Ten years ago Josiah Blackthorn and his son Lucas disappeared from their campsite in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of Minnesota. Never seen or heard from for years, they were initially believed to be the victims of a bear attack, until a grown-up Lucas appears in a outfitters store one day. Wordless and violent, Lucas attacks the owners of the outfitters, ending up in the local psychiatric hospital. Where is Josiah Blackthorn and why is Lucas alone? Why did they disappear in the first place and how has he survived in the harsh backcountry for this long? These are all questions that Maya, Lucas's assigned speech therapist, is determined to figure out.
This book definitely surprised me. I went into this expecting one thing and ended up with an entirely different experience. Lucas's and Maya's journey to unravel the mystery of Lucas's family and how they ended up permanently living in the Boundary Waters was intriguing and suspenseful. But I have to say, I found myself far more drawn to Maya and the story of her life and her family than I was to Lucas and his father. Which was a big surprise to me because the reason I was interested in this story in the first place was the aspect of people disappearing into the woods to live! Maya's journey to understand herself in the wake of the abandonment of her own mother and hearing how she dealt with her mother's depression was just so poignant and heart-wrenching. I loved the beautiful imagery the author evoked when Maya spoke about her mother's love for geology and the setting around her. I felt that the author took a good look at mental health in this book, while also keeping the suspense of the overall mystery plot going. I wasn't too crazy about the attachment developed between the two characters as it felt very unprofessional on Maya's part, but this is addressed in the book several times.
One of the most beautiful aspects of this book was how integral the setting of the Boundary Waters is to the story. I had to look it up as I was reading because I wanted pictures to go with the feelings of isolation and calmness, as well as the survival of the fittest aspect that the author was evoking. I was not disappointed. If you are reading this book, please go look up the Boundary Waters of Minnesota. It's breathtaking and I can definitely see how a setting such as this would lend itself to a mystery.
Overall this is an atmospheric thriller/mystery with twists and turns but even more than that, it is a novel about where we go when we run away from our problems. It is about what drives us to shut everyone else out and how people deal with those feelings. It is surprising and thought provoking, mysterious and chilling, and it will leave you feeling both sad and hopeful.
This book definitely surprised me. I went into this expecting one thing and ended up with an entirely different experience. Lucas's and Maya's journey to unravel the mystery of Lucas's family and how they ended up permanently living in the Boundary Waters was intriguing and suspenseful. But I have to say, I found myself far more drawn to Maya and the story of her life and her family than I was to Lucas and his father. Which was a big surprise to me because the reason I was interested in this story in the first place was the aspect of people disappearing into the woods to live! Maya's journey to understand herself in the wake of the abandonment of her own mother and hearing how she dealt with her mother's depression was just so poignant and heart-wrenching. I loved the beautiful imagery the author evoked when Maya spoke about her mother's love for geology and the setting around her. I felt that the author took a good look at mental health in this book, while also keeping the suspense of the overall mystery plot going. I wasn't too crazy about the attachment developed between the two characters as it felt very unprofessional on Maya's part, but this is addressed in the book several times.
One of the most beautiful aspects of this book was how integral the setting of the Boundary Waters is to the story. I had to look it up as I was reading because I wanted pictures to go with the feelings of isolation and calmness, as well as the survival of the fittest aspect that the author was evoking. I was not disappointed. If you are reading this book, please go look up the Boundary Waters of Minnesota. It's breathtaking and I can definitely see how a setting such as this would lend itself to a mystery.
Overall this is an atmospheric thriller/mystery with twists and turns but even more than that, it is a novel about where we go when we run away from our problems. It is about what drives us to shut everyone else out and how people deal with those feelings. It is surprising and thought provoking, mysterious and chilling, and it will leave you feeling both sad and hopeful.