Title: Twin Rivers
Author: Jessica Buike
Source: Smashwords
Although, with the exception of children’s stories, I rarely read novellas, occasionally I do get in the mood for something short and sweet. Twin Rivers by Jessica Buike was definitely short, but I wouldn’t really call it sweet. In fact, it was a little disturbing, but in a good way. Sometimes disturbing is fun. The story begins when 20-year-old Rhiannon awakens from a 2-year coma, only to discover that her parents are both gone and she has absolutely no clue how she landed in a coma in the first place. She can remember every other part of her life except for the events leading up to her accident and the accident itself.
The book flies through the first few weeks and months after Rhiannon wakes up. At first I thought that part moved a little too fast, but I don’t think long-winded explanations of her physical therapy and health progress would have fit in with the story, so I’m happy Buike chose to just skip ahead a bit. Rhiannon starts to have really vivid and crazy dreams, and those dreams lead her to discover the cause behind her accident. Once she does, she makes a rather shocking decision, and Buike ends the story abruptly, leaving the reader to wonder what happened to Rhiannon next.
Twin Rivers is a fast read, I read it in less than half an hour, but I read pretty fast. I would say just about anyone can read it in under an hour, making it good for short flights or car rides (if you can read in the car, I unfortunately cannot because I get car sick if I so much think about reading). While it works quite well as a short novel, I also think it could have been fleshed out in some spots to make it just a little longer. Other than that, the desire to find out about the accident that led to Rhiannon’s coma kept me wanting to read straight through to the end. Overall, it was an interesting story. I’d recommend it for adults who are fans of mysteries and stories that involve doling out your own justice.
