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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
This was OK! Slightly riveting missing kid plot. The 80s references were heavy-handed. And some parts felt ripped without nuance from a psychology textbook about abused children. There wasn’t much of a mystery either (the suspects were made obvious from page 1) and the resolutions didn’t make total sense but the ending was creepy.
Set in Des Moin in the 1980’s the unthinkable happens, paperboy Christopher Stewart has gone missing. When he doesn’t show up later the police and FBI deem him as kidnapped. That same morning Sammy Cox a paperboy the same age is seen running home from his paper route, out of breath and hiding a dark secret. Sammy’s sister who dreams of one day going to college to become a writer decides to do her own investigating because she knows that Christopher isn’t the first paperboy to have gone missing. Crystal hopes that’s writing her own article on the missing paperboys will land her a scholarship into college. Detective Dale whose on Christopher’s case has been haunted by missing boys case and he’s determined to break the case and bring some closure to the missing boys family’s. As we dive more into the mystery of the boys disappearance, their abductions set in motion a devastating chain of events that touch the lives of everyone in the small town. I loved the slow build up of the mystery and the book is told in three POVS, Sammy , Crystal and Detective Dale. I felt that gave you a more in depth look at the story. Be aware there are a few triggers like child abuse. The book leaves you with the question who are the monsters? Does hunting one make you one as well? Five Stars
Suspenseful and even more heartbreaking because it is based on a real events. Not sleep with the lights on scary but still good!
I’ve always been drawn to mysteries and true crime stories. This story loosely based on the story of Johnny Gosch, a Des Moines paper boy did not disappoint.
The characters were well thought out and developed. I found myself rooting for Chrissie and Dale as they worked to solve the mystery behind the disappearance of Christopher and Matt. While Chrissie was driven by her future goals and the need to protect her younger brother, Dale’s search was rooted in the pain from his past and led him astray. Maybe because he was so convinced, I was eyeing a different suspect.
Child abduction and pedophelia are difficult subjects to write and read about. This is a well written story that shows that there are monsters among us and as a community we need to be watchful and aware of their presence to protect our children.
The characters were well thought out and developed. I found myself rooting for Chrissie and Dale as they worked to solve the mystery behind the disappearance of Christopher and Matt. While Chrissie was driven by her future goals and the need to protect her younger brother, Dale’s search was rooted in the pain from his past and led him astray. Maybe because he was so convinced, I was eyeing a different suspect.
Child abduction and pedophelia are difficult subjects to write and read about. This is a well written story that shows that there are monsters among us and as a community we need to be watchful and aware of their presence to protect our children.
I hated this book. It makes me want to force the author to listen to all of the "You're Wrong About" Podcast so she understands the kind of false, moral panic narrative she is creating with this story centered around "stranger danger" where anyone could be guilty of heinous things at anytime.
I have 0 interest in a "hero cop breaks all kinds of laws but it's ok because he knows the truth" narrative and even less in one where the cop is shown how wrong he is and immediately does it again! In real life, that is how innocent people are killed or wrongly incarcerated and it is high time to stop glorifying those narratives in fiction.
0/5 stars
I have 0 interest in a "hero cop breaks all kinds of laws but it's ok because he knows the truth" narrative and even less in one where the cop is shown how wrong he is and immediately does it again! In real life, that is how innocent people are killed or wrongly incarcerated and it is high time to stop glorifying those narratives in fiction.
0/5 stars
This is a thriller about kidnapped and murdered boys set in the early 80's. The writer pays attention to details of the time, and I didn't find any glaring anachronisms. It was surprising to me that there was such a lack of awareness of pedophiles in this time period.
The protagonist is an 17-year-old girl, Crystal, who lives with her younger brother, 12, and her mother, a hairdresser. She is focused on becoming a print journalist. In the 1980's, this was still a viable career, unlike now. Two newspaper boys in her town have disappeared. Worried about her brother, she starts going with him on his rounds. There are two suspects throughout the story, until the guilty man is discovered. The one detail that was "off" were Crystal's worries about financing for her college education. I am pretty sure even in the early 80's students could file FAFSA's for federal financial aid, and given her academic achievements, and her family's borderline poverty, she would have gotten more than $1000 a year from her university (cost was $4000 a year).
This was a satisfactory story. I rate it 3.5, but not enough for a 4 star rating.
The protagonist is an 17-year-old girl, Crystal, who lives with her younger brother, 12, and her mother, a hairdresser. She is focused on becoming a print journalist. In the 1980's, this was still a viable career, unlike now. Two newspaper boys in her town have disappeared. Worried about her brother, she starts going with him on his rounds. There are two suspects throughout the story, until the guilty man is discovered. The one detail that was "off" were Crystal's worries about financing for her college education. I am pretty sure even in the early 80's students could file FAFSA's for federal financial aid, and given her academic achievements, and her family's borderline poverty, she would have gotten more than $1000 a year from her university (cost was $4000 a year).
This was a satisfactory story. I rate it 3.5, but not enough for a 4 star rating.
This was a really good book. I was completely captivated by the story. The ending however made me really mad.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual violence
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Twisty and dark, this book tells the mystery of missing paperboys in Des Moines, Iowa in 1984. The reader is invited to three perspectives: Dale, a detective with the local police; Sammy, a 12 year old paperboy; and Crystal, Sammy’s ambitious 18 year old sister. A solid four star read.