[Review] Oblivion by Sasha Dawn + Giveaway @_SashaDawn

Title: Oblivion
Author: Sasha Dawn
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Genre: Mystery, Teen, Contemporary
Release Date: May 27th 2014
Source: Publisher

Summary from Goodreads:

One year ago, Callie was found in an abandoned apartment, scrawling words on the wall: "I KILLED HIM. His blood is on my hands. His heart is in my soul. I KILLED HIM." But she remembers nothing of that night or of the previous thirty-six hours. All she knows is that her father, the reverend at the Church of the Holy Promise, is missing, as is Hannah, a young girl from the parish. Their disappearances have to be connected and Callie knows that her father was not a righteous man.

Since that fateful night, she's been plagued by graphomania -- an unending and debilitating compulsion to write. The words that flow from Callie's mind and through her pen don't seem to make sense -- until now.

As the anniversary of Hannah's vanishing approaches, more words and memories bubble to the surface and a new guy in school might be the key to Callie putting together the puzzle. But digging up the secrets she's buried for so long might be her biggest mistake.

I don't know what to say by this one. I was totally blown away! I took part in the blog tour about a month or so ago but never got the chance to read the book until now. I am so glad that I did, this was out of the norm for me in a lot of ways. And sometimes it's good to break out of your comfort zone to experience new things.

This book was all about mystery, romance, horror and suspense. It left the reader wondering if Calliope really did commit murder or if she was going mentally insane. I, for one, was left second guessing everything in this from beginning to end. I was thinking that she did it but blocked it from her memory to maybe her mom did it, or her ex-boyfriend Elijah, her boyfriend John or even her foster sister, Lindsey. Everyone was suspicious in their own way, which made this a very awesome read that you just couldn't put down until the shocking ending that left you with closure to everything that happened.

I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good psychological thriller and page turner.

Q: Why did you chose to write about graphomania?

A: Graphomania chose me, in a way. Oblivion was a premise I wrote for years before I found the best canvas on which to tell the tale. Callie always wrote obsessively, but in earlier drafts, it was more akin to her wanting to organize her thoughts with a journal. Diana Dru Botsford (Sci-Fi extraordinaire) suggested during a critique session that I make Callie's writing more compulsive than obsessive, and it worked!

Q: Most writers when they create characters they reflect a little of themselves into that character. Is there any similarities between you and Calliope?

A: There is a little bit of me in every character I write. Callie and I have a few things in common: When I was in high school, I didn't live with anyone in my biological family. I know how it feels to subsist on the kindness of others, and I also know the conundrum of attempting to stand up for myself while essentially sponging off another family. I borrowed clothes, ate as little as possible, and like Callie, I wondered about the sanity of my parents. The circumstances surrounding Callie's relationship with John is loosely based on my experience in finding myself drawn to a guy my pseudo-sister had claimed as hers, despite the fact that he obviously had no interest in her. That said, none of the tale is autobiographic. 

Q: What is the significance with the color red? (i.e. red felt tip pen, red writing on walls, ruby baby ring, crimson door, etc)

A: I don't know. Some things happen without my consent. Greg Ferguson at Egmont suggested Callie always write with the same type of pen, and the red felt tip raised its hand. The ruby baby ring: I have a small marquise ruby ring. It fits on my little finger. I might've been wearing it when Callie needed something to fiddle with.

Q: A little off the book. What is with your fascination with Thomas Jefferson?

A: TJ is my boyfriend, and my fiancé Joshua is extremely supportive of the relationship. Who doesn't love a six-foot-two-and-a-half farmer/ architect/lawyer/doctor/designer?

Q: What's up next for you?

A: Another book, of course! Stay tuned for the announcement, coming soon!

Sasha Dawn resides in her native northern Illinois with her daughters.  She teaches writing at community colleges and offers pro bono writing workshops to local schools. When she isn't writing, she enjoys art and history, home improvement and restoration, and tap, ballet, and Latin dance.

Follow Sasha on: Twitter 

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