Forewarned

by

Tracey S. Phillips

Suspenseful, twisty paranormal summer thriller!

Forewarned by Tracey S. Phillips is a suspense-laden thriller perfect for closing out summer reading and transitioning to fall’s spookier reads. It’s the summer of 1976, and 15-year-old Daphne Ann Post, her younger brother Brandon, and her recently divorced mother return to her grandmother’s lake house outside Carlson, Indiana, just like they do every year for vacation. However, young Daphne harbors a secret gift: she receives premonitions of danger and sees visions of tragedies about to happen, simply by touching someone. And this summer, the feelings are everywhere. 

Despite her terrible gift, Daphne is a typical teenager of the time, experiencing all the emotions of seeing her parents’ marriage collapse and her family change. In her case, the dissolution comes on the heels of her mother’s actions and choices, and Daphne is feeling rage and impotence at being unable to preserve her family as it was. 

Making her situation doubly difficult is her lack of a social safety net. Her former best friend, Ruth, turned on her during the previous school year when Daphne had revealed a premonition that Ruth was about to have an accident and get hurt. When Ruth ignored her warning and was injured, she blamed Daphne for the accident even happening, sharing a much-embellished story to their classmates who, in turn, shunned Daphne for the rest of the year. 

The sad and bitter teenager continually vents her anger and frustrations at her mother, and she’s lonely and ripe for trouble, especially when the summer kids move in next door to her grandmother’s Victorian cottage. It was hard watching her engage in forbidden activities, but her experiences ultimately led to growth in her character. 

The story unfolds from three points of view: Daphne’s, Lara, the girl next door, and Mark Walters, a young man returning home to Carlson after a number of years away. But while the summer lakeside setting is idyllic for lazing around and basking in doing nothing, the author slowly ratchets up the tension, starting with small things like the dark, spooky cedar closet that holds childhood nightmares for Daphne, or the individuals who give off creepy vibes or the off-hand comments from family members that make you pause and wonder what’s going on there. 

As storylines intersect, the tension continues to build, and I often wanted to reach out and stop a character from taking their next move as I worried how this was all going to work out. The 1970s time frame was a nice touch, and I enjoyed the mention of random objects typical of the period, such as Dr. Scholl’s sandals or the yellow, long-corded telephone that could reach into the next room. 

I recommend FOREWARNED to readers of young adult domestic and paranormal thrillers and suspense.

For this and other reviews, visit Boys' Mom Reads!