It was supposed to be one last get together before everyone moved on to college. It was supposed to be about reminiscing. It was supposed to be fun. It wasn't.
Probably because the five “friends” aren’t actually friends anymore. So they get together, get drunk, get stoned, and start to get on each other’s nerves. Then they split up and once they’re seperated things begin to fall apart. People argue, people go missing, act suspiciously, lie, and are never seen again. Everyone is a suspect.
The main protagonist, Pete, attempts to figure out what has actually happened. Not an easy task when no one is willing to share what they know. This is where Kevin Brooks’ writing really excells. He slowly reveals hints, secrets, little tidbits of information so that you’re sitting on the edge of your seat and are unable to put the book down. This is how a thriller is supposed to be.
I will admit though that the book is a big book. Maybe more of a tome. Don't let that scare you off. Once you start reading, once you know that events, terrible violent events, are just moments away (and that isn’t more than a few chapters in), I promise you will not be able to put the book down. At least I couldn’t. The bad guys are wonderfully menacing. The writing is dark, atmospheric, hinting of mysteries that can’t entirely be explained. And the ending is sort of typical Kevin Brooks, resolved, but no happy little bow - there are definitely things left to speculate about. Which is sure to frustrate some readers. I, however, am of the school that I don’t want to be talked down to. I don’t want every minutia of mystery explained to me because the author thinks I’m too stupid to figure it out myself. Kevin Brooks never dumbs it down. Just another reason to love him.
****SPOILERS****
I especially liked the friendship between Pete and Raymond. I liked the weirdness of Raymond and how he had a black rabbit that he thought talked to him. And I loved how his disappearance is never really explained. Did he run off? Was he murdered? Was it the man with the moustache or was that just the drugs making Pete hallucinate? Was it a travelling carnie serial killer? And how much did I love being able to write that? Did Black Rabbit really talk to Raymond and then Pete? Or was Raymond just projecting his wants and desires onto the rabbit because he couldn’t express them any other way? Who mutilated his rabbit? All questions that are left unanswered.
****End of Spoilers****
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5 comments:
I had a hard time going to sleep after I read this book. Even after a month, I still find the ending haunts, and I want some resolution.
What happened to Raymond?!?!?!?
-Teen Librarian in Texas
We'll never know! Thats the whole point of the book its keeps you guessing. The whole point is you keep guessing and make your ending in your head, thats why I hate Harry Potter because you always know the ending!
Carneige judge - Britian
after the first chapter or so, i didnt want to carry on because it seemed so long ! but i got into it really fast !
i already know we never find out what happens to raymond , but do we find out who the "baddies" are?
I also want to know what happened to Raymond. I hate reading a book with no certain ending. But I agree that we're not told what happened to Raymond because we're supposed to question that ourselves. Anyway, this was a really good book.
I was sadly really disappointed with this book. I stayed up for hours at night reading it, but the ending just blew everything off. It was really well written and the author is amazing, but what went through my mind the most was wondering what happened to Raymond. Seems like that was what the whole book was about but I guess not? This is just my opinion. Very well written though, :)
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