect life who one day just walks away from it all without explanation, taking great pains to leave no trace.

After hiding out in a squalid shared house and eventually befriending a fast-and-loose party girl named Angel, Cat's transformation from loving mother and wife into a glamorous, dazzling it-girl is soon complete. But as much as she tries to hide her past behind drugs and designer clothes, it's clear that something - the memory of some person or event - is haunting her. As a mystery date looms, Cat's life takes another dramatic wrong turn, and she's finally forced to confront her demons.

Mandy's Review:

Sometimes one step (whether physical, mental, spiritual, etc.) is all we need to propel us into a new situation. Sometimes one step is one step too much and we find ourselves in a situation gone horribly wrong and we struggle to find our way out of it. Sometimes all we can do is take things one step at a time to work our way through something so traumatic we feel as if we'll never find our way out.

One step. Two little words yet they hold so much potential ... for good and bad. It's a horrible feeling, though, when you realize you've gone one step too far. You've done too much and now you must live with the consequences.

Emily is struggling with this same concept. One too many steps was taken and now she's found herself inside a living nightmare. All of the good she has in her life is now changing into evil forces combating her and she's struggling to survive, to breathe, to live. The only way she can figure out how to do that while keeping her sanity is to leave the life she knows and find someplace to start all over again. But we all know you can't run away from your problems and, as much as Emily strives to be an alternate persona, her past does catch up with her and she finally has to deal with everything she tried so hard to avoid.

Ben, Emily's husband, is affected by the same nightmare Emily finds herself in but he deals with it in a different way. He tries to find some semblance of normalcy by returning to work and getting back to a daily routine. When Emily leaves him, he's devastated and tries desperately to find her.

Angel has her own story to tell with her various "uncles" and kleptomaniac tendencies (which the reader does get to know throughout the novel), but she befriends Emily (Cat) straight away and they become forever-friends.

This novel was as addictive as cocaine was to Angel. I didn't want to put it down. While reading, I would easily forget about any responsibilities I had to take care of. I was desperate to know Emily's secret. What was so significant about the upcoming anniversary? What did a corner liquor store have to do with anything? Who exactly is Charlie? The author keeps you guessing most of the way through and I loved it. What I thought would be Emily's secret wasn't. I liked that I was wrong. Predictable novels sometimes annoy me.


*A physical ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.