Why I picked up this book:

I first heard about this book in a writer group and was curious to see what it was about. Yet at the time the ARC was offered, I still hadn’t read a blurb about this book, so I went in completely blind. Which honestly, is sometimes kind of fun. If you don’t know what to expect, you have no expectations. I received a copy of the ARC from Ant Colony Press in exchange for an honest review.

This review may contain spoilers.

Bits & Pieces
	A chance encounter with a stranger traps Tessa within the mind of a madman. Tessa was born with a gift. Through a simple touch she picks up pieces of others. A “flash” of color devours her—the only indication that she’s gained something new from another person. Red equals pain; purple, a talent; yellow, a premonition; orange, a painful memory; and blue, a pleasant one. Each flash blurs the lines between her inherent traits and those she’s acquired from others. Whenever she gains bits of something new, she loses more pieces of herself.
While assisting in search efforts for a local missing college student, Tessa is paralyzed by a flash that rips through her like a lightning bolt, slicing apart her soul. A blinding light takes away her vision. A buzzing louder than any noise she’s ever heard overwhelms her, penetrates her mind. As the bolt works its way through her body, images and feelings from someone else take over. Women’s dead eyes stare at her as her hands encircle their throats. Their screams consume her mind. Memories of the brutal murders of five women invade her. Will she be able to find the killer and help save the next victim? Can she do so without completely losing herself?

   

What I loved:

The premise for this book is stellar. In the beginning, it took a bit to grasp onto what it was, but whole idea of a person’s inner personality constantly thwarted by all the memories rubbing off on her is gorgeous. This was really my favorite piece of the story, watching each flash take over Tessa’s life.

After the killer brushes against her, Tessa’s quirky personality gets hugely overshadowed. The killer’s mania digs deep roots in her head and the breakdown and warring personalities really had me glued to the pages.

Areas needing a touch of refinement:

In a few areas of the story, the psychologist’s presence seems to overshadow the flow. During these bits, Tessa and her doc are working through issues, but I found myself wanting to shove the doctor out of the story and have more of Tess in action, not painting her feelings about events outside of her space. I think I would have rather liked to see her stalking the killer’s victims or the killer instead.

I wanted more world-building in this tale. More immersion into the setting and how it affects events and the main character so I could forget I was reading and feel like I was in the scene.

Overall:

I really enjoyed this book. Some sections were slower than I liked, but several were gripping and intense, and I couldn’t turn that midnight light out quite yet. For any reader who likes stories who stay deep in a character’s head and minimize the details, this one’s for you. I definitely can’t wait for the next tale from this author.

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