On a remote volcanic island off the coast of New Zealand, a family of settlers struggle to make such an unforgiving place a home. When a ship appears, they feel that their wishes have been granted and their community reinvigorated – but high hopes are swiftly dashed when a vulnerable boy disappears. As both settlers and newcomers come together in the search for the child, they uncover far, far more than they were looking for – discovering dark secrets about both the island and those who inhabit it.
Syson's eye for character is immediate - her narrative voice reaching out from the page and grabbing the reader from the off. They're drawn into a small but compelling community, one full of interesting characters and complicated relationships that only becomes more intriguing as the book goes on - the disappearance of a child serving as a sharply focused lens through which Syson carefully examines the dynamics of a community both coming together and falling apart.
The remote nature of the island that these characters call their home, is one filled with savage nature - raw and often bloody, and brought to life by the raw, textured prose that Syson employs. At times the story feels like it meanders, and I found myself slightly distracted at time from the main plot of the novel as things continued - the focus not always as tight as it could be. However, Syson brings things to a climax that's as rewarding as it is moving - and allows her to examine community, youth and family in a beautifully drawn setting
Syson's eye for character is immediate - her narrative voice reaching out from the page and grabbing the reader from the off. They're drawn into a small but compelling community, one full of interesting characters and complicated relationships that only becomes more intriguing as the book goes on - the disappearance of a child serving as a sharply focused lens through which Syson carefully examines the dynamics of a community both coming together and falling apart.
The remote nature of the island that these characters call their home, is one filled with savage nature - raw and often bloody, and brought to life by the raw, textured prose that Syson employs. At times the story feels like it meanders, and I found myself slightly distracted at time from the main plot of the novel as things continued - the focus not always as tight as it could be. However, Syson brings things to a climax that's as rewarding as it is moving - and allows her to examine community, youth and family in a beautifully drawn setting