A home invasion at Tessa Schroeder's 18th birthday party ends in the tragic accidental death of her boyfriend, Chris. Her OCD intensifies and she enters therapy for PTSD.
Dealing with intense grief and issues with her narcissistic mother, Tessa is vulnerable to the advances of her parents' college friend, David. She can't help but be drawn in by his humor and kindness so much like Chris's. They begin a rocky relationship.
When Tessa eventually uncovers the unimaginable secrets David's been keeping, she'll have to dig deep to survive his hidden agenda. Then, one final surprise will change her relationship with her family forever.
Imprinted, a psychological thriller, is told through the eyes of three generations of women and explores the cyclical nature of trauma, mental illness, and abuse. Not recommended for readers under 18. See content warnings below.
Content Warnings: Grief over loss of a loved one, infidelity, underage drinking, underage sex, crude language, murder, shoplifting, mental health issues, burglary, stalking, home invasion, shooting, sexual assault (involving a minor), rape, attempted rape, abuse, child abuse, gaslighting, self-harm, thoughts of suicide, suicide, fat phobia, violence, death, thoughts of having an abortion, blood, ableism, misogyny, sexual situations, freak accident resulting in injury, drowning.
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Imprinted is a Mystery/Thriller about Tessa Schroeder, a teenager already enduring OCD and trichotillomania when her fiancé is murdered before her eyes. As she struggles with PTSD and worries she's losing her sanity, nothing is as it seems, and long-buried family secrets are painfully excised like debris from a wound.
Prose: Charles's prose is precise and descriptive, often telling us all we need to know about a character with just a few words. Her characters endure any number of traumas large and small, and Charles doesn't pull any punches when describing Tessa's 'new normal.' Imprinted is told from several POVs and time periods, a useful technique that adds to the tension.
Originality: Imprinted isn't just the story of one woman's struggles to move past trauma; Tessa's story spans generations, with clues unfolding the more Tessa opens up to a therapist and tries to love again. Her very real fears of being stalked and gaslit are justified, as in a shockingly short time her home is broken into (twice), her fiancé murdered, a person unknown thumbs through her journal, her medication disappears, and photos that prove she's not delusional mysteriously disappear. The resolution to these problems is suspenseful and, ultimately, satisfying.
Character/Execution: Tessa struggles with very real problems, but she doesn't lack for courage, healthy anger, or self-awareness. The other characters are also realistic, being in turn sympathetic, cold, loving, curt, patronizing, encouraging, overtly dangerous, and distant, depending on their relationship to Tessa. Her mother, in particular, is an unpleasantly narcissistic piece of work who puts her own pleasure before everything else.
Date Submitted: August 26, 2024
