Slow start to the book, it got somewhat enjoyable as I went on reading, but the ending was underwhelming

I was graciously offered this book by the author to review and I am thankful. After several attempts to complete this, I decided to not finish this book. I do not have anything negative to say about what I read other than it was simply not a good fit for me. The writing was clear, but the story wasn't my cup of tea. I was happy to see so many positive posts on this novel. I truly believe that books are not a one size fit all business. What works for one reader, doesn't always work for another. I wish this book the best of luck in the literary world. I appreciate the opportunity.

Thank you to Natasha Tynes and Netgalley for the advanced copy of They Called Me Wyatt. I was very intrigued by the synopsis of this book and so excited to read it. I was not disappointed! I love a good murder mystery and this one was so different and so unique. I'm excited to see what Natasha Tynes has in store for her next novel. Add this murder mystery to your summer reading list.

This review is being written after all the controversy in the media regarding the author however my review will not be influenced by this and will be based solely on the book itself.


Plot: “When Jordanian student Siwar Salaiha is murdered on her birthday in College Park, Maryland, her consciousness survives, finding refuge in the body of a Seattle baby boy. Stuck in this speech delayed three-year old body, Siwar tries but fails to communicate with Wyatt’s parents, instead she focuses on solving the mystery behind her murder. Eventually, her consciousness goes into a dormant state after Wyatt undergoes a major medical procedure.

Fast-forward twenty-two years. Wyatt is a well-adjusted young man with an affinity towards the Middle East and a fear of heights. While working on his graduate degree in Middle Eastern studies, Wyatt learns about Siwar’s death, which occurred twenty-five years ago. For reasons he can’t explain, he grows obsessed with Siwar and spends months investigating her death, which police at the time erroneously ruled as suicide. His investigation forces him to open a door he has kept shut all his life, a spiritual connection to an unknown entity that he frequently refused to acknowledge. His leads take him to Amman, Jordan where after talking to her friends and family members and through his special connection with the deceased, he discovers a clue that unravels the mystery of her death. Will Siwar get justice after all?”

Thoughts: I really didn’t enjoy this book and I struggled to get through it. The first few chapters intrigued me but after that I just wasn’t interested. I hated all of the characters and the plot didn’t intrigue me. It certainly didn’t leave me wanting more. It took me months to finish this and the only reason that I did is because I’m stubborn and hate leaving a book unread. I’m all for a book promoting different cultural groups in society and the realistic struggles that they ensue in society. But this is all the book was focused on. The plot was forgotten about half of the time and there were points where I felt that their were chapters of unnecessary information.

It’s a shame. This book had so much potential and started off so well but it just wasn’t for me.

This book had such promise but it didn't deliver. I found the plot to be slow and unnecessarily confusing at times.

I did however enjoy the geographical setting of both Jordan and the US.

A very unappealing book that I just could not read.. It kept repeating the same thing in the few pages that I read making it very boring and irksome. As much as I willed myself on to read more, I just could not.
DNFing this one

The author was kind enough to reach out and offer me a copy of this book. I was intrigued by the original concept and started it right away. Unfortunately, I just struggled getting into it. The alternate perspectives and voices behind them were cold, dark and hard to relate with. I read up to chapter 9 (30%). After mentioning it to some bookish friends, they informed me of the controversy surrounding the author and her actions. Unsure if the book would indeed be published, I set it aside and started reading other books. My interest has never returned to this story and it’s only the second book in my life that I will shelve as a DNF.

Thanks Nettgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

Unfortunately I became disinterested in this book not even a third of the way through and i was also shocked to hear about the author and the incident that occurred on Twitter so I will not be giving a full review.

The author was kind of enough to reach out to me and offer her book in exchange for an honest review.

"I had never imagined that my life's journey would be cut so short, so suddenly, and on my birthday of all days."


I have a soft spot for international issues, women issues and also spiritual pieces. This book grabbed me from the very start and took me for an interesting ride. Immigrants in the US are a hot topic right now and Tynes did an honest job representing those moral freedoms and "un-chaining" that many seek in the US and few rarely find peace.

"Sara was there when I struggled with my identity, when I had to define my race for the first time in my life. To put a label on it."


The other element of this story that I loved so very much was the intertwining of past/current lives and fate. Siwar has died on her 25th birthday and her consciousness is transferred into a new born baby, Wyatt. I am a believer of consciousness transfer and enjoyed reading about Siwar's experience as she tries to communicate with her new host and struggling within the toddler body. Eventually demonstrating the ability for the two consciousnesses to merge into one fluid thought process.

"What would happen to my consciousness after the surgery? Would I be able to speak finally? Or would I go to sleep again, back to being dormant in Wyatt's body?"


The transitions between Siwar and Wyatt are interesting and add another layer to the depth in this story. As a reader, you are experiencing both Siwar and Wyatt at the same time. A captivating and enjoyable experience!

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this story and would recommend it to others who are interested in similar concepts. Tynes is an impressive writer and should definitely continue to write.

I was contacted by the author to review this title. I only read about one chapter and realized I would not be finishing. I was not interested in the characters or story by that point and decided I would not continue.

I refuse to read and review this book after finding out about Tynes' racist incident. I hope this is understandable as Tynes action was very bad and inappropriate.

Overall great stories- well written good characters.
Thank you to both NetGalley and publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest unbiased review

Many thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy of this book, however I refused to read it after seeing Natasha Tyne's online activity and her victimisation of a black woman on Twitter.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 STARS

They Called Me Wyatt is the first book that I’ve had the chance to read by Natasha Tynes. After reading the synopsis, I was truly intrigued. I liked the whole concept and the mystery behind her murder. Overall I found this book to be an enjoyable read. This book will join the ranks of the BIBLIO-SUPERIOR.

~ Thank you to the author and NetGalley for kindly providing me an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review

I am providing feedback on this book even though I’m not sure the book is being published. Natasha gave me a copy in exchange for a review so I am going to keep my word to her.

I loved this book. You can tell she spent so much time on it. The amount of creativity it took to create this is truly amazing and it is a gift. I loved the description from the moment Natasha sent me the synopsis. Reincarnation fascinates me so I knew this book would be one I enjoy.

Natasha, you may never see this, but if you do I hope someone will publish your book because this is good. I mean really good. We all make mistakes and sometimes the punishment is too cruel. Stay strong, good things are coming for you.

Unfortunately They Called Me Wyatt was not for me; I just couldn't get my head around this story at all so DNF at 22%

Thank you to netgally and the publisher, for this title.

Unfortunately I had to DNF at 30%. I could not get into the story after about 20%, and have been trying for a few weeks now.

"Dying wasn't the worst part. It was what came after dying" - After those first words, I jumped head first into the novel.

Birthday is the anniversary of the day on which a person was born. For young Jordanian Siwar Salaihav it is also an anniversary of her death. After Siwar's life was cut short, her consciousness was reborn in an American boy named Wyatt, who was born on the evening of her death.

As the years went by, young Wyatt struggled with two personalities that are overtaking his body. And on the night of his twenty-fifth birthday, Siwar made the final persistent move that forced Wyatt to stop ignoring the signs and memories that she has been sending to his brain thru the years. Finally, Wyatt teams up with Siwar, digs into her past, and finds the new details that force the detectives to reopen Siwar's case, and brings the murderer to justice.

I wanted to like the book. The first paragraph was phenomenal, it had a lot of potential, however, the rest of the novel, all the way thru the end was just simply gibberish. In my opinion, the characters were not fully developed. The dialogs were just awful... awful! The plot unfolded slow. Many details mention in the novel, that also took a large portion of the story were simply useless at the end and played no role in the book's final conclusion.

Thank you NetGalley, Rare Bird Books Publisher and Natasha Tynes for an advanced copy of the novel.

For me this was a slow burner, it really took me a while to get hooked and drawn into the story. It was a dull start.... But not a dull end. Around a 1/3rd of the way through I got more into the plot as I wanted to find out more and more what happened to Siwar and how Wyatt processes it all. It is not my usual read so 3 stars for me.

Within the first chapter we meet Siwar who we learn has been murdered, we get to know snippets of her life and that she died on her 25th birthday.

What happens next is we find her consciousness living within the body of a 3 year old boy who was born on her birthday. As she struggles to adjust to having her brain trapped in a toddlers body, not just a toddler but a toddler who is speech delayed so she cannot voice what has happened.

We begin to learn about Siwar's life before her death, her family, her friends, her love life, her passion to be a writer. Whilst being woven into her current situation as Wyatt and living with the mum and dad and their daily lives.

Fast forward to Wyatt now as a 25 year old man we learn that Siwar doesn't seem to enter his consciousness as much, not for want of trying. However he gets the sense of de javu and feelings of been there before/knowing this and that. Which really haven't we all? So it does make you wonder about past lives....and if we do have them.

So Wyatt begins to investigate Siwars murder due to the few memories and things Siwar is able to get over to him. He begins to become entangled in finding out the truth. Siwar tries to break free into his 'real world' I'll call it and have him notice her and she wants to him to realise he isnt going mad or schizophrenic and that they instead share and inhabit the same brain.

When you do find out who the killer was it does come as a suprise!

Thanks to Netgalley and California Coldblood Books

So, I never really check Goodreads prior to reading my ARCs.

I received my ARC in February prior to the news story breaking in May that the author shamed a Metro employee in the DC region on the her social media. There has been significant backlash here on Goodreads and there are plenty of articles online which can feed the curious as to the fall out.

My review: I did read the entire book, but felt like DNFing it for bizarre dialogue, consistent repetition within chapters, and well the plot itself wasn't for me.


Probably the oddest and most uncomfortable review I have ever written.

Goodreads review 12/06/19
Publication Date.: 28/05/19