Reeling from the death of his beloved mother, at the hands of a drunk driver, thirteen-year-old Jonathan is struggling with the aftermath, while living with an abusive, alcoholic father. Past curfew one night, Jonathan, plagued by nightmares, ventures into the forest by his Pacific Northwest home, trying to escape his life at home and come to terms with his devastating loss. While wandering aimlessly, he hears a blood-curdling scream that freezes him in his tracks. Faced with the dilemma of whether to investigate and potentially put himself in harm's way, his adventurous spirit wins out, and he stumbles upon more than he bargains for. Jonathan soon discovers that a serial killer has been running amok and using the forest as his own personal playground. The author's writing style in this novel-a skillful use of parallelism and a willingness to experiment with traditional fiction form-complements her deep insights into the human condition. This suspenseful murder mystery will bring out a plethora of emotions in the reader, as it touches on loss, friendship, redemption, and coping, all the while keeping you on the edge of your seat, with twists and turns you don't see coming.
