Lark by Anthony McGowan
This children's book is the fourth book in a series following two brothers, Nicky and Kenny. Kenny is developmentally disabled, and Nicky has learned how to help him manage different situations. They've had a tough childhood, with their father drinking to much and their mother leaving them due to the stress of everything. Their father is sober now, and has a new girlfriend that they get along with and their lives are more stable. Thus, things are going better for them now, and their mom is coming soon for a visit from Canada where she now lives. Kenny is excited about the upcoming visit, but bored because it is the Easter holiday and not much is happening. Their father suggests they go for a walk on the moors, remembering when his dad would take him there.
Nicky gets the map on the Internet and plans the walk, and the two boys and their small dog Tina, take a couple of buses to get to the starting point of their hike. By the time they get there, the weather has deteriorated, and the bus driver reminds them to keep to the path.
As they walk, they enjoy the first part of their adventure, but then they get above the tree cover and the weather worsens further with snow building up. As they get colder and more tired, they decide to try to take a short cut over the hill, but that gets them lost and they are really in trouble then.
The action is page turning as the reader worries about the boys and whether they will find their way back to the path and to home. As they get colder, and their map gets wet, they also find that their phone isn't getting any signal.
Things definitely go wrong for the boys, and you see all the ways they are unprepared for their adventure, and the bad luck that befalls them. It would probably be helpful to read the others in the series before this as well, but you can read this as a stand alone.
No comments:
Post a Comment