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Reader Reviews | |
Review by Ben Macnair (310316) Rating (8/10) Review
by Ben Macnair His son Keith has been baby-sitting for the neighbouring family, the Giordano’s, the night before their 8 year old daughter goes missing. Keith becomes a chief suspect in the case, even though it is completely out of character, and he proclaims his innocence. Eric has to do everything for his son, find him a lawyer, protect him from the neighbours, who suspect his involvement, protect him from the town who no longer trusts the family, see his business suffering, he suspects his wife of an affair, and as the book develops, and there is less evidence to support Keith’s innocence than there is to support his guilt, Eric even begins to suspect his son in the disappearance. Throughout this, the writing style of the book become increasingly claustrophobic, the focus becomes increasingly smaller, until new meanings are bought on Keith’s behaviour. Is he only reacting as a normal teenager would, or are his angry outbursts hiding his guilt? Is Meredith having an affair, with all of the time she is spending at the university? Is she only avoiding the tension and inevitable arguments? Why is Warren behaving as he is? Eventually, Keith has his memory piqued by a Pizza delivery boy, which leads to the discovery of Amy, alive and as well as can be expected, this is only after the tragic turn of event at the end of the novel, with Eric’s life completely destroyed. We are left, at the end of the novel, with Eric explaining to a now adult Amy, the events of the summer that changed their lives completely. This is a fine novel, full of good, stylish writing, characters that are believable and sympathetic, and it shows the devastating effects that suspicion and a lack of trust can have in both families, and the wider community. |
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