Book Review: The Taking of Annie Thorne by CJ Tudor

“People say time is a great healer. They’re wrong. Time is simply a great eraser. It rolls on and on regardless, eroding our memories, chipping away at those great big boulders of misery until there’s nothing left but sharp little fragments, still painful but small enough to bear.”

Published in 2019, The Taking of Annie Thorne by CJ Tudor is set in a small Nottinghamshire village called Arnhill where teacher Joe returns home after over twenty years. The last time he was here, his sister, Annie, went missing. There were searches and appeals, but everyone thought the worst. And then, miraculously, after 48 hours, she came back. Something had happened to Annie, but she wouldn’t say what. All that Joe was certain of was that the Annie that came back wasn’t the same. She wasn’t his Annie.

Rating:

I’ve been on a bit of a CJ Tudor binge recently after loving every book that I read by her, so this was the last book that I needed to catch up with. And it’s yet another firm favourite for me!

The Taking of Annie Thorne is another dark, fearful, and hauntingly atmospheric read from one of the most talented modern-day horror authors. You can yet again see her influence of Stephen King but I love the closeness her stories have to his classic horrors. I love the way she draws on typical horror traits and character qualities and develops them into her own masterpieces.

Every page is filled with an eeriness that sticks to you like glue. And that’s all down to Tudor’s exceptional writing. You can feel the grime on the walls and the chill of the darkness that lurks in every corner. There is so much mystery in her stories and I love the supernatural feel to this one, constantly keeping you on edge and questioning everybody that Joe comes into contact with.

I could happily read Tudor’s stories all day and this is another one that I struggled to put down. Most of all, I love how she manages to make you feel both scared but also emotionally invested in her stories, engaging you in every sense. There were many scenes that made me shiver with goosebumps, but just as many that brought a tear to my eye.

I personally love The Chalk Man and The Burning Girls more, but this is still another favourite read for me. I can’t believe I now have to wait over a year for another CJ Tudor book!!