This book is full of wonderfully descriptive writing which drew me in from the first few lines.
“His first cigarette in nine months was like the chocolate they’d serve you in Heaven when you first arrived.”
By page 9, I was already invested in the story, already desperate for the missing boy to be found.
The plot is fast paced, yet deliberate. Even after putting the book down overnight, I was able to pick up the story quickly.
The scenes were so well written that it was easy to visualise both the settings and the characters. It was a bit like watching an action movie and being unsure where the plot would twist and turn next.
“His thoughts were like lava pouring over the side of a volcano.”
The main premise of the book is about the deeply troubled relationship between a father and son. A relationship that, over the years, has caused untold damage to everyone involved.
In the beginning your sympathies are divided, you feel mainly for the father having to deal with his sons behaviour due to various addictions, but as the story unfolds you begin to understand the complex weave of events that have brought them to this breaking point.
Ultimately, it is a story of how much a parent is willing to sacrifice for their child, however wayward that child may be.
Despite all the emotional abuse, substance abuse and loss of his own comfortable life and career, Jesse’s father chases him across the country, trying desperately to get his son back on track. But there are complications in the form of new girlfriends, late night disappearances, questionable relationships and an unhinged killer chasing them.
The subject matter was difficult, but one which many readers could understand and empathise with. This book evoked a range of emotions within me, including shock, sadness and sympathy.
The author presents such a clear picture of these characters that you can easily envision them in your mind. He builds each individual so well that while I initially had little sympathy for some of them, by the end of the story I found myself wanting the best possible outcome for them all.
All in all it was an excellent read, a story that held my attention from start to finish.
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