The Anniversary, Alex Finlay (Review by Kristin Kurek)

Oh, how I could not put down this book! “Compelling” cannot fully encapsulate how much sleep that I missed while obsessing over finishing. Both Jules Delaney and Quinn Riley had their lives drastically altered on May 1, 1992. Every year, on May 1st, the “May Day Killer” attacks women of Midwestern small towns. Some, like Jules Delaney, are assaulted but survive the ordeal. Others are not so lucky. Also on May 1st, Quinn Riley, a well-meaning teen, almost kills someone while breaking up a fight. While serving time for the unfortunate event, Quinn’s mother is mysteriously murdered. Alex Finlay intricately weaves the stories of Jules and Quinn as told each year on May first. As the years pass, their lives become more and more intertwined. And, they inch closer to catching the May Day Killer. The Anniversary is one of those books that you cannot put down. The writing is driving, concise, and impactful. The chapters are short and each chapter seems to end with a heart-stopping twist. (I shouted, “Just one more chapter!!!!” many times.) While this book is a thriller (and it IS thrilling), it is also a deftly explored coming-of-age story. Jules’s and Quinn’s childhoods were vastly different, but both struggle with trying to craft an adulthood out of their adolescent experiences. Both are prematurely responsible for and protective of their younger siblings. Finlay also explores themes of trauma response. Quinn, Jules, and other survivors of the May Day Killer deal with their experiences in vastly differing ways. The Anniversary is thrilling and suspenseful. However, it is also heartfelt and exploratory of adulthood. I was personally invested in both main characters and was rooting for them to succeed in identifying the killer and becoming well-adjusted adults. I’ve never read a more well-rounded thriller that will meet readers’ needs across genres. A perfect thriller! You better believe I left the lights on all night May 1st.