Thrasher hits one out of the park: My review of "Solitary" by Travis Thrasher

Publisher: David C. Cook; New edition (August 1, 2010)

Chris Buckley moves with his mom to Solitary, North Carolina, following the breakup of his parents relationship, something he firmly blames his father for. Soon he's dealing with a new school, his mother's struggles with alcohol, and his ever-growing feelings for the most beautiful girl he's yet encountered, Jocelyn Evans. When he starts receiving threats to stay away from Jocelyn, he quickly learns that the town, and Jocelyn herself, are hiding deep secrets, secrets people are committed to keeping hidden, no matter what it takes to keep it that way.

I absolutely loved this book, from start to finish. Thrasher has perfectly captured the angst of what it means to be a teenager, while providing a creepy and suspenseful novel that grabbed me from the first page and didn't let go until the end. I may not be a teen any longer, but I can clearly remember those days, the cliques, the drama, the bullies, the good and the bad. Fortunately, my teen years did not include unexplained voices and creatures in the dark. The author has succeeded at creating an unlikely hero in Chris, a hero who finds himself up against the truly bizarre, someone who is battling evil from without while trying to wrestle with his own inner demons. The pacing is perfect, and the only disappointment I felt by the end of the story was that I am going to have to wait to find a copy of the second book of the series to see how the story continues.

One of my favourite Thrasher books so far, I highly recommend this book and give it 5 out of 5 stars!