Simmons does an effective job of building and sustaining suspense throughout One More Day. Secrets are revealed, but they’re just as likely to raise new questions as they are to answer existing ones. While Carrie’s is the primary narrative perspective, the viewpoint occasionally shifts to her husband John; there are also observations from a character who goes unidentified until late in the story, and I found the reliability of every one of these narrators questionable, at the very least. Carrie’s religious beliefs and behaviors–and John’s lack of them–are a significant element in her character, and the related exploration of faith is a central theme of One More Day. Mental health/mental illness is another key theme, and as it plays out in the novel, one not entirely unrelated to the faith/belief thread.

There are aspects of One More Day, and of Carrie in particular, that explore the paranormal, and they didn’t always work for me. They did enhance the suspense, but there were times I felt they added more confusion than clarity to the story, suggesting it might take directions that it ultimately didn’t.

MORE: https://3rsblog.com/2016/02/book-talk-one-more-day-by-kelly-simmons.html ( )

One More Day by Kelly Simmons is a mystery and thriller as billed but also includes a touch of paranormal, though it stops short of being what is typically thought of as a paranormal thriller. Even so, I wasn't expecting it so was a little surprised.

There are plenty of twists and everyone has secrets that, if discovered, could turn the investigation into the missing child in a different direction.

I was less taken in by the thriller aspect, even though it was good, and more by my feelings of empathy for Carrie. In some ways this became more of a character-driven story than a suspense-driven story for me. Most thrillers that have good character development are still usually driven by the suspense, so this was unusual for me in this genre.

I would recommend this to readers of thrillers and mysteries with the warning that there is at least a hint at paranormal activity in the story. It does not, in my opinion, dominate so does not have to be a deal breaker if paranormal is not normally to your liking.

Reviewed from an ARC made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )

Carrie Morgan the grieving mother of a missing child. She was the last one to see him before he disappeared. The police are focusing on her, but she didn't see anything, her back was turned trying to find a quarter for the meter. A mother's worse nightmare. And then, 15 months later he's there, in his crib only until he disappears again. What a grabbing entry into this book! A page turner, not sure where it is going. The secrets unfolding, the supernatural implications. Great read! Reminded so much of the movie the Sixth Sense. If anyone ever had the encounter of a deceased loved one appearing in their dreams will definitely embrace this mother and her struggle to find her way thru her grief. ( )

This book ended up being just okay for me. Based on the description, I thought that this was going to be a completely different book than it turned out to be. If you are a reader that does not enjoy any kind of paranormal or out of the ordinary in a story, you will want to avoid this one. I do like those things so it wasn't a deal breaker for me although it was unexpected.

I thought that the story moved rather slowly at times and it was never the kind of book that I found hard to put down. That being said I did want to know how everything would work out. I really had expected this book to fall nicely into the mystery category but I found that it was really more focused on the characters. There was some mystery to be found but the focus was different than I had expected.

I never connected with any of the characters. Carrie seemed too controlled and distant. As the book progressed, I found that I never really felt anything towards Carrie. Her backstory was interesting but it never sparked any kind of emotion from me. This is a story where bad things happen to a tiny boy and I didn't any kind of emotional reaction. Carrie's husband was even more distant and he was very controlling. I really didn't connect with him at all and his behavior actually made me question Carrie more since she didn't see any problems with it.

It was a story that took some big risks and unusual turns. The story unfolded in a manner that made me want to see it to completion. I wanted to know everyone's secrets and see their reactions even if I didn't feel any connection to the characters. I liked the idea behind the story but had problems with the characters and pacing of the story. I also thought the ending of the book was rather lackluster and had hoped for something a little more meaningful.

I do think that some readers will really enjoy this book. This is the first book by Kelly Simmons that I have read and I would be willing to read more of her work in the future.

I received an advance reader edition of this book from Sourcebooks Landmark via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.

This review was also posted at Carole's Random Life. http://carolesrandomlife.blogspot.com/ ( )

One More Day was totally different from what I had expected it to be. That's not a criticism because I really liked the book a lot in the end, and if I had paid more careful attention to the book blurb I probably would have worked out sooner what I was letting myself in for.
One More Day is about the disappearance of a little boy, and that's as far as my summary is going to go, as I would probably give away spoilers otherwise.
It's the kind of book you need to go into with a very open mind. I was expecting more of a thriller/mystery but what you get is a very perceptive family drama with unexpected twists and lots of stuff that will make you think. There are underlying themes of religion and beliefs, the psychology of grief, and a lot about relationships, between parents and children but also between husbands and wives, what is acceptable behavior and what isn't and the familiar question how well do you really know and understand the people close to you. Definite book club material.
There were parts where I wasn't sure this was the right book for me, but I am really glad I persevered (Thank you, Sue!!) and while I still feel not all my questions were fully answered by the end of the book, One More Day was a very unique reading experience.
Thank you to the publisher and to the author for my copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )