Finding Hannah

by John R. Kess

Fifteen-year-old Dylan Beachley's family is shattered when his older sister Hannah is kidnapped from their rural New Hampshire home while he slept just one floor away. Weeks of searching by volunteers and local law enforcement provides no clues to Hannah’s whereabouts. Determined to find her after the official search is suspended, Dylan sets out using his extensive knowledge of the forest to search for his sister. He is joined by Molly, an energetic fifteen-year-old who just moved to the area with her drug addict mother and her mother’s drug dealing boyfriend. As Dylan and Molly search hundreds of acres surrounding the Appalachian Trail, they must deal with the rugged wilderness, Dylan’s grief stricken family, and Molly’s abusive home life as the two refuse to give up their goal — Finding Hannah.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Mystery, Ebooks

201 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 28, 2012

About the author

John R Kess is a thriller and young adults author from Minneapolis Minnesota. Finding Hannah is a young adults novel and is his first. Elly's Ghost is a thriller and is his second novel. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and holds a B.S in Mechanical Engineering and an M.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering. John admits to being a writer with an engineering problem.

Reviews

[Abi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dylan and Molly were both okay characters, and they made a cute couple.

This was an okay read, but there were parts where I felt bored, and there was a few things in this that were unbelievable. The main part being that Dylan's parents, who just lost their daughter, would let their son go out for days/nights at a time looking for her, especially when one of those parents was a cop.

The ending was okay, but there was yet again another thing I couldn't quite believe parents would let their 15 year old son do.

[Ara Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Finding Hannah, the plot is discombobulated, choppy, and inconsistent. However, in many ways, this seems to add a certain charm to the writer's style. The book overall is a mess, yet this is on purpose. The main character, Dylan, is a teenager whose sister gets kidnapped in their own home. To make Dylan feel even more liable, he was in the house when the event took place. He is confused, conflicted, and angry at the world. Throughout the book, the readers are placed into a maze to follow the hasty Dylan, as he aimlessly wanders to find out who the kidnapper is. Dylan faces dead ends and wrong turns,adding to the suspense. The author uses simple words, so that everybody is able to grasp what is happening, paired with basic sentence structure of varying lengths. This is especially helpful for a young adult novel in order for readers to keep interest. Overall, the author's syntax and diction are what sold the novel to make the characters much more relatable.

Although the book is about a gruesome topic, the author tones it down to make it quite tragic. Instead of taking the book into frightening territory, Kess often reigns it back to make the readers sympathize and become more connected with the characters. Overall, Kess takes a much more inspiring route than condemning. Even though everybody else was giving up on trying to find Hannah, Dylan could not just leave the mystery of his sister unsolved. Before Hannah had been kidnapped, Dylan was quite quiet and restrained from doing anything to separate himself from the crowd. Once his sister was kidnapped, he took action into gaining courage. Even when the rest of his family had given up, he persevered. Although not many can relate to Dylan's situation, they can understand that he was willing to do whatever it took to find justice. Dylan's love interest, Molly, also has a disturbing backstory, yet still remains optimistic and supports Dylan throughout his journey. She is able to encourage him to keep going and is one of the first who is interested in his sister's case and helps to volunteer. This book would appeal to young teens who seek an adventure with a bit of romance and those who do not mind an unconventional ending.

[Gale Newmaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book

I absolutely loved this book. I haven't read a book like this in a very long time. It kept me glued to every page. I was always wondering what was going to happen next. I can't wait to read more from you. Thank you

[Brandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a decent quick read.

[Niki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story and fast read

I liked the story. It was a page turner that kept me engaged. I appreciated that there was a strong female character.

[Tiffany Lovering · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finding Hannah by John R Kess is centered around fifteen-year-old Dylan Beachley and his search to find his older sister, Hannah, after she is kidnapped as he slept just one floor away. After the official search by volunteers and officers is called off, Dylan makes it his mission to find her on his own. He is joined by Molly who eventually tells him about her life of with a drug addicted mother and her abusive boyfriend.


The action started almost the second you opened this book. While normally I enjoy books like that, I felt there wasn't enough of an emotional tie between the reader and Hannah to feel the pain of her absence. While you do get to know more about Hannah along the way, you don't feel the initial shock from her kidnapping. I think it was because of this that I didn't feel a sense of urgency to find her.


As the relationship between Dylan and Molly grows, I felt like the story became more about her and what she is going through. This isn't a bad turn for the story. There's only so much you can say about Hannah who's kidnapped just a few pages into the book. Molly was my favorite character in the book because she seemed to have such a positive attitude even with an abusive home-life. I was taken by surprise at just how much I liked Molly and her story when I teared-up as Dylan read her a letter he had written.


This is listed as a children's mystery/thriller and I think that's the perfect way of describing it. There's nothing too gruesome or scary. I feel like Finding Hannah is the perfect book if you are just trying out the thriller genre and not looking for something that might keep you up at night. I would let my ten-year-old daughter read it without any worries. If you are someone who reads thrillers on a regular basis, you might be disappointed by the lack of detail surrounding the more painful aspects of the story.


Overall, I rate Finding Hannah 4 out of 5 stars. Find more honest book reviews at tiffanysuelovering.blogspot.com

[Nancy Silk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I give this novel 10 stars? This story is extremely well written with balance, suspense, and action. Late one night, before their parents return home, 15-year old Dylan Beachley is awakened by his 6 year old sister, Amy. Amy is fearful and says there is a man with a gun in their older sister's room. Hannah is missing! Amy and Dylan are traumatized from Hannah's kidnapping, each feeling they were to blame for their sister's loss. After three weeks, the search for Hannah is called off, but Dylan is determined to find her being that summer vacation has just started and he can devote all his time in a determined search along the Appalachian Trail, in the dense forest of New Hampshire. One other person joins him in the search; a new neighbor girl, also 15 years old, Molly Beckstrand. They gather all their hiking and camp gear, food, and GPS, etc. and head out farther than the areas already searched. This may be a Young Adult (YA) novel, but it's one that I could not put down. I also could not prevent tears rolling down my cheeks near the end as I read in Einstein's Bagel Shop. This is an absolutely compelling story and I applaud the author on his very first novel. He has written this with great sensitivity about family and values. I high recommend this novel for young and old.

[Nells · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a whodunnit mystery, paranormal romance, or twisted thriller like you would expect from most teen books of this description. It's a poignant story of grief and survival. Dylan and Molly are very sympathetic and easy to relate to. The aftermath of Hannah's disappearance is also described in a realistic and sensitive way. Best of all is the romance. It's a sweet, sincere story of two teenagers who bond over tragedy. But their bond is one of mutual support, not dependency and obsession. Their feelings are not selfish, or used an excuse for destructive behavior. Each is strong, whole person without the other. This is a refreshing change of pace in a YA novel, I highly recommend it for teens or the teen in your life.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowza this book was good. I don't recommend reading it during a really bad summer storm though. I am glad I stumbled across this book in my search of books set in New Hampshire.

This is a book that does really well conveying raw emotion, I couldn't imagine if my brother was kidnapped while I was sleeping in the next room, I would be devastated. I truly felt every single emotion Dylan was feeling, I love my brother so I get the bond between siblings.

This book deals with a lot, kidnapping, drug addiction, child abuse... it has it all. In short, this book is truly fantastic. I am very excited I discover it, another reason I love Kindle Unlimited, you never know what you will discover.

[J.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Hanna was an unexpected gem of a story. I thought it would be darkly told, judging by the cover, and though it is about a kidnapping, a grim and all to familiar subject, I thought John Kess wrote with grace and compassion. The characters felt genuine allowing me to really grow to like them. The story is a good mix of suspense and adventure filled with laughs and cries. As I read I was thoroughly engaged, to the point of using the text-to-speech function for two chapters as I drove to and from work. In all, this book explores family and personal relationships in a heartfelt style, and I look forward to reading the author's second book, which I have already downloaded.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fifteen-year-old Dylan Beachley's family is shattered when his older sister Hannah is kidnapped from their rural New Hampshire home while he slept just one floor away. Weeks of searching by volunteers and local law enforcement provides no clues to Hannahs whereabouts. Determined to find her after the official search is suspended, Dylan sets out using his extensive knowledge of the forest to search for his sister. He is joined by Molly, an energetic fifteen-year-old who just moved to the area with her drug addict mother and her mothers drug dealing boyfriend. As Dylan and Molly search hundreds of acres surrounding the Appalachian Trail, they must deal with the rugged wilderness,

[Julie Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story draws you in almost immediately, and keeps you interested. I liked all of the characters in the book and felt for their plight...I actually got emotionally involved in this young boy's search for his sister Hannah, who is kidnapped at gunpoint from their home. He is aided by his friend, a young woman who unbeknownst to him is suffering severe abuse at home. I was pulling for these kids all the way through the book, and was anxious to find out what would happen next. I highly recommend this book.

[Sara Drazkowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick and easy read....I could definitely tell it was written for young adult. Not just the characters, but also the language and plot were fairly juvenile. Additionally, there were almost too many twists/turns or sub plots trying to make the story more interesting. The author never fully developed any of them, they seemed pretty superficial. I was touched by the families struggle with the loss of their daughter, simply because I have a son of my own and can't imagine going through that kind of pain and loss.

[Nan Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was billed as a book for teens and that's exactly what it was. It was a good and wholesome book with lots of worthwhile and uplifting thoughts. The book dealt with the kidnapping of one of 3 children in a family and how they dealt with their despair and trauma.

For adults, I think it was very weak and elementary. But for teens, it would be quite good.

I highly recommend it for teen readers.

[Mary Donlon · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Kess has written a heart-wrenching, nerve-wracking novel that kept me reading all night. The conflicted young protagonist embarks on a quest to discover what happened to his sister and is joined by a gutsy new friend. This story reminds us that courage, friendship and love have no age limits. Terrific for young adults and adults alike.

[Lisa Quiambao · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suspenseful book. Had me hoping to the end that Hannah would be found a different way. Maybe because I have kids, but the raw emotion was sometimes overwhelming enough that I had to say the book aside for awhile. I could visualize everything vividly. This isn't a happy book but it does show strength and love and importance of family

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Hannah is the first book for author John Kess. It is a great adventure with many twists and turns. As a parent it is a challenge to read and not think of my kids. This book is a well written fast paced book that I have read more than once and not tired of it.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good book, but more towards the teenage crowd. I could see my 12 year old reading this no problem. POV from 16 year old boy. A little slow at times, not predictable, but nothing too shocking.

[BRAD V GIRARD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

This is a heart rendering story that touches every emotion possible. Beautifully written with characters you'll truly care about. I really think this could happen in today's world.

[Susan Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful emotional young adult story

I usually don't read YA books but I made an exception after sampling the first two chapters. This is a great story of love, loss, friendship, determination, and most importantly, family. Well written story despite it being JK's first book.

[Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad, but good

I give this book 5 stars. It was a tear jerker, but I loved it, great characters, good writing. Read it all in one sitting, and am going to let my grand daughter read it too. Super book !

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Finding Hannah! Many twists and turns that you just don't see coming. As a parent, it wrenches your heart in places you never want to go. A definate page Turner not to be missed.

[Amy Vollmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this book. Emotional roller coaster.

[Connie Anne Kikta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting fast read.

[Lfoote01 · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's always sad for me to read about abducted teens. This is a good book, true emotions are displayed, very believable. I'm planning to read more from this author, I like the writing style.

[Yuko Miyoshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the story.

[Gloria Kanten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the read.

The story quickly had me so involved I had to sit and and read it from beginning to the ending.

[Kepi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually liked the book, but the writing was a little simplistic for YA fiction. The subject matter, however, is probably not suitable for the tween crowd.

[Lin Madson]

loved the book

[Kimmi Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an awesome story. Very well written. Loved it...