Fadeaway was one of my most-anticipated books of the year from a beloved local author who decided to dive into YA for the first time. I could not be more satisfied by this incredible book.
Title: Fadeaway
Author: E.B. Vickers
Publisher: Knopf
Release Date: March 23, 2021
Genres: YA Suspense
I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Official Synopsis
When a high school basketball star goes missing, a town’s secrets are exposed in this edge-of-your seat, addictive read.
At 8:53 pm, thousands of people watched as Jake Foster secured the state title for his basketball team with his signature fadeaway. But by the next morning, he’s disappeared without a trace. Nobody has any idea where he is: not his best friend who knows him better than anyone else, not his ex-girlfriend who may still have feelings for him, not even his little brother who never expected Jake to abandon him. Rumors abound regarding Jake’s whereabouts. Was he abducted? Did he run away to try to take his game to the next level? Or is it something else, something darker—something they should have seen coming?
Told from the points of view of those closest to Jake, this gripping, suspenseful novel reminds us that the people we think we know best are sometimes hiding the most painful secrets.
Review
There’s just so much about this book that I loved. Where do I even begin?
I’ll start with the narrative structure. Fadeaway is told from several revolving points of view. Though the story is about a missing high school basketball champion, Jake Foster, the story is barely told from his point of view. Most of it is told from the people who surround him, such as his best friend, his ex-girlfriend, his mother, his little brother, and more. There are police interviews alongside poetry at times, and the differences between narrative styles was an incredible way of showing the different ways the characters think. They each had such distinct voices, and there wasn’t a single POV I disliked. Getting to know one single character through the eyes of several was such a fascinating experience.
The suspense hinges on the reader riding along with these multiple characters as they figure out what happened to Jake Foster. I’m going to be purposefully vague about the plot, since I refuse to go into spoiler territory here. It’s worth it piecing it together. I admit I saw the twist coming, but that’s simply because I’ve had people close to me experience what the small town in this book has experienced. But knowing the twist didn’t make this any less of an exciting, dreadful, emotional read for me. But in the end, Fadeaway is hopeful and empathetic, and it made me love the book even more.
Overall Feelings
I wish more people knew about this book–it is as powerful as it is suspenseful. I read it in less than 24 hours easily, and it has stuck with me since then.
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