Complicit by Stephanie Kuehn | Rating: ★★★★★

I received an ARC of Complicit through a Goodreads giveaway and it was definitely on my most anticipated list of reads for this year. From what I understand, Stephanie Kuehn has a way with screwing with your mind through her writing and Complicit is proof of that. I really enjoyed reading Jamie’s story, through all the twists and more, and would recommend this novel to fans of Ellen Hopkins or the ABC Family television series Twisted.

In fact, if ever there be an adaption of this -- I'd love to see it on ABC Family or MTV. Imagine the production: just the right amount of twists and attitude... guh, anyways...

It’s sure to keep readers on the edge of their seat until the very end. And maybe even after they’ve devoured the entire story, too.

Our story starts with a mysterious phone call to the main character Jamie Henry which wakes him during the middle of the night; he receives near silence on the other end. Jamie falls back asleep shortly after, and we flash forward to the following morning. His parents (adoptive parents, that is) have news and it isn’t pretty: his older sister, “Crazy” Cate Henry, has been released from jail.

And soon we’re introduced to the past (which heavily involves his sister and her strange habits and what got her into trouble) which alerts us to why Jamie struggles with keeping control of his hands. When he becomes startled, he essentially loses all control of his hands — this is something he has been struggling with for years.


Then we find out about his sister. Mostly the story is told in flashes — memories of the past, only of the things he can remember, that typically involve an event that landed his sister in jail. We see him navigate his life even in his struggles, his day to day life which includes the paranoia over his sister’s return, his near lack of a social life aside from the sweet girl he has a crush on (Jenny) and visits to therapy. Jamie also struggles with his inability to remember what happened to his mother all those years ago.

He remembers simply what he thinks her hair colour is and that someone murdered her. But is this what really happens? If so, what did happen? In a mix of flashbacks and current events, you’ll begin to piece together what secrets these two siblings has and who is the “crazy” one. Are they both? Or is Cate just one step away from winding up in jail once more?

You’ll be surprised.

Overall, Complicit is a fast paced novel that will keep you interested until the very end. It isn’t a difficult read and you’ll want to finish it as quickly as possible because you can’t help but to wonder what has happened to make Jamie lose pieces of his memory and what life was like for Cate in the days leading up to the fire; what their life was like before they were adopted. It’s a mystery — but their story is unique and haunting and will probably stick with you the second you put down the novel.

Each answer is shocking and ties everything up together in the end. I literally had goosebumps by the novels end and only wished for a longer story. It was so good.

I recommend this book to all of you, asap. Seriously, check it out when it’s released! You won’t regret it.