Book Review: Only Daughter by Anna Snoekstra

Today I review Only Daughter, the debut novel of Anna Snoekstra. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing her and we talked about her book, its setting, her inspiration and what she's working on. Have a look at it here. 

Title: Only Daughter
Author: Anna Snoekstra
Published: September 22nd 2016 by HQ Stories

Blurb: In this chilling psychological thriller, one woman's dark past becomes another's deadly future.


In 2003, sixteen-year-old Rebecca Winter disappeared. 

She'd been enjoying her teenage summer break: working at a fast-food restaurant, crushing on an older boy and shoplifting with her best friend. Mysteriously ominous things began to happen—blood in the bed, periods of blackouts, a feeling of being watched—though Bec remained oblivious of what was to come. 


Eleven years later she is replaced. 

A young woman, desperate after being arrested, claims to be the decade-missing Bec. 

Soon the imposter is living Bec's life. Sleeping in her bed. Hugging her mother and father. Learning her best friends' names. Playing with her twin brothers. 

But Bec's welcoming family and enthusiastic friends are not quite as they seem. As the imposter dodges the detective investigating her case, she begins to delve into the life of the real Bec Winter—and soon realizes that whoever took Bec is still at large, and that she is in imminent danger.


Review: I found the premise for Only Daughter really intriguing, a girl disappears and then, more than a decade later, a woman claims to be her. We know from the beginning that the woman is just pretending to be that girl, Rebecca Winter, to get away from her own troubled life but no one else does. Her family, her friends and the police officer who was in charge of the investigation, all think Rebecca is back.

I really had no idea how the story was going to go but I certainly didn't expect all that happened. Soon the narrative turned really disturbing and tense and it became really difficult to stop reading it and disconnect from the story. And the ending was a real surprise and quite clever too. 

I think the two points of view worked really well: Rebecca's last week before her disappearance and the impostor's present time. They complemented each other and as we jumped from past to present we learnt more and more about all the characters involved until you just didn't know who to trust anymore. I think the past chapters add a bit of light to this rather dark story as we read about Rebecca being excited about life, her first love, her relationship with her best friend. 

Overall Only Daughter is a really well written and clever thriller, full of tense moments and unexpected twists. The whole atmosphere is disturbing and dark but addictive too. I just love it in a thriller when there's a moment you realise nothing that you thought is true and anything can happen. I will certainly be awaiting Anna Snoesktra's next thriller. 
Rating: 4 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

A booklover from Barcelona currently living in Munich, who enjoys reading, baking, travelling and crafting.

You Might Also Like

0 comentaris