The Last Child

While I was reading The Last Child, I had to keep reminding myself that main character Johnny Merrimon is only 13 years old. The near perfect life that Johnny once knew comes shattering down around him on the day that his twin sister disappears. The story takes place one year later as Johnny, convinced that his sister is still alive, journeys through the bad part of his town and into the wilderness, determined to uncover the truth.

Not only did Johnny lose his twin sister, but his dad abandoned the family and his mom began popping pills to ease her pain. Johnny is alone as he embarks on his search for his sister Alyssa. The only person really looking out for him is Detective Clyde Hunt who maintains a soft spot for Johnny and his mother, whom he has a romantic interest in. Hunt tries to help Johnny, but Johnny takes matters into his own hands to find Alyssa. He leaves home and camps out in the woods, searching for anything that will lead him to the truth.

Back in town, another girl goes missing and the case intensifies. Author John Hart has a lot of different pieces of the story going on at once that need to be pieced together. Two girls have now gone missing from town, Johnny's mother is spiraling downward and trying to stay away from her crazed boyfriend, and Johnny is alone following his lead suspect - a giant of a man living in the woods with a demeanor and past that would scare anyone into suspecting him of involvement with Alyssa's disappearance.

This book is not just your typical grisly crime novel - there are parts with real emotion and sadness. The things that these characters are dealing with are very real. I loved all the twists and turns in this novel. It was not just one straight story; there were so many things going on and so many different stories that each had their own place and yet could still end up intertwining together. I strongly recommend this book, it is a fantastic read!