In At the End of the Road, Grant Jerkins introduces us to Kyle, who is only 10 years old. Set in rural Georgia in 1976, it tells the story of one summer in Kyles life.
It is a summer full of excitement, following his older brothers and butting heads with ill tempered bulls and equally ill tempered bullies.
It is a summer of discovering familial love. The love of older brothers who love him but really don't want to --be bothered. The love of a younger sister who idolizes and wants to please him.
It is also a summer full of horror and dangerous secrets. Kyle's life, and the life of his younger sister, are changed dramatically that summer when, while riding his bike on a seldom used dirt road, he accidentally causes and accident.
Being 10, and being afraid, he leaves the scene. Only to find the injured woman and her wrecked car have mysteriously disappeared.
Then after a fire that burns several acres of forest, Kyle finds himself under the control of one of their neighbors. A man they have seen every day, but is more of a monster than anyone would have ever guessed.
The events that transpire that summer certainly usher Kyle out of boyhood, but certainly not in a gentle and fun filled way.
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This book is dark. VERY dark. This book lacks any humor or light moments. Even the "good" parts of the books are only happy in a sad way.
It can also be disjointed. Mostly you are seeing things from Kyles POV. But you do sometimes change to the POV of a character we know for most of the novel as "The Reticulated Woman."
You also find yourself bouncing in and out of flashbacks so you might not be sure where you are in the timeline 100% of the time.
All that aside, I could not put this book down. I wanted to know what the outcome was for Kyle and his sister. I wanted to see if anyone (his clueless parents, the intrepid police officer, his MIA older brothers) would rescue him from the horror he found himself trapped in. Or if maybe he would "come clean" expose his secrets and rescue himself.
I would being lying if I said that everyone lived happily ever after, but I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a dark tale.
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At the End of the Road was the 24th book I read in 2016. See the rest of my 2016 book list here.
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At the End of the Road is available on amazon in Kindle and paperback editions.
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