Jane Bradley (1)

You Believers is one of those novels that is seemingly simple until one goes to describe the plot to someone else. Only then does one realize just how layered and complex the story really is. In this case, what could be construed as a simple missing-persons thriller becomes a study of evil and loss, the need to help and the power of love. It is a psychological drama, a thriller, a murder mystery and family narrative all in one.

Told from different characters' points of view, the power of the show more novel lies in each character's unique perspective of the crimes at hand. Together, the reader gets a very real and very emotional image of just how pervasive the damage is for one missing person on that person's community, family and friends. The reader rushes from the heartbroken mother to the callously oblivious murderer, from the clueless accomplice to the emotionally raw volunteer and the roller coaster of emotions that ensue with each character.

You Believers is brutal in its honesty. The reader is under no false assumptions that there will be a fairy tale-like ending to this novel. However, along with the despair, Ms. Bradley weaves a very real sense of hope - hope that the perpetrator will be caught, that the family will find justice and peace, that maybe, just maybe, this will be one story that turns out well for everyone. It is as if Ms. Bradley is reminding the reader that in spite of all the heartache and tears, the sense of desolation and bleakness, one should never lose hope because when one does, the bad guys win. What an incredibly powerful message.

You Believers is another great offer from Unbridled Books. They are quickly becoming one of my favorite publishers because everything they offer is refreshingly different, thought-provoking and simply excellent. Ms. Bradley has created a novel that explores the dichotomy of human nature while ensuring that the good can overcome in the end. This duality expresses itself in every aspect of the novel, building one complex layer upon another to create a novel that is every bit as messy and emotional as real life. With this her first full-length novel, Ms. Bradley has proven that she has the ability to create an amazing story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Unbridled Books for my e-galley! show less

When a young woman goes missing, a professional searcher with uncanny empathetic skill works heroically to find her. A powerful, cathartic story of casual evil and of how even the worst things can and must be faced. Part Southern gothic, part crime, part haunting suspense story. You Believers takes us on an infinitely harrowing journey that rewards the reader with insight into how we might endure horrible events with faith, strength, and grace even while it reveals the ripple effects of show more random violence. Offering a vision that is both ruthless and utterly compassionate, Bradley celebrates the tenacity of the human spirit and renders the search for logic, meaning, redemption and hope in the domino force that is human nature. show less

A heart-crushing tale of a girl lost, a girl saved and several who fall somewhere in between. All the characters are flawed and because of this, demand sympathy on some level. The juxtaposition of the characters poses the question when victimized, is it better to be killed or live. It examines what happens when we come out the other side of horrific events, how we are changed and what motivates us as individuals to move on, or not. Most would say this is obvious, but is it? What does it mean show more to live through an unspeakable violation and event whether as a sister, mother, father, or spouse -- or as the victim. Then, there are others to consider -- those who are also touched by evil because as Bradley shows, evil seldom takes a straight path. Pain splinters and fractures as it spreads like a web. Is it our reaction to such evils that continues to feed the fear and power of it? You Believers is horrifying not just because of subject matter, but also in the manner through which the story is told. The starkness is unrelenting and details paralyzing, not because of graphic depiction but rather through a realness that won't let the reader look away. At times, I felt as if my eyeballs were super-glued opened. It is impossible to detach from what is happening to all the characters emotionally, and because of this, can be downright exhausting. For those who have never experienced anything similar to the situation told in the story, hold on, because you are about to. For survivors of events, I warn the pages may contain a great deal of triggers that will be hard to get through. For example, there is a rape scene that is viewed from the perspective of the victim. Not a read to be considered lightly, but worthwhile to examine if you have the strength to face human helplessness and the grace to rise above it. show less

Multiple voices are employed to stunning effect in this novel of those who are lost and those who find. Bradley's powerful writing catapults the story of a missing young woman into an engrossing character study that examines in meaningful and sometimes unexpectedly moving ways the actions of all the players in the story: those who love and miss her; those who search for her with their own versions of hope; and those who are responsible for her being lost. The voice of Shelby Waters, the show more finder, is particularly strong, and resonates with equal parts compassion, hope, and world-weariness. Thank you, Ms. Bradley, for being bold enough to allow your characters to have all their gray areas. When a writer trusts her readers enough to do that it's an honor to spend time lost in their words.

Favorite Passage

My momma, she kept pretty plain, but she liked to look at colorful things. She liked to serve pinto beans in the pale blue bowl. And cornbread on the dark blue plates. She liked to serve the bacon on the yellow platter. I never knew that old Fiestaware was worth anything. I just wanted it because my momma loved it...There's often much comfort in useless things like the choice of pinto beans in a pale blue bowl and not the white. show less