post 7; book 4 check in 1

As I read Harlan Coban's book, Missing You, it's very easy to pick up on his writing style. His book has two stories intertwined with each other. Every chapter, the stories switch back and forth between each other.

The first story is the primary story. This where the main characters are introduced and where their problems occur. This story is the story with Kat, a detective for the NYPD. This story moves rather quickly and a lot of details and information is given as the story is told in third person.

The second part is the secondary story. This story is very vague and as the reader, you don't get a lot of information about the current situation that is occurring. The chapters for this story tend to be very short. It is also told in third person point of view but the narrator has an inside loop into Gerard's thoughts and feelings. Gerard has been kidnapped and the audience knows little to nothing about the situation that he is in.

These two stories put together compliment each other very well. As it goes back and forth, Kat's story is more indulging for the reader. The reader becomes concerned for Kat and wants her to solve her problems with her ex fiance and her father. She is relatable and the reader can develop sympathy for her because we know who she is as a person. But on the other hand, the other story is what throws the reader through a loop. Sometimes, I got so into Kat's story that the next chapter would start and I would think/want it to continue to be about Kat but then it would be about Gerard. The reader doesn't even know Gerard's last name but we know he is suffering through something horrible. It never reveals much detail about anything so this portion of the story moves much slower. It leaves the reader asking a lot of questions. I know I have myself asking a few. Is Gerard's struggle related to Kat? How is Gerard important? Will he ever be saved?

Sometimes the change in the two stories gives me whiplash because the chapters are relatively short and it switches back and forth quickly. It makes me curious to see how another one of Coben's book will be different; if his other books switch perspectives as well or if they have similar plot lines. This is what my main focus for this project will be.