My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I wonder how many readers said "I didn't see that coming" a time or two whilst reading, or listening, to this book.
As expected, this is another hit from for Mia Sheridan. The story had layers upon layers with so much heartbreak and emotion for the children who were so cruelly exploited, especially Jack.
The story is told in two parts, firstly that of the child Jack, who struggles to survive in horrific conditions in the wild and secondly, the story is between Lucas and Harper Ward who's paths become intertwined when Lucas is brought into the police station for questioning following the death of his neighbour.
Lucas has always lived off the grid, never even venturing into town, but with the death of his neighbour, life as he knows it is about to change. When Harper is brought in to help the Agent tasked with investigating two mysterious cross-bow deaths in the town she comes across the enigmatic stranger, Lucas. Knowing practically every part of the land that surrounds the town, Harper assists the police to find their way around the crime location and that leads her to Lucas' door with questions pertaining to his neighbour but also to him, his life and how he will live now he is unable to trade with his deceased neighbour.
Harper survived the death of her parents in a crash and became a wilderness guide, partly in the hope that one day she will stumble across her parents and their car which was never found after the accident. The mystery and suspense in this story begins to unravel with Harper and Lucas' interaction but I didn't expect just how closely aligned their lives from childhood would be. When Harper starts to understand just how Lucas has lived and what he has endured, she decides to help him especially when he unexpectedly gives her the answer to her prayers.
This story was epic. It was such an emotional roller-coaster and packed in so many twists and turns that really did keep me guessing right up until the stories conclusion. Jack was a wonderful character who was perfectly portrayed on Audible and Harper was the perfect person to complement his sensitivities. Parts of this story resembled the Hunger Games but only in so much as seeing children fighting to survive a situation which was not of their making. What happened to them was cruel and unforgivable but to see Jack become the man he did was incredibly rewarding.
This was a standalone story and definitely one that I will revisit a time or two.
View all my reviews
No comments