Things We Didn't Say by Kristina Riggle

Things We Didn't Say by Kristina Riggle
"What goes unsaid can sometimes speak the loudest . . .

What makes up a family? For Casey it's sharing a house with her fiancÉ, Michael, and his three children, whom she intends to nurture more than she ever took care of herself. But Casey's plans have come undone. Michael's silences have grown unfathomable and deep. His daughter Angel seethes as only a teenage girl can, while the wide-eyed youngest, Jewel, quietly takes it all in.

Then Michael's son, Dylan, runs off, and the kids' mother, a woman never afraid to say what she thinks, noisily barges into the home. That's when Casey decides that the silences can no longer continue. She must begin speaking the words no one else can say. She'll have to dig up secrets—including her own—uncovering the hurts, and begin the healing that is long overdue. And it all starts with just a few tentative words. . . ."- summary from Amazon

This is my first Kristina Riggle book, but I have a feeling it won't be my last. I really enjoyed reading this book and Riggle has such a way with her characters that gets the reader so absorbed in their story. It was also nice how she told the story through multiple perspectives, though it's mostly focused on Casey and Michael, flipping back and forth between the two with the occasional chapter from one of the three children and from Mallory at various points in her life. It really gives insight into all of them, especially Mallory because it humanizes her a bit (only a bit though- she's still extremely crazy and needs help). She has a good handle on each of her characters and makes each of their voices unique.

The mystery of where Dylan went kept the pages turning. It was interesting to see how his running away brought all the secrets out and gets everybody thinking about their lives and how they conduct them. Riggle keeps the story flowing with the mystery and the secrets being revealed while balancing it with introspection and does it very well.

Overall, a really good adult novel that might have some crossover appeal with older teenagers. I definitely need to check out Riggle's other books.

FTC: Received ARC from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.