Hi all!

Welcome back! In November, we read Where He Can’t Find You by Darcy Coates for The You’ll Read Too Bookclub! Spoilers ahead!

Quick Reminder: This month we are reading ‘December Park’ by Ronald Malfi! 

Today I’m going give a quick plot summary, plus my overall star/scare-factor ratings. Then I will share the discussion topics and trivia questions. Please include all of your answers and opinions down below. I want to know exactly what you thought. I’ll also leave the answers to the trivia questions at the very bottom of the post. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

WHERE HE CAN’T FIND YOU BY DARCY COATES – NOVEMBER 2023

PLOT SUMMARY

Abby Ward lives in a town haunted by disappearances. People vanish, and when they’re found, their bodies have been dismembered and sewn back together in unnatural ways. But is it the work of a human killer or something far darker? Abby and her younger sister live by a strict set of rules designed to keep them safe – which is why it’s such a shock when Hope is taken. Desperate to get her back, Abby tells the police everything she knows, but they claim their hands are tied. With every hour precious, Abby and her friends get caught in a desperate game of cat and mouse. They have to get Hope back before too much of her is cut away. Before everything they care about is swallowed up by darkness.

OVERALL STAR RATING

I gave this book a rating of 3/5 stars. It was not my favourite book of Darcy’s for several reasons. A.) I felt that it was far too long. B.) Despite being supernatural fiction, it felt very unbelievable (which I will touch on later). C.) It didn’t read like a Darcy story. It felt like someone else had written it and D.) Some of the characters were quite frustrating. One of them in particular referred to her father by his first name and kept insisting the legend of The Stitcher was a joke. I appreciated the nods to IT and the entity was truly terrifying but overall, it wasn’t as enjoyable as I was hoping it would be. You know I adore Darcy, and rarely criticise her work, but I had to be honest.

OVERALL SCARE-FACTOR RATING

I gave it a scare-factor rating of 4/5. The last few chapters underneath the tunnels were terrifying. Once The Stitcher appeared, I was holding my breath. The final act definitely provided the most horror.

DISCUSSION TOPICS

1.) Why do you think the residents of the town remained, despite everything?

It is confirmed the town has a strange hold over its residents (similar to Derry, Maine) but it was difficult to believe nobody had tried to leave before. It seemed odd they had been putting up with kidnappings and murders for over 100 years. In the end, a group of teenagers saved the day, not the adults.

2.) Who was the real villain? Charles Vickers or The Stitcher?

I believe the real villain out of the pair was Charles Vickers. The Stitcher operated on instinct, as most supernatural entities do. Charles was enabling the monster; aiding it in its destruction. He didn’t have to taunt the police with pictures of the missing children in his house. However, as an antagonist, he was quite cringy. He had some corny one-liners that made him less intimidating than he was probably intended to be.

3.) Where does this novel lie in comparison to Darcy’s other works? 

As mentioned above, this was not my favourite Darcy Coates novel. I personally prefer her adult fiction over her YA. In my ranking of her overall works, I would place it lower down. I wish it had been shorter, more fleshed-out and believable.

TRIVIA QUESTIONS

Easy: What was the name of the town?

Medium: What did the group call themselves?

Hard: Where did Charles Vickers live? 

I hope you enjoyed the book club discussion. As mentioned above, share all of your thoughts in the comments below! If you have any feedback/suggestions to improve the book club, please let me know. I look forward to talking to you all next month! Thanks for reading!

Peace & Love xoxo

TRIVIA ANSWERS: Easy: Doubtful. Medium: The Jackrabbits. Hard: Stokes Lane.