I started this book right before we left for our Cape Cod week long vacation and was done with it by day 2 of the vacation. We didn't have access to wifi/internet in our cottage and I didn't want to bring my laptop along as we had tons of biking, hiking, exploring to do. So, although this book was done last Sunday, I am just getting around to writing up the review now.
The title caught my eye because I am a hiker and the cover art piqued my interest. I wasn't disappointed!
STORY SUMMARY
The Courtland family are from Wisconsin but are taking a vacation in a small resort village in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Their daughter, Caitlin, is 18 years old, a track star/runner and is heading to college soon. Their son Sean is 16 and loves to ride his bike. The parents, Grant and Angela, are in a stormy season of their relationship. This vacation is an attempt, for them, to repair their marriage.
Both teens get up early one morning and go up the nearest mountain on a road that Caitlin has mapped out for running. Sean is on his bike. Angela and Grant are still in bed. A couple of hours later, they receive a phone call from the local police. He is at the hospital with Sean, who has been in an accident. They ask about their daughter. The police officer said she was not at the accident scene.
Only Sean returns from the mountain.
The Courtland family is now living a nightmare that is often seen and heard about on the news. Where is Caitlin?? The local police and FBI get involved after Sean talks about a truck and a man who convinced Caitlin to get in and go for help for Sean after the truck hit the bike.
The search for Caitlin turns into a year. And then another year. And then...........
The family is unraveling. Sean is on the move, exploring life in other states. Grant is back at the resort village still looking for his little girl. Angela is trying to live back in Wisconsin and continue her job in teaching but she is in and out of the mental ward of the hospital.
Will they ever find out what happened to their little girl??
And will this family ever re-unite??
MY THOUGHTS
This was the author's first novel and it was a good one. Fast-paced with a lot of suspense, mystery and family drama. I like that the voice of Caitlin was depicted in a few places after she was kidnapped. The main part of the story was from Grant and Sean's point of view.
Character development was very good and description of the various settings throughout the plot was excellent. The story was "raw".....it was gut wrenching to read about the feelings that Sean, Grant and Angela went through as they held on to hope about Caitlin.
The ending was a bit far-fetched in my opinion, but it made for an excellent thriller. And there are a lot of emotions that come into play when you find out what Caitlin is dealing with.
I don't like how the author wrapped up the "bad guy" character. I don't want to say what the author did, as I don't want this review to be a spoiler, but it just seemed too perfect of an ending. I wanted to know WHY the man took Caitlin. I wanted to see justice done in a different way.
Overall, this story is a true thriller that depicts just how far a family will go in times of deep trials and how persevering the human spirit truly is.
In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 17 and older (due to content).
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 9.
1 comment:
Thank you for the review, Faith. It does sound quite suspenseful and I'm intriged. Isn't it fun to read a book and then think about how we would have changed the ending etc. I hope your Cape Cod vacation was wonderful. Have a blessed day.
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