Review: Give Me Your Answer True by Suanne Laqueur ★★★★★

Give Me Your Answer True, by Suanne Laqueur, is in a word: outstanding.

Three years after Daisy Bianco survives the Lancaster shootings and is abandoned by the love of her life, she’s on the brink of completely destroying her body and soul. The only way she can escape her mental anguish is by cutting her own skin to unleash the pressure and guilt.

John “Opie” Quillis, an old friend reenters her life just in time. Daisy finds a therapist who helps her delve deep into her own thoughts and feelings to search for a safe passage to overcoming past traumas and mistakes. Can Daisy find the courage to forgive herself and move on?

Laqueur’s greatest strength as a writer is she knows her characters inside and out. In The Man I Love, the reader became intimately acquainted with Erik Fiskare, Daisy’s boyfriend. In her newest gem, Give Me Your Answer True, the reader learns the other side of the story. When it comes to relationships, there are always two sides. While the first novel did an excellent job of delving into Erik’s life, this companion novel rounds out the entire picture. Mostly. Not only does Laqueur have two memorable main characters in her series, but the supporting cast is just as wonderful and one has to wonder if Will, Lucky, or Opie will get their own moment to shine.

The tragedy that shapes the lives of Daisy and Erik is one that not many of us, hopefully, will ever experience firsthand. However, the writing forces readers to experience all of the characters’ visceral responses. This yanks the reader completely into the pages. At times the emotions are overpowering, real, and downright disturbing. And it’s not just the events that come to life. Everything does: the nightmares, therapy sessions, mental anguish, physical pain, mistakes, and everything in between.

From the first page, the reader is hooked. Fans of the first novel will gobble up the pages greedily ignoring the daunting 500-something page count. It never feels like a long novel. Instead it’s like experiencing someone’s life. Someone you care about deeply. And one nagging question always stays in the back of your mind: will Erik return?

For those who are worried that the newest book is just a rehashing of the first, wipe that thought aside completely. This is not a half-hearted attempt to capitalize on the amazing success of The Man I Love. It’s a superb addition to the author’s resume. Give Me Your Answer True can be a standalone novel if one isn’t interested in the first. However, it’d be surprising for those who enjoy this novel not to immediately hit the buy button on any book by Suanne Laqueur.

Give Me Your Answer True is a beautifully written novel that explores difficult subject matters honestly and gracefully. Post traumatic stress disorder, self-harming, and cheating are not easy topics to handle in one book. While the story is emotional and powerful, the author has done an excellent balancing act, never overwhelming the reader entirely. It’s exciting to wonder what she’ll publish next.

Links
Suanne Laqueur’s Author Site
Amazon
Goodreads