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By Natalia Sylvester

ISBN-13: 9780544262171
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication date: 6/3/2014
Pages: 304
Format: Audiobook
My Rating: 3 Stars

Natalia Sylvester’s debuts with CHASING THE SUN, a novel with a balance of suspense, and family drama, set in Lima, Peru, during the 1990s during a time of political and social turbulence.

The author’s inspiration for this novel—her grandfather's kidnapping; she conveys to readers how trauma has the power to make them stronger, as they mend the past, and uncover deep secrets and truths.

I chose to read the audiobook version, as loved Peter Berkrot,the narrator in Desperate, as he has a distinct chilling, yet evil like voice, which grabs your attention.

Combined with a troubled marriage, a kidnapping, a ransom, a past, and a city where the poor struggle and the wealthy live in gated communities to protect their families from evil—the making for a riveting novel; however, the kidnapping seemed very long and drawn out. The first half dealt with kidnapping and the second half was more of the aftermath.

I did not seem to connect with the characters, as a little of a disconnect, with more of a domestic family drama, versus an intense suspense thriller. All in all, it was not a bad book; however, it did not particularly wow me, either.