A review by sunshine169
Born Scared by Kevin Brooks

3.0

From the moment of his birth, Elliot’s life has been governed by fear of almost everything, even of his own fear — a beast that holds him prisoner in his room. The beast is kept at bay, though not eliminated, with a daily regimen of pills. But on Christmas Eve, a mix-up at the pharmacy threatens to unleash the beast full force, and his mother must venture out in a raging snowstorm to a store that should be only minutes away. Hours later, when she still hasn’t returned, Elliot sees no choice but to push through his terror, leave the house, and hunt for her. What happens if the last of his medication wears off and the beast starts scratching at the doors of his mind? Everyone has a breaking point — will Elliot come to his?

I related on a less extreme level to Elliot. My fears can sometimes cause me to become numb to the world. I think the book did a fantastic job with describing how fear and anxiety can be so debilitating. I was able to really get into Elliot's mindsets as he tried to calm his inner fear beast and find his mother. The suspense of the book kept the pages turning for me until about three quarters of the way through. The end fell flat and didn't really wrap up the events that led us there. It felt like it just ended abruptly.

I received this book from Netgalley in return for an honest opinion. I enjoyed the book but would have like to see the ending fleshed out a bit more.