Review: What Happened to Hannah by Mary Kay McComas

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Original edition (February 7, 2012)
• ISBN-10: 006208478X
• Source: Publisher

Twenty years ago, Hannah ran away from her home in a rural Virginia town in order to protect herself. She has a new life in Baltimore, all but forgotten her childhood home. Until one day she receives a call from her high-school crush, informing her that her mother and sister have passed away. The only family she has remaining is her fifteen-year-old niece, Anna. As Anna’s only remaining family member, Hannah is asked to return to this world she’s attempted to forget, to become Anna’s guardian.

Reluctantly, Hannah returns. Her reunion with her former life is a difficult one, painful memories she attempted to banish come flooding back. She begins to create a new life, this one with Anna in it. Always present in the back of her mind are the ghosts of her past, threatening to come forward. She’s never been able to trust anyone and finds herself vulnerable, unable to face her abusive past. However, with the help of her niece and her high school flame, now Sheriff Grady Steadman, she fights to deal with the pain and agony of her childhood, the only way she will able to have a truly happy life with Anna.

What Happened to Hannah follows a pretty predictable pattern with predictable characters: small town girl who runs away to put an end to abuse returns home to overcome this past and form a steady relationship with her niece. Grady is desperate to find out what happened that night that Hannah ran away. Hannah continues to build walls to protect herself, unsure if Grady is seeking more information to solve a case or because he truly is concerned for her well-being.

While I can honestly say that I enjoyed this book, it didn’t really stand out against other books with similar plot themes. It is very well-written, but I found the length to be an issue as well; at over 300 pages I found that some of the material was added as filler or padding and the storyline would be much more riveting had there not been this extra material. Additionally, the flashbacks Hannah experiences at several times throughout the book are a bit distracting, as many of them took place mid-scene or mid-conversation. At times, it was hard to discern if I was reading about present day Hannah and Grady or the young couple from the past.

Another challenge I had with the book was the lack of depth surrounding the characters. I never really felt that I connected with any of them, even though I was rooting for their happiness and success.

That said, if you are looking for a light, easy, “safe” read, What Happened to Hannah is the book for you.

Be sure to check out the other stops on this tour.