Carly Rheilan

The scariest monsters dwell within the human soul, and this read brings that across in the most deliciously unsettling way.

Ralph has served his time and is out in the world again. Only his mother knows he's back, and she wishes he was dead. While he faces the world beyond bars again, his thoughts linger on the young girl he'd killed years ago. When he meets little Mary, he can't stay away. While similarities to his first victim want to hold truth, everything is different. This Mary isn't the show more girl who takes but gives, only wanting a friendship in return...and while this light of goodness might be inviting, friendship is the one thing he can never give.

This tale leads down the path of disturbing and exposes the horrors which lurk inside the darkest depths of a man. It's not scary in the sense of traditional horror, but rather, exposes a more subtle and realistic terror, which might be found even in someone down the road. The author tugs the reader along on the unsettling relationship between Ralph and Mary, allowing her innocence to clash against his hidden desires. Little by little the awful danger grows, and Mary sinks deeper into the dark trap. It's terrifying to know the direction everything is headed and simply watch as her naivety and kindness leave her completely blind to the evil. Normally, this would make Ralph simply horrific, but the author reveals the complex layers which have formed around his darker core. There's a luring taunt towards sympathy, and this twists everything in disturbing ways until it stabs deep.

It's well-written and keeps a quick pace. While there is the constant knowledge of approaching doom, it's also not clear exactly what will happen next. The suspense keeps the pages turning until the end, and even after the book is closed, the tilted suggestions of redemption haunt long afterwards. show less

Looking for a story that'll keep you on the edge of your seat? BirthRights by Carly Rheilan fits the bill. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Carly Rheilan kept me hovering between distress, sorrow, frustration, and anger throughout BirthRights. This book certainly didn't restore my faith in humanity (nor did I expect it to), but I respected its gritty realism and the bittersweet shreds of hope that were mixed in. Carly Rheilan's experience as a psychiatric nurse provided much show more authenticity. I especially appreciated how she explored trauma and problems in the treatment of mental illness.

BirthRights was a much darker read than even I expected. I was torn between sympathizing with certain characters and being horrified by them. All the characters fell within varying shades of gray, which I thought made for a more entertaining read, though it was difficult to find anyone to consistently root for. The prose, dialogue, and plot were excellent. Hard as I tried to guess what happened next in this story, I was usually proven wrong. I recommend BirthRights to fans of well-written adult psychological thrillers with compelling characters, spine-tingling scenes, and gut-wrenching twists.

(Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of this book from Blackthorn Book Tours for review purposes. All opinions in this review are my own and are honest and unbiased. This review also appears on my website, Kayla C. Reviews.)

Trigger Warning: Mental illness, suicide, homicide, profanity, some sexual scenes show less