The Last Confession of Autumn Casterly follows a pair of siblings over the course of a tragic weekend where loyalties will be questioned, and no one can be trusted. In a world where intentions are twisted and everyone has a motive, can Autumn survive a prison of her own making?
Older sibling Autumn is a rebel, sells drugs, and disappears at all hours of the night, all to avoid her father and stepmother Kathy. She is determined to make a better life for herself and leave her tragic life behind, if only she can stay out of jail for long enough to graduate high school.
Ivy feels like she doesn’t know her own family. Since her mother died, her father has remarried and withdrawn from the family while her older sister, Autumn, has deliberately been getting in trouble. She spends her afternoons playing board games with friends and having a secret crush on her best friend. But when Autumn goes missing, Ivy refuses to believe she is simply hiding out for a few days. Intent on discovering the truth of the matter, no stone will be left unturned until the mystery of Autumn Casterly is solved.
So, starting out, this novel has a very high school feel to it. Everything is all about parties, friendships, and hiding the truth of who people really are. Opening on Autumn, there’s raids of school lockers and shady drug deals, while from Ivy’s perspective it’s all sunshine, lollipops, and board game fun. It felt just a little strained and cliched until a few chapters in when everything starts to change. After a deal at a party, Autumn has the spotlight thrown on her for a burglary gone wrong, a crime she hasn’t committed. But shortly afterwards, she goes missing with the entire town ignoring that there is a problem because surely this disappearance isn’t any different from every other time Autumn has run away?
Once the narrative really gets moving, Ivy will stop at nothing to find her lost sister despite the criticism from everyone she knows. Having an older sister myself (one who I don’t particularly spend a lot of time with but I love her anyway), I found the character of Ivy mostly relatable – no I don’t get along with said sister all that well, but like hell I’m not trying to find her if she falls off the face of the earth.
So, what is the vibe of this novel you ask? It’s kind of like that Reese Witherspoon movie where she’s in a coma and haunts Mark Ruffalo, but the characters aren’t adults, someone’s been kidnapped and instead of being destined for romance, it’s a dark mystery. The scenes where Autumn dissociates from her surroundings and instead stalks Ivy to find clues were well done and the invisible bond between siblings was a creative twist that I felt fit easily into the narrative. Instead of directly guiding her, Autumn acts kind of like Ivy’s intuition in parts, allowing the reader to be fully engulfed by the story rather than being pulled out by a farcical notion.
This novel also has some very dark themes to it. Along with discussions about and a character selling drugs to minors, Autumn Casterly bridges familial breakdown, slut shaming, physical and emotional abuse, and lastly, contains references to and depictions of rape. If you are looking for a light contemporary, this is not the book for you. If you don’t mind some heavy themes and discussions about real world occurrences, I would highly advise you to read this beautifully crafted work of fiction.
Lastly, I want to bring up the afterword of the author. In a letter to the reader that takes several pages, the author Meredith Tate explains her reasoning for writing this emotionally charged novel. She speaks of abuse, the need for better understanding of rape victims and the cover-ups that frequently occur in society by perpetrators and their family/friends. Not only is the novel written well, but Tate’s additional content brings to light the terrible circumstances in which many find themselves when questioned by authorities. If the reader takes nothing else away, I would hope they read this letter and realise that sometimes people need to see outside their own narrow viewpoint and be the change the world needs.
So, in a nutshell, Autumn Casterly is a well written and insightful look into the plight of a teenage girl who has endured so many wrongs it has changed her for life. It’s a discussion on what it means to be a teenager in a modern world that discriminates against people it views as ‘wrong’. But it’s also an amazing tale of familial bonds and the strength that even the smallest of us can show in the face of adversity. If you are a fan on dark contemporaries, such as Roam and We Were Liars. If these aren’t your preferred genre, I would still recommend you take a look, it may just change your mind.
The Last Confession of Autumn Casterly is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
When band-geek Ivy and her friends get together, things start with a rousing board game and end with arguments about Star Wars.
Her older sister Autumn is a different story. Enigmatic, aloof, and tough as nails, Autumn hasn’t had real friends–or trusted anyone–in years. Even Ivy.
But Autumn might not be tough enough. After a drug deal gone wrong, Autumn is beaten, bound, and held hostage. Now, trapped between life and death, she leaves her body, seeking help. No one can sense her presence–except her sister.
When Autumn doesn’t come home, Ivy just knows she’s in trouble. Unable to escape the chilling feeling that something isn’t right, Ivy follows a string of clues that bring her closer to rescuing her sister… and closer to danger.
Autumn needs Ivy to find her before time runs out. But soon, both sisters realize that finding her also means untangling the secrets that lead to the truth–about where they’re hiding Autumn, and what Autumn has been hiding.
