The Last Child

By John Hart

The Last Child - John Hart
  • Release Date: 2009-05-26
  • Genre: Mysteries & Thrillers
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 872 Ratings

Description

Winner of the 2010 Edgar Award for Best Novel

Heralded by the Washington Post as a "a magnificent creation, Huck Finn channeled through Lord of the Flies", John Hart's The Last Child is his most significant work to date, an intricate, powerful story of loss, hope, and courage in the face of evil.

Thirteen year-old Johnny Merrimon had the perfect life: a warm home and loving parents; a twin sister, Alyssa, with whom he shared an irreplaceable bond. He knew nothing of loss, until the day Alyssa vanished from the side of a lonely street. Now, a year later, Johnny finds himself isolated and alone, failed by the people he'd been taught since birth to trust. No one else believes that Alyssa is still alive, but Johnny is certain that she is---confident in a way that he can never fully explain.

Determined to find his sister, Johnny risks everything to explore the dark side of his hometown. It is a desperate, terrifying search, but Johnny is not as alone as he might think. Detective Clyde Hunt has never stopped looking for Alyssa either, and he has a soft spot for Johnny. He watches over the boy and tries to keep him safe, but when Johnny uncovers a dangerous lead and vows to follow it, Hunt has no choice but to intervene.

Then a second child goes missing . . .

Undeterred by Hunt's threats or his mother's pleas, Johnny enlists the help of his last friend, and together they plunge into the wild, to a forgotten place with a history of violence that goes back more than a hundred years. There, they meet a giant of a man, an escaped convict on his own tragic quest. What they learn from him will shatter every notion Johnny had about the fate of his sister; it will lead them to another far place, to a truth that will test both boys to the limit.

Traveling the wilderness between innocence and hard wisdom, between hopelessness and faith, The Last Child leaves all categories behind and establishes John Hart as a writer of unique power.

Now with an excerpt from John Hart's next book The Hush, available in February 2018.

Reviews

  • Wordy

    4
    By Cashiers391
    Well written and good story, but could have told it in 20% less words
  • The Last Child

    5
    By FanoftheKings
    So well written; the words ring in your mind long after the last chapter ends, and the images linger. On to the next. I’d like these books to never end.
  • Read it

    5
    By Daddy24/7/365
    What a fantastic write. So good. Truly captivated me.
  • The Lost Boy.

    5
    By Greeneyedpinky
    Easy to read, page turner, very different ending !
  • Amazing !

    5
    By Flowers618
    I have never read such a suspenseful novel in my life. the Last Child is a must read for suspense readers.
  • The Last Child by John Hart

    5
    By Dooley 2017
    This is a fast paced and riveting story that will keep you reading. John Hart is detail minded has the skill to draw the reader into another place and time. You will not soon forget this painful and yet redemptive story.
  • The Last Child

    5
    By Jody5119
    Totally awesome book!
  • Good tale

    4
    By fotogme11
    The Last Child is a very well written story filled with the unexpected. The style of writing is extremely descriptive. I found the plot complex and the flawed characters nicely fleshed out. I enjoyed the North Carolina setting. Two thumbs up from me.
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    2
    By βη ρβρωνρζβσβρβ. ρσν
    δ!7! Ήβης
  • The Last Child is an excellent read

    5
    By Furipaws
    It is a riveting story with excellent character development. I couldn't put it down.