Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon

Genre: Fiction
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 320
Challenges: None

I received this ARC from Bookbrowse. I’d never heard of Dan Chaon but the book description intrigued me.

The book is a mix of three stories that at the beginning seem totally unconnected, but as you read, the connections start clicking and pretty soon you can’t put it down because you just have to find out how this all ends.

Miles is in search of his twin brother who he’s been trying to track down for years. He keeps getting mysterious calls or letters, but hasn’t been able to actually find him. Lucy is a recent high school graduate whose parents were tragically killed. She’s happy to be leaving a dead end life in her small Ohio town with her boyfriend who also is her former High School history teacher. Ryan was stunned to find out as a college student that the people he thought were his biological parents actually adopted him. He’s also happy to be leaving a life he sees as a series of lies behind him.

As the book opens these three people aren’t even in the same state. Their stories unfold in alternating chapters giving the reader clues here and there as to who is actually who in the stories. The question of identity is at the heart of this book. False identities and hidden truths abound. Pretty soon the characters and the reader are both questioning the true identity of everyone.

I liked this book a lot. I kept making guesses as to how it would all resolve and changing my mind. If you need a book with clear linear timelines or all the ends tightly wrapped up in a bow, stay away from this one. If you like a story of intrigue, deception and a bit of mystery and suspense, I recommend it highly. Although none of the main characters are truly likeable, the ever more involved web of story and timelines kept me turning the pages as fast as I could.

Rating 4/5