This story, though, is a darker tale than Erin’s previous books. It begins with what seems a quite simple if not very nice problem – a letter from A Very Disappointed Reader about Kendra Brennan’s first, and very successful, book.
One ‘hate mail’ letter could be brushed off, but the writer of this particular letter makes accusations which stick in Kendra’s mind. Stick so intrusively that she is struck with writer’s block while the deadline for her next book looms ominously before her.
So she heads back to her grandfather’s old cabin on Hidden Lake, the place where she spent all her childhood summers, to face the demons of her past and settle in her mind the accusations made in the letter. To do so will mean facing Tyler, the brother of her childhood friend Cami, and facing the breakdown of her friendship with Cami.
Just as Kendra is getting settled in she has a further challenge to deal with when the German translator of her first book, someone Kendra thought was Andrea-the-girl, but who turns out to be Andreas-the-guy, arrives unexpectedly on her doorstep.
This is a book which you need to keep focussed on. It’s not an easy read and deals with some very tough issues of which the key one is sexual assault. It explores a number of relationships, not just that of Kendra and Cami, and the connections of the wider community around Hidden Lake. It’s a book which makes the reader ask themselves questions when they come up for air.
Tightly-written, moving, and powerful, this is a strongly recommended read. It would be an excellent book for a reading group or book club read.
9780800738372, Revell, Pub date: 28 February 22 in the UK, out now in the USA
Note: for transparency, I was sent an advance copy of this book, but I was not required to write any specific or favourable review. All views herein are my own.
No comments:
Post a Comment