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The Way Back
Charlie Johnson is 13 and in her first year of high school. She loves her family, netball and Liam, the cute guy who sits next to her in Science-but most of all she loves horses and horse-riding. Charlie's parents have leased her a horse, Tic Tac, from the local pony club, but one day they go out for a ride in the national park and only Tic Tac returns ... Four months later, long after the police and the SES have called off the search, Charlie is found wandering injured and filthy, miles from where she was last seen. Her family rejoice in her return, but can anyone truly recover from what Charlie's been through? When a life has been shattered, how do you put the pieces back together?
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First published July 26, 2017
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About the author
Kylie Ladd
14 books167 followersKylie Ladd is a novelist and freelance writer. Her essays and articles have appeared in The Age, Griffith Review, O Magazine, The Sydney Morning Herald, Good Medicine, Kill Your Darlings, The Hoopla and MamaMia, among others. Kylie's first novel, After the Fall , was published in Australia, the US and Turkey, while her second, Last Summer, was highly commended in the 2011 Federation of Australian Writers Christina Stead Award for fiction. Her previous books are Naked: Confessions of Adultery and Infidelity and Living with Alzheimer's and Other Dementias. Kylie’s third novel, Into My Arms, has been selected as one of Get Reading’s Fifty Books You Can’t Put Down for 2013. She holds a PhD in neuropsychology, and lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her husband and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
October 3, 2017
Thirteen year old Charlie Johnson loves nothing more than spending time with Tic Tac who is a horse at the local pony club where she spends all her free time. On Saturdays after pony club Charlie and her friend Ivy go for their usual leisurely ride through the National Park.
When Tic Tac becomes lame, Charlie has to walk him back, so Ivy rides on in front and waits for them to return, but they don't return. It's been a few days later that Tic Tac returns on his own limping rather badly. Charlie's parents, Rachael and Matt are frantic and sick with worry as they joined in the search with the police and the SES.
Days turn into weeks and weeks start to turn into months and still Charlie was nowhere to be found and with such a large area to explore it was starting to look like they would never find her and the unthinkable might have happened. That was all to change when one day Charlie appears looking worse for wear, but she was alive. Her family is overcome with joy and they can't believe their eyes. Now the question remains as to where has Charlie been all these months and just what happened to her?
I have read a few very good psychological thrillers lately and this was another one. Aussie author Kylie Ladd has done a fantastic job in keeping the reader fully absorbed and engrossed in this story from the first page all the way to the very last page. I have no hesitation in highly recommending this book to anyone who loves a great read and especially to those who love to read psychological thrillers.
When Tic Tac becomes lame, Charlie has to walk him back, so Ivy rides on in front and waits for them to return, but they don't return. It's been a few days later that Tic Tac returns on his own limping rather badly. Charlie's parents, Rachael and Matt are frantic and sick with worry as they joined in the search with the police and the SES.
Days turn into weeks and weeks start to turn into months and still Charlie was nowhere to be found and with such a large area to explore it was starting to look like they would never find her and the unthinkable might have happened. That was all to change when one day Charlie appears looking worse for wear, but she was alive. Her family is overcome with joy and they can't believe their eyes. Now the question remains as to where has Charlie been all these months and just what happened to her?
I have read a few very good psychological thrillers lately and this was another one. Aussie author Kylie Ladd has done a fantastic job in keeping the reader fully absorbed and engrossed in this story from the first page all the way to the very last page. I have no hesitation in highly recommending this book to anyone who loves a great read and especially to those who love to read psychological thrillers.
August 1, 2017
Thirteen year old Charlie Johnson had a happy and contented life – her mum Rachael worked full-time in a job she loved; dad Matt was a fireman and her older brother Dan was in high school and loved music. Charlie loved her horse Tic Tac – though technically he wasn’t her horse, having been leased from the pony club where Charlie spent a lot of her time, but Ticcy was hers. The Saturday that Charlie and her friend Ivy went for their usual ride through the National Park after pony club was the day everything changed.
When Ivy returned to say Tic Tac was lame and Charlie was walking him back, Hannah immediately mounted her horse and set out to meet Charlie. But neither of them could be found – and when Tic Tac returned days later, limping and dishevelled but without Charlie, they knew something was dreadfully wrong.
Matt and Dan searched with the SES and police for days and weeks on end – everything that could be done was done. But it was like Charlie had vanished off the face of the earth. The National Park near Melbourne was dense and vast – the search covered a huge area, but Charlie had disappeared. Rachael was beside herself, imagining the worst…
The day Charlie staggered from the bush, filthy, injured and incoherent, everyone was ecstatic – her family was over the moon, the police thrilled with the outcome. But could Charlie be the same girl she was four months prior? Would anything ever be the same again? And what had happened to Charlie in the time she was missing?
What a brilliant, breathtaking psychological thriller Aussie author Kylie Ladd has produced with her latest, The Way Back! Emotional, heartbreaking, tear-jerking and above all, outstanding, this novel ticks all the boxes. I have no hesitation in recommending The Way Back extremely highly!
With thanks to Allen & Unwin for my ARC to read and review.
When Ivy returned to say Tic Tac was lame and Charlie was walking him back, Hannah immediately mounted her horse and set out to meet Charlie. But neither of them could be found – and when Tic Tac returned days later, limping and dishevelled but without Charlie, they knew something was dreadfully wrong.
Matt and Dan searched with the SES and police for days and weeks on end – everything that could be done was done. But it was like Charlie had vanished off the face of the earth. The National Park near Melbourne was dense and vast – the search covered a huge area, but Charlie had disappeared. Rachael was beside herself, imagining the worst…
The day Charlie staggered from the bush, filthy, injured and incoherent, everyone was ecstatic – her family was over the moon, the police thrilled with the outcome. But could Charlie be the same girl she was four months prior? Would anything ever be the same again? And what had happened to Charlie in the time she was missing?
What a brilliant, breathtaking psychological thriller Aussie author Kylie Ladd has produced with her latest, The Way Back! Emotional, heartbreaking, tear-jerking and above all, outstanding, this novel ticks all the boxes. I have no hesitation in recommending The Way Back extremely highly!
With thanks to Allen & Unwin for my ARC to read and review.
August 1, 2017
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
*4.5 stars
The Way Back is the devastating story of a thirteen year old girl, who is trapped for four long months by a misunderstood recluse and how she miraculously escapes her captor. This defining event and the aftermath of such an ordeal, especially the emotional impact, is at the centre of Australian author Kylie Ladd’s latest novel. The Way Back is tribute to and a sensitive portrayal of victims of abduction, who bravely make the return home. Within her narrative, Ladd articulates the important fact that the nightmare for kidnapping victims is not over once they escape. Rather, victims and their loved ones face a life that is irrevocably changed by their harrowing experience.
Charlie Johnson, a thirteen year old high school student, is a happy, friendly and fun-loving teenager. Charlie comes from a stable family environment and loves nothing more than to ride on Tic Tac, a horse she leases through the local pony club. A late afternoon horse ride with a fellow pony club member Ivy turns into a nightmarish and life changing event for this innocent thirteen year old girl. When Tic Tac becomes lame on their ride, Ivy makes the decision to ride back to seek help at the stables, leaving Charlie alone in the bush. As the sun sets, a lonely and mentally challenged man embarks upon an opportunistic crime. He abducts Charlie and imprisons her in the stable attached to his isolated bush shack, simply because he wants to stroke her hair. Days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months, as Charlie is neglected by her Col, her captor. She is left cold, starving, unwashed and unattended for days on end. Meanwhile, her family, friends, the SES and the police plod on, in an endless search for Charlie’s whereabouts. Eventually, Charlie summons the courage from deep within one day and devises a bold plan to escape the clutches of Col. In the aftermath of her escape, Charlie and her family face many more dark days ahead, as they all struggle to adjust to a life shattered by an unthinkable crime.
The Way Back is the second novel I have read by Kylie Ladd. I have a couple more of Kylie’s novels sitting on my shelves that I am now prompted to get my act together and read after finishing this brilliant novel. It is hard to believe at times that The Way Back is a work of fiction. The content of the book is so vividly realised and psychologically insightful that it does read much like a non fiction memoir. In fact, I drew comparisons between The Way Back and Hope, a book I read that details the abduction of three young girls in Cleveland. It is also book that places the reader in a confronting situation, how would you respond as parent or as the victim to abduction such as Charlie’s? It makes for an emotionally fraught read and a novel that I imagine would not have been easy to process to write. It certainly forced me to consider my own response to the situation Ladd presents to the reader.
The Way Back is a comprehensive novel that covers all bases. Kylie Ladd ensures that she gives a voice to the many different people who are directly involved in Charlie’s abduction. This begins with the family unit ripped apart by the loss of a daughter and a sister. The sense of spiralling helplessness the Johnson family experiences is expressed well by Ladd. The investigative perspective of the police force and SES volunteers who work tirelessly to try to find Charlie is carefully covered by the author. Ladd also examines the feelings of the pony club members, Gia, Ivy and Hannah, who hold guilt, as well as hope over Charlie’s disappearance. Then there are the everyday members of the local community, such as Charlie’s high school French teacher, who Ladd makes us see have all in some way been touched by this terrible crime. Finally, there is the powerful portrayal of Col, the perpetrator of Charlie’s crime, who I was never quite able to understand his reasons for taking Charlie. We do have inkling that he is mentally incapacitated, possibly by a defining event in his past which leans towards a level of sympathy being directed towards this uncharacteristic bad guy. Col’s voice is one that is overwhelmingly tinged with sadness and a lack of compassion.
The account of Charlie’s incarceration in the stables of Col’s home was harrowing and realistic. In this account of a kidnapping, Ladd treats these sequences with a careful balance of compassion, respect and detailed insight. This is a book with much heart that challenges you to feel deeply and think beyond the surface. There were some passages in the novel that sickened, angered and moved me to tears. At many points I felt a strong sense of protection towards Charlie and I prayed she would find the strength or opportunity to break free from her captivity. The most overwhelming emotion I felt while reading The Way Back was a gut wrenching level of sadness. I watched on in disbelief as this innocent and carefree girl had her innocence and bright outlook in life viciously taken away. But Ladd sensitively balances this out with Col’s almost childish inability to understand why Charlie won’t play his game. This is perhaps where Kylie’s Ladd’s background in neuropsychology comes in to play. She is unafraid of tackling the parameters of such an event and I believe this takes much skill as a writer.
The setting of The Way Back has an important place in the novel and the prose attached to these compartments of the novel are brimming with a dichotomy of beauty and danger. The Australian bush area situated in a Victorian national park is the prime location for the events in the novel. Its harshness, isolation and the dangers that bask in its remoteness form an integral part of the narrative. Ladd manages to show us the natural beauty of the national park area where Charlie is taken, but at the same time, she highlights how the expanse of the landscape means that evil can be easily concealed.
A shocking but well drawn portrayal of the terror a young girl and her family endure for months forms the moving new novel from Kylie Ladd. In no means is The Way Back an easy read, but it is a thoughtfully written novel that is both gripping and challenging. It strikes right at the heart of family relationships and opens up the recovery process that follows after a kidnapping victim makes the difficult journey home. Although The Way Back covers a traumatic experience, there is a glimmer of hope at the end of this novel, which I grasped onto firmly. I gave my own children an extra hug after reading this novel, thankful for their safety. The Way Back is a book I highly recommend, especially to those who appreciate the challenge of a carefully written and quality contemporary Australian fiction novel.
*I wish to thank Goodreads and the publisher, Allen & Unwin for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
*4.5 stars
The Way Back is the devastating story of a thirteen year old girl, who is trapped for four long months by a misunderstood recluse and how she miraculously escapes her captor. This defining event and the aftermath of such an ordeal, especially the emotional impact, is at the centre of Australian author Kylie Ladd’s latest novel. The Way Back is tribute to and a sensitive portrayal of victims of abduction, who bravely make the return home. Within her narrative, Ladd articulates the important fact that the nightmare for kidnapping victims is not over once they escape. Rather, victims and their loved ones face a life that is irrevocably changed by their harrowing experience.
Charlie Johnson, a thirteen year old high school student, is a happy, friendly and fun-loving teenager. Charlie comes from a stable family environment and loves nothing more than to ride on Tic Tac, a horse she leases through the local pony club. A late afternoon horse ride with a fellow pony club member Ivy turns into a nightmarish and life changing event for this innocent thirteen year old girl. When Tic Tac becomes lame on their ride, Ivy makes the decision to ride back to seek help at the stables, leaving Charlie alone in the bush. As the sun sets, a lonely and mentally challenged man embarks upon an opportunistic crime. He abducts Charlie and imprisons her in the stable attached to his isolated bush shack, simply because he wants to stroke her hair. Days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months, as Charlie is neglected by her Col, her captor. She is left cold, starving, unwashed and unattended for days on end. Meanwhile, her family, friends, the SES and the police plod on, in an endless search for Charlie’s whereabouts. Eventually, Charlie summons the courage from deep within one day and devises a bold plan to escape the clutches of Col. In the aftermath of her escape, Charlie and her family face many more dark days ahead, as they all struggle to adjust to a life shattered by an unthinkable crime.
The Way Back is the second novel I have read by Kylie Ladd. I have a couple more of Kylie’s novels sitting on my shelves that I am now prompted to get my act together and read after finishing this brilliant novel. It is hard to believe at times that The Way Back is a work of fiction. The content of the book is so vividly realised and psychologically insightful that it does read much like a non fiction memoir. In fact, I drew comparisons between The Way Back and Hope, a book I read that details the abduction of three young girls in Cleveland. It is also book that places the reader in a confronting situation, how would you respond as parent or as the victim to abduction such as Charlie’s? It makes for an emotionally fraught read and a novel that I imagine would not have been easy to process to write. It certainly forced me to consider my own response to the situation Ladd presents to the reader.
The Way Back is a comprehensive novel that covers all bases. Kylie Ladd ensures that she gives a voice to the many different people who are directly involved in Charlie’s abduction. This begins with the family unit ripped apart by the loss of a daughter and a sister. The sense of spiralling helplessness the Johnson family experiences is expressed well by Ladd. The investigative perspective of the police force and SES volunteers who work tirelessly to try to find Charlie is carefully covered by the author. Ladd also examines the feelings of the pony club members, Gia, Ivy and Hannah, who hold guilt, as well as hope over Charlie’s disappearance. Then there are the everyday members of the local community, such as Charlie’s high school French teacher, who Ladd makes us see have all in some way been touched by this terrible crime. Finally, there is the powerful portrayal of Col, the perpetrator of Charlie’s crime, who I was never quite able to understand his reasons for taking Charlie. We do have inkling that he is mentally incapacitated, possibly by a defining event in his past which leans towards a level of sympathy being directed towards this uncharacteristic bad guy. Col’s voice is one that is overwhelmingly tinged with sadness and a lack of compassion.
The account of Charlie’s incarceration in the stables of Col’s home was harrowing and realistic. In this account of a kidnapping, Ladd treats these sequences with a careful balance of compassion, respect and detailed insight. This is a book with much heart that challenges you to feel deeply and think beyond the surface. There were some passages in the novel that sickened, angered and moved me to tears. At many points I felt a strong sense of protection towards Charlie and I prayed she would find the strength or opportunity to break free from her captivity. The most overwhelming emotion I felt while reading The Way Back was a gut wrenching level of sadness. I watched on in disbelief as this innocent and carefree girl had her innocence and bright outlook in life viciously taken away. But Ladd sensitively balances this out with Col’s almost childish inability to understand why Charlie won’t play his game. This is perhaps where Kylie’s Ladd’s background in neuropsychology comes in to play. She is unafraid of tackling the parameters of such an event and I believe this takes much skill as a writer.
The setting of The Way Back has an important place in the novel and the prose attached to these compartments of the novel are brimming with a dichotomy of beauty and danger. The Australian bush area situated in a Victorian national park is the prime location for the events in the novel. Its harshness, isolation and the dangers that bask in its remoteness form an integral part of the narrative. Ladd manages to show us the natural beauty of the national park area where Charlie is taken, but at the same time, she highlights how the expanse of the landscape means that evil can be easily concealed.
A shocking but well drawn portrayal of the terror a young girl and her family endure for months forms the moving new novel from Kylie Ladd. In no means is The Way Back an easy read, but it is a thoughtfully written novel that is both gripping and challenging. It strikes right at the heart of family relationships and opens up the recovery process that follows after a kidnapping victim makes the difficult journey home. Although The Way Back covers a traumatic experience, there is a glimmer of hope at the end of this novel, which I grasped onto firmly. I gave my own children an extra hug after reading this novel, thankful for their safety. The Way Back is a book I highly recommend, especially to those who appreciate the challenge of a carefully written and quality contemporary Australian fiction novel.
*I wish to thank Goodreads and the publisher, Allen & Unwin for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
August 26, 2018
Well written and believable. A tale of abduction and finding a way back. The taken was quite young, and I believe the psychotherapy discussed afterward to be very believable and authentic. I have not experienced this Australian female author so I will be on the lookout for more of her work with keen interest!
Not a huge fan of the narrator, and I dare say I may have rated it 4 had I held the book been in my hands. 3.5 rounded up.
Not a huge fan of the narrator, and I dare say I may have rated it 4 had I held the book been in my hands. 3.5 rounded up.
October 2, 2018
Charlie Johnson is thirteen and in her first year of high school. She loves horses, especially Tic Tac the horse her parents have leased for her. Then one day she goes out for a ride with Ivy. Only Ivy and Tic Tac return. A search ensues but no trace of Charlie is found. Her parents, Rachael and Matt, are understandably frantic. As time goes on, the search is scaled back but Terry, the police officer on the case, is loath to give up. Charlie’s brother Dan and Charlie’s friend Hannah also keep searching. Will anyone locate Charlie? And even if they do, what will it mean for Charlie and her family? Will life ever be the same again? Even if they get her back, can Charlie ever recover from her ordeal? I’ve deliberately kept this pretty vague as I think it’s better to go into it without knowing too much about it. The blurb in my opinion gives away too much. I’m fast getting to the stage I rarely read the blurb of a book for this reason.
This is a good exploration of a family in crisis. A family to whom the unthinkable has happened. It explores the emotions and reactions of both parents and also Charlie’s brother well. It also takes the reader inside the mind of a man who has long been an outcast from society. All of the characters felt very real. The book is split into three sections, Before, During and After. The before section initially felt rather like a novel for younger people, as the reader is very much given a thirteen year old’s point of view. But it quickly expands from that to encompass a more detailed and mature view of the situation. This is the first book I have read by this author and I thought it explored the situations of abduction in a realistic way. A sense of tension pervades the book. It was an interesting, gripping read though some scenes were hard to read.
This is a good exploration of a family in crisis. A family to whom the unthinkable has happened. It explores the emotions and reactions of both parents and also Charlie’s brother well. It also takes the reader inside the mind of a man who has long been an outcast from society. All of the characters felt very real. The book is split into three sections, Before, During and After. The before section initially felt rather like a novel for younger people, as the reader is very much given a thirteen year old’s point of view. But it quickly expands from that to encompass a more detailed and mature view of the situation. This is the first book I have read by this author and I thought it explored the situations of abduction in a realistic way. A sense of tension pervades the book. It was an interesting, gripping read though some scenes were hard to read.
November 6, 2025
A hauntingly beautiful, character-driven tale that explores trauma and resilience, and what recovery actually means.
Charlie Johnson is a fun and happy teenager, until she is trapped for four months by a misunderstood recluse. Long after the Police and SES have stopped searching for her, Charlie escapes her captor and is found injured, wandering far away from where she was last seen. Her family are thankful for her return, although it is unknown whether it is possible to recover from such life-shattering experiences.
This story beautifully balances the emotionally charged difficulties of the entire family, alongside the psychological drama of captivity and trauma.
This is not a light read as there are several content warnings, however Australian author Kylie Ladd has thoughtfully written this challenging story.
Charlie Johnson is a fun and happy teenager, until she is trapped for four months by a misunderstood recluse. Long after the Police and SES have stopped searching for her, Charlie escapes her captor and is found injured, wandering far away from where she was last seen. Her family are thankful for her return, although it is unknown whether it is possible to recover from such life-shattering experiences.
This story beautifully balances the emotionally charged difficulties of the entire family, alongside the psychological drama of captivity and trauma.
This is not a light read as there are several content warnings, however Australian author Kylie Ladd has thoughtfully written this challenging story.
April 27, 2018
This book wasn’t really what I was expecting. I thought The Way Back would be a mystery cum physiological thriller, perhaps police procedural. Instead I got to read the dramatic story of a typical Australian family coping with an unbearably heartbreaking situation. This wasn't a disappointment, I must point out.
The book is presented in three parts: Before, During, and After. 'Before' introduces us to an ordinary Aussie family. Mum and dad, Rachel and Matt, big brother, Dan, and little sister, Charlie. Mum is the chief breadwinner, working in her high powered position that doesn’t leave enough time to spend with her family; Dad often does the housework in the day before working stressful night shifts as a fireman; Dan has no friends and spends most of his time in his bedroom playing guitar and coping with bouts of depression, and Charlie a chatterbox happy-go-lucky kid who's trying to make her way through the minefield that is adolescence. Even though Charlie is starting to discover boys, her one true love for now is still horses.
‘During’ shifts the plot along to what happens when Charlie goes off for a ride and only her horse returns. There is no mystery as to where Charlie is or who takes her. We get the entire ordeal from Charlie and her kidnapper’s point of view. Her family, however, does not have this luxury and we get to connect with the overwhelming hopelessness they feel during her disappearance.
The twist in this book, I believe, is that it doesn’t end once Charlie is found. This is, after all, where most books finish. Instead we get to read in just as much detail about what Charlie and her family go through ‘after’ she returns. Out of all the sections, this was the most interesting and poignant, I thought, and it really made the book something a little different and special.
I think my favourite thing about this book is that it felt so real. No character (not even the kidnapper) or plotline seemed over the top. There are quite a few real life crimes mentioned in the book even. For Australians, the familiarity of the Daniel Morcombe case would make comparisons inevitable anyway. And I couldn't help but be reminded at how strong that family is once again.
The book and its characters feeling so real did mean I shed a tear more than once. Having kids myself around Charlie’s age did not help!
Even though it was all harrowing, I still really enjoyed this book and would definitely read another Kylie Ladd novel.
4 ½ out of 5
Thanks to Allen and Unwin for supplying me with a copy via a Goodreads Giveaway.
PS Someone suggested that this was a book for young adults. Maybe 16 plus if they are the more mature type. I know my 15 year old would never cope with it!
The book is presented in three parts: Before, During, and After. 'Before' introduces us to an ordinary Aussie family. Mum and dad, Rachel and Matt, big brother, Dan, and little sister, Charlie. Mum is the chief breadwinner, working in her high powered position that doesn’t leave enough time to spend with her family; Dad often does the housework in the day before working stressful night shifts as a fireman; Dan has no friends and spends most of his time in his bedroom playing guitar and coping with bouts of depression, and Charlie a chatterbox happy-go-lucky kid who's trying to make her way through the minefield that is adolescence. Even though Charlie is starting to discover boys, her one true love for now is still horses.
‘During’ shifts the plot along to what happens when Charlie goes off for a ride and only her horse returns. There is no mystery as to where Charlie is or who takes her. We get the entire ordeal from Charlie and her kidnapper’s point of view. Her family, however, does not have this luxury and we get to connect with the overwhelming hopelessness they feel during her disappearance.
The twist in this book, I believe, is that it doesn’t end once Charlie is found. This is, after all, where most books finish. Instead we get to read in just as much detail about what Charlie and her family go through ‘after’ she returns. Out of all the sections, this was the most interesting and poignant, I thought, and it really made the book something a little different and special.
I think my favourite thing about this book is that it felt so real. No character (not even the kidnapper) or plotline seemed over the top. There are quite a few real life crimes mentioned in the book even. For Australians, the familiarity of the Daniel Morcombe case would make comparisons inevitable anyway. And I couldn't help but be reminded at how strong that family is once again.
The book and its characters feeling so real did mean I shed a tear more than once. Having kids myself around Charlie’s age did not help!
Even though it was all harrowing, I still really enjoyed this book and would definitely read another Kylie Ladd novel.
4 ½ out of 5
Thanks to Allen and Unwin for supplying me with a copy via a Goodreads Giveaway.
PS Someone suggested that this was a book for young adults. Maybe 16 plus if they are the more mature type. I know my 15 year old would never cope with it!
August 8, 2017
Kylie Ladd is a gifted writer. I've been a fan of her writing since 2009 when I first read 'After The Fall', following on to wait patiently for her next offerings - 'Last Summer', 'Into My Arms', and 'Mothers and Daughters'. Kylie's latest book, 'The Way Back' is her best yet.
The Way Back is the heart-wrenching story of 13 year-old Charlie who is abducted one day while out horse riding. However, the story isn't solely about her ordeal during the abduction, it focus on her life once she is reunited with her family, as she finds her way back to a new normal.
To give you an idea of how compelling this book is, I started it Sunday morning and finished it in the early hours of Monday morning. I simply could not put it down. Kylie's writing is effortless in the true sense of the word and instantly you are drawn into Charlie's world, wholly and completely. World War III could have started in my backyard while I was reading, and I would not have noticed.
The story isn't only told through Charlie's eyes. Kylie draws us into Charlie's world through various points of view. There's her mother Rachael, father Matt, who both handle the situation in different ways. There is her older brother Dan, whose point of view and own story was particularly heartfelt. You also see the story through the lead detective on the case - Terry, who shows how affecting such an event is on all involved. And then there's Col; the man who abducted Charlie. You would think that telling the story from Col's point of view would be off-putting, but Kylie handles it so very delicately, and at times you find yourself torn, almost feeling empathy for this sad man.
I am in awe of this book. Of the story. The depth of her characters. And particularly of the way that Kylie weaves together an intricate narrative in such a compelling exploration of humanity and all its complexities. Kylie draws well on her training in neuropsychology to help her craft her characters and the abstruse nature of relationships. And she does it flawlessly.
One of the things Kylie does in all her novels, is brings you into the story - asking you to consider your own reactions and emotions. How would you cope during and after such a traumatic event? Would you know what to do? How to feel? Would you be sure of the way you would handle things both in a day to day sense and emotionally? The book also touches on the media's intrusiveness in these situations and how people are tempted with a hunger of wanting to know what happened, without consideration for the families at the centre of such tragedy.
I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this book. Yes, at times the subject matter is heartbreaking, it is emotional, and if you have children, it will make you hug them a little more tightly after reading, but it is written with such tenderness and intimacy that it will leave you speechless. Simply superb.
The Way Back is the heart-wrenching story of 13 year-old Charlie who is abducted one day while out horse riding. However, the story isn't solely about her ordeal during the abduction, it focus on her life once she is reunited with her family, as she finds her way back to a new normal.
To give you an idea of how compelling this book is, I started it Sunday morning and finished it in the early hours of Monday morning. I simply could not put it down. Kylie's writing is effortless in the true sense of the word and instantly you are drawn into Charlie's world, wholly and completely. World War III could have started in my backyard while I was reading, and I would not have noticed.
The story isn't only told through Charlie's eyes. Kylie draws us into Charlie's world through various points of view. There's her mother Rachael, father Matt, who both handle the situation in different ways. There is her older brother Dan, whose point of view and own story was particularly heartfelt. You also see the story through the lead detective on the case - Terry, who shows how affecting such an event is on all involved. And then there's Col; the man who abducted Charlie. You would think that telling the story from Col's point of view would be off-putting, but Kylie handles it so very delicately, and at times you find yourself torn, almost feeling empathy for this sad man.
I am in awe of this book. Of the story. The depth of her characters. And particularly of the way that Kylie weaves together an intricate narrative in such a compelling exploration of humanity and all its complexities. Kylie draws well on her training in neuropsychology to help her craft her characters and the abstruse nature of relationships. And she does it flawlessly.
One of the things Kylie does in all her novels, is brings you into the story - asking you to consider your own reactions and emotions. How would you cope during and after such a traumatic event? Would you know what to do? How to feel? Would you be sure of the way you would handle things both in a day to day sense and emotionally? The book also touches on the media's intrusiveness in these situations and how people are tempted with a hunger of wanting to know what happened, without consideration for the families at the centre of such tragedy.
I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this book. Yes, at times the subject matter is heartbreaking, it is emotional, and if you have children, it will make you hug them a little more tightly after reading, but it is written with such tenderness and intimacy that it will leave you speechless. Simply superb.
February 13, 2019
In her latest novel, The Way Back, Kylie Ladd has put into words to every parent’s worst nightmare. An abducted child. Missing for months. Yet, The Way Back is more than a novel about a teenage girl being abducted and found. It goes beyond this and explores the ripple effects of trauma, the way it can fracture a family as well as the individuals affected by an incident. The Way Back is a brilliant read, achingly real and entirely relatable. Kylie has a way of picking the flesh from the bones, stripping a story back to its essentials and then laying it all out, holding no parts back. Her work is always rendered with the utmost honesty, and in The Way Back, this honest narrative showcases Kylie Ladd at her very best. Your heart will break while reading this novel, you’ll be overcome by the gravity of what is happening to these characters, but even so, you won’t be able to put this novel down and you will continue to think about it for some time once you are finished.
I liked the way this novel was broken up into its three parts: Before, During and After. Within these sections, we experience the story through the eyes of Charlie, both her parents, her brother, the lead police sergeant investigating her case, and her abductor. This gives such a rounded and complete picture of the story, especially the addition of the abductor, Col. We could get a real feel for the Johnsons in Before, appreciate their normalcy, which of course makes what happens so much more relatable. They’re normal, it happened to them therefore it could happen to any family. The section During was rather traumatic, only because you could put yourself right into the situation, and well and truly imagine what this must be like, dealing with your child missing. Knowing that they’re out there somewhere, unknowing though if they’re alive or dead. Such a terrible state to live in and Kylie did so well at articulating the mental anguish a parent would be going through at such a time. In addition to this, we are exposed to what Charlie is experiencing, and it is with mounting dread that we encounter these passages. They were harrowing, but they needed to be. I frequently had to remind myself that this poor girl was only thirteen, magnifying the horror all over again. So young, to have such a terrible thing happen, yet so brave at the same time. The final section, After, is where we see the full effects of being a victim of crime and how far reaching this is. For Charlie, and her family, nothing was over once it was over. Life couldn’t just go back to normal.
Novels that focus on the long-lasting effects of crime are always so interesting to me. For the general public, when we see a missing person found, it’s celebrated, we hear about it for a little bit and then it fades away. But for the victim, and their family, a new trauma is just beginning. How do you assimilate back into your life? How do you answer questions you don’t want to answer? How do you ever feel safe again? Who are you now that you have been damaged by another? These questions, and more, are all addressed with skill and sensitivity in The Way Back. Reading a novel such as this provokes all manner of thoughts to begin swirling within your head, but foremost is this: Do we need to teach our children to be less friendly? We talk about stranger-danger and not engaging with unknown people online, never getting into a car with someone, the list really does go on and as parents we know it off by heart. But what of the kindness extended to the random, seemingly harmless looking person, who then takes that kindness and warps it to their own motivations, reading too much into it? This struck a chord with me, as I have encountered such people, those with diminished mental faculties, who really don’t understand why their overtures are not appreciated. All we can do is encourage our children to be cautious, without discouraging kindness, yet it’s a delicate balance. There is much to churn over after reading The Way Back, and your mind will take some time to settle.
I highly recommend The Way Back, my new favourite from Kylie Ladd (which previously was Into My Arms). It’s a must read for book clubs, the range of material will keep you all discussing the novel for hours and that of course is the very best type of book club read.
Thanks is extended to Allen and Unwin for providing me with a copy of The Way Back for review.
I liked the way this novel was broken up into its three parts: Before, During and After. Within these sections, we experience the story through the eyes of Charlie, both her parents, her brother, the lead police sergeant investigating her case, and her abductor. This gives such a rounded and complete picture of the story, especially the addition of the abductor, Col. We could get a real feel for the Johnsons in Before, appreciate their normalcy, which of course makes what happens so much more relatable. They’re normal, it happened to them therefore it could happen to any family. The section During was rather traumatic, only because you could put yourself right into the situation, and well and truly imagine what this must be like, dealing with your child missing. Knowing that they’re out there somewhere, unknowing though if they’re alive or dead. Such a terrible state to live in and Kylie did so well at articulating the mental anguish a parent would be going through at such a time. In addition to this, we are exposed to what Charlie is experiencing, and it is with mounting dread that we encounter these passages. They were harrowing, but they needed to be. I frequently had to remind myself that this poor girl was only thirteen, magnifying the horror all over again. So young, to have such a terrible thing happen, yet so brave at the same time. The final section, After, is where we see the full effects of being a victim of crime and how far reaching this is. For Charlie, and her family, nothing was over once it was over. Life couldn’t just go back to normal.
Novels that focus on the long-lasting effects of crime are always so interesting to me. For the general public, when we see a missing person found, it’s celebrated, we hear about it for a little bit and then it fades away. But for the victim, and their family, a new trauma is just beginning. How do you assimilate back into your life? How do you answer questions you don’t want to answer? How do you ever feel safe again? Who are you now that you have been damaged by another? These questions, and more, are all addressed with skill and sensitivity in The Way Back. Reading a novel such as this provokes all manner of thoughts to begin swirling within your head, but foremost is this: Do we need to teach our children to be less friendly? We talk about stranger-danger and not engaging with unknown people online, never getting into a car with someone, the list really does go on and as parents we know it off by heart. But what of the kindness extended to the random, seemingly harmless looking person, who then takes that kindness and warps it to their own motivations, reading too much into it? This struck a chord with me, as I have encountered such people, those with diminished mental faculties, who really don’t understand why their overtures are not appreciated. All we can do is encourage our children to be cautious, without discouraging kindness, yet it’s a delicate balance. There is much to churn over after reading The Way Back, and your mind will take some time to settle.
I highly recommend The Way Back, my new favourite from Kylie Ladd (which previously was Into My Arms). It’s a must read for book clubs, the range of material will keep you all discussing the novel for hours and that of course is the very best type of book club read.
Thanks is extended to Allen and Unwin for providing me with a copy of The Way Back for review.
September 20, 2017
‘Tic-Tac shifted beneath her, blowing slightly.’
Charlie Johnson is thirteen years old when she goes missing. She’s been on a late afternoon ride in a Victorian national park with her friend Ivy when her horse Tic-Tac goes lame. Her friend Ivy decides to ride back to the pony club, leaving Charlie to lead Tic-Tac and follow on behind. This will be the last time that family or friends will see Charlie for four agonising months.
In this novel, Ms Ladd explores life for members of the Johnson family before, during and after Charlie’s disappearance. We readers shift our observation of events between Charlie, her mother Rachael, father Matt and brother Dan. We also have glimpses into a couple of other characters: Charlie’s abductor Col, and Terry, the police officer who has been involved since Charlie was reported missing.
It makes for confronting reading. Matt, Rachael and Dan alternate between hope and despair. Matt and Dan need to do something, whereas Rachael is almost unable to move. And Charlie herself? How does she face her ordeal?
Charlie manages to escape, and re-join her family. And, for me, this is the most powerful part of the novel. Life after such an ordeal never returns to what it was before. How does a family deal with such a trauma? How do individuals manage to rebuild their lives?
‘Trauma stained you, it stayed with you, it got under your skin like a bad tattoo.’
Ms Ladd has written a novel about one of every parent’s worst nightmares: a missing child. And in every case, the return of the child is what is hoped, prayed and wished for. But as Ms Ladd portrays so well in this novel, while the child’s return may be the end of their physical absence it’s not the end of the ordeal.
Given the subject matter, this is not really a novel to ‘enjoy’. It is a novel to read and think about, a novel that does provide both heart and hope. I admire the way in which Ms Ladd gave a voice to each of the major characters, even Col. This is a challenging read and uncomfortable in parts. But I am glad I read it, and I’d recommend it to anyone who appreciates contemporary fiction about difficult issues.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Charlie Johnson is thirteen years old when she goes missing. She’s been on a late afternoon ride in a Victorian national park with her friend Ivy when her horse Tic-Tac goes lame. Her friend Ivy decides to ride back to the pony club, leaving Charlie to lead Tic-Tac and follow on behind. This will be the last time that family or friends will see Charlie for four agonising months.
In this novel, Ms Ladd explores life for members of the Johnson family before, during and after Charlie’s disappearance. We readers shift our observation of events between Charlie, her mother Rachael, father Matt and brother Dan. We also have glimpses into a couple of other characters: Charlie’s abductor Col, and Terry, the police officer who has been involved since Charlie was reported missing.
It makes for confronting reading. Matt, Rachael and Dan alternate between hope and despair. Matt and Dan need to do something, whereas Rachael is almost unable to move. And Charlie herself? How does she face her ordeal?
Charlie manages to escape, and re-join her family. And, for me, this is the most powerful part of the novel. Life after such an ordeal never returns to what it was before. How does a family deal with such a trauma? How do individuals manage to rebuild their lives?
‘Trauma stained you, it stayed with you, it got under your skin like a bad tattoo.’
Ms Ladd has written a novel about one of every parent’s worst nightmares: a missing child. And in every case, the return of the child is what is hoped, prayed and wished for. But as Ms Ladd portrays so well in this novel, while the child’s return may be the end of their physical absence it’s not the end of the ordeal.
Given the subject matter, this is not really a novel to ‘enjoy’. It is a novel to read and think about, a novel that does provide both heart and hope. I admire the way in which Ms Ladd gave a voice to each of the major characters, even Col. This is a challenging read and uncomfortable in parts. But I am glad I read it, and I’d recommend it to anyone who appreciates contemporary fiction about difficult issues.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
September 23, 2017
I was recently privileged to briefly meet the talented and down to earth Kylie Ladd upon the Melbourne launch of 'The Way Back'. Having her kind face and her sweet interactions with her own teenage daughter in my mind as I read this made me appreciate the nuanced depths of emotional reality within this lovely book.
Bookstores should be obliged to hand over a box of tissues with this book. Oh how it gently yet painfully evokes emotions that are so authentic and so relatable, there are sometimes mere half sentences that took my breath away and had my chest aching with grief.
I found this book hard to put down yet I needed to do so at various points. I should add that I'm a bit of an emotional mess at the best of times so please don't be put off by my blubbering. This type of visceral reaction to a skilfully told story is a wonderful gift.
The ripple effect of one event, one moment in time upon not only 13 year old Charlie but all those closest to her and others after the fact is told from multiple points of view, showcasing the vast differences in human grief and how we react to trauma. Even the person who logic would dictate is despised by the reader is gently shown to be a victim of events in his life, creating reluctant empathy in the reader.
I highly recommend 'The Way Back' for a gift of a read...just have the tissues handy.
Bookstores should be obliged to hand over a box of tissues with this book. Oh how it gently yet painfully evokes emotions that are so authentic and so relatable, there are sometimes mere half sentences that took my breath away and had my chest aching with grief.
I found this book hard to put down yet I needed to do so at various points. I should add that I'm a bit of an emotional mess at the best of times so please don't be put off by my blubbering. This type of visceral reaction to a skilfully told story is a wonderful gift.
The ripple effect of one event, one moment in time upon not only 13 year old Charlie but all those closest to her and others after the fact is told from multiple points of view, showcasing the vast differences in human grief and how we react to trauma. Even the person who logic would dictate is despised by the reader is gently shown to be a victim of events in his life, creating reluctant empathy in the reader.
I highly recommend 'The Way Back' for a gift of a read...just have the tissues handy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2017
The Way Back is a heart wrenching story about thirteen year old horse crazy Charlie. Charlie is in her first year of high school in a rural Australian town. Her life is good, with a stable family of mum, dad and older brother Dan. Dan is the opposite of the out going Charlie, who loves playing netball, has her eye on Liam who shares classes with her. But most of all Charlie loves Tic Tac, the horse that her parents have leased for her at the local Pony Club.
Everything is going well in her life, until one day when she is snatched by a sinister and oddball man when her so-called friend Ida leaves her to walk her lame horse back to the stables. Over the next few weeks Charlie's family go through hell as they desperately try to find her. It is also a horrible time for Charlie who is locked up in a remote stable and treated badly by her captor.
Kylie Ladd has done a formidable job of taking us inside the heads of all of the key participants in Charlie's story. Its challenging at times but the essence of her captivity, her parents and brother's mindsets is one of hope. Well written and a gripping read.
Everything is going well in her life, until one day when she is snatched by a sinister and oddball man when her so-called friend Ida leaves her to walk her lame horse back to the stables. Over the next few weeks Charlie's family go through hell as they desperately try to find her. It is also a horrible time for Charlie who is locked up in a remote stable and treated badly by her captor.
Kylie Ladd has done a formidable job of taking us inside the heads of all of the key participants in Charlie's story. Its challenging at times but the essence of her captivity, her parents and brother's mindsets is one of hope. Well written and a gripping read.
July 10, 2017
This is a story that illustrates the tangled web that can be created by a single event. When Charlie is abducted and then found, it is not only the horror of her ordeal that needs resolving, but also for all the family, friends and personnel involved who have been affected in varying degrees by the abduction. This novel certainly makes you reflect on how you may react in the same circumstances.
October 5, 2018
In the author notes to THE WAY BACK, Kylie Ladd says she became interested in the idea behind the novel when US teenager Elizabeth Smart was reunited with her family months after she was abducted. Whilst the media focused on the story of her captivity and release, what intrigued Ladd was how Elizabeth could/would recover. As more long-lost girls, kidnapped and treated brutally started to be found, Ladd's interest peaked.
As both a psychologist and a writer, what fascinated me wasn't so much how these girls endured what they did, but how (and if) they were able to pick up the pieces of their old lives and start again. The lost child is a popular trope in Australian arts and literature, but I was interested in exploring this from a slightly different angle: not focusing on the loss per se, but what happens next, when what is lost is found.
After reading THE WAY BACK, I read this note and it set me to thinking hard about the novel that had preceded. The obvious question is does it explore this question adequately - "what happens next"? Can't help but think it nailed much of that aspect. Even being unaware of the premise whilst starting THE WAY BACK, there's something confronting, emotional and involving about this novel. It is a different focus. The reader will react with it in a very different way. The pain and after-effects of what Charlie Johnson experienced in four months of captivity complicate everything, and you can clearly see the life-long affect that something like this must have on a young girl. You see it from her point of view, from her families and from her friends and community.
Charlie's voice is well presented, she's a believable, horse obsessed 13 year old girl, damaged by the ordeal she experiences. As a counter point her abductor is portrayed as a damaged individual as well, presenting the reader with the possibility of nuance on the face of evil. The downside in this context is that it splits the focus, calls for overwhelming compassion and understanding on the part of the reader, and it's a lot to comprehend. Somehow the idea that the abductor is equally damaged and vulnerable seems to unfortunately downplay the ordeal that Charlie experienced. It may be a perfectly valid viewpoint but it weakened the message here, along with the use of overtly convenient "close calls" and coincidences that again muddied the central message too much.
When Ladd is exploring that central idea - "what happens when what is lost is found" - THE WAY BACK is indeed powerful. Moving, confronting, and very powerful.
February 17, 2018
At the heart of The Way Back (Allen & Unwin Books 2017), a novel by Kylie Ladd, is a terrible crime: while out horse riding, thirteen-year-old Charlie goes missing in bushland; her horse Tic-Tac arrives back at the stables without her. Four months later, after extensive searching by the police, SES, family and friends has uncovered no leads, Charlie wanders out from the scrub. Dirty, injured, malnourished and disorientated, she is welcomed back by her relieved family, but her ordeal is far from over.
This is an unusual book. While the narrative centres on a crime, it does not follow the traditional crime trope, in that right from the beginning we know the details of what has occurred. We know who goes missing, and how and why; we know who did it, and how and why. The story is not so much about the crime itself as about the psychological structure surrounding the act, and about how each of the characters deals with the aftermath. We are given perspectives from several characters, including Charlie, her abductor Col, her parents and friends. And from each viewpoint we begin to construct the framework for how such a crime could occur (the background of the perpetrator, Charlie’s family circumstances) and, more importantly, the repercussions for all involved. The most emphasis is placed on how the abduction affects Charlie and how she reintegrates back into her family and her life generally afterwards; how her going missing takes its toll on her family members and how they adapt to her return, particularly as she comes back ‘broken’ and quite different from when she left; and how the media and various other social groups depict her ordeal, and deal with her almost miraculous reappearance.
Kylie Ladd is both a psychologist and a writer, and this combination is evident in her writing. The details of this situation are horrific – and she doesn’t shy away from the harsh reality of the crime – but rather than dwell on that aspect, she chooses to interrogate the emotional territory of loss, grief, reunion, disconnection and trauma through the matrix of criss-crossing actions and behaviours that hold the story together.
She delves deep into the minds of her characters, and gives an insightful depiction of young Charlie, her adolescent brother Dan, and her parents (particularly her driven mother, Rachael). She even gives us some perception of the alone and lonely Col, a man with mental and emotional deficits; despite the fact that he is a man who commits atrocious acts, Ladd manages to imbue him with a degree of empathy that must surely have been a difficult feat. And yet by the closing pages, we do seem to understand how he became the person he is, and why his life has taken this course.
This is an unusual book. While the narrative centres on a crime, it does not follow the traditional crime trope, in that right from the beginning we know the details of what has occurred. We know who goes missing, and how and why; we know who did it, and how and why. The story is not so much about the crime itself as about the psychological structure surrounding the act, and about how each of the characters deals with the aftermath. We are given perspectives from several characters, including Charlie, her abductor Col, her parents and friends. And from each viewpoint we begin to construct the framework for how such a crime could occur (the background of the perpetrator, Charlie’s family circumstances) and, more importantly, the repercussions for all involved. The most emphasis is placed on how the abduction affects Charlie and how she reintegrates back into her family and her life generally afterwards; how her going missing takes its toll on her family members and how they adapt to her return, particularly as she comes back ‘broken’ and quite different from when she left; and how the media and various other social groups depict her ordeal, and deal with her almost miraculous reappearance.
Kylie Ladd is both a psychologist and a writer, and this combination is evident in her writing. The details of this situation are horrific – and she doesn’t shy away from the harsh reality of the crime – but rather than dwell on that aspect, she chooses to interrogate the emotional territory of loss, grief, reunion, disconnection and trauma through the matrix of criss-crossing actions and behaviours that hold the story together.
She delves deep into the minds of her characters, and gives an insightful depiction of young Charlie, her adolescent brother Dan, and her parents (particularly her driven mother, Rachael). She even gives us some perception of the alone and lonely Col, a man with mental and emotional deficits; despite the fact that he is a man who commits atrocious acts, Ladd manages to imbue him with a degree of empathy that must surely have been a difficult feat. And yet by the closing pages, we do seem to understand how he became the person he is, and why his life has taken this course.
October 1, 2017
Loved it!! Couldn't put it down!!
November 2, 2017
Harrowing, challenging yet thoroughly gripping is the devastating story of The Way Back. Charlie is a 13 year old girl taken from her normal, everyday life and held captive by a mentally disturbed man who wants a friend. A lot of books when someone goes missing you only get one side of the story – not this one, you get the Girl, Mum, Dad, Brother, Policeman and Captor and all of these Before, During and After. So emotionally we are going through a rollercoaster. Fantastic, page turner of a read that I highly recommend.
October 15, 2018
It took a few tries to start this but once I dis, I really enjoyed it. Well written and thought provoking.
March 8, 2023
This book featured a delicate subject matter that was handled in a way that was neither distasteful or judgmental, and showed the aftermath of the involved parties dealing with life in an informative and insightful way.
I had a difficult time with the lack of chapter segregation (purely my own style of reading, I find it difficult to read big sections of writing with little chance to pause, reflect and just take a breather). I did really like the break up of before, during and after, and the portrayals of the effects of each stage on the various characters involved.
I love the idea of using multiple perspectives throughout, and it worked well with this story and the style in which it was written. It was a great way to put forth the emotions of all sides of the situation, loved ones, person involved and captor.
Although the parts written from Col' s perspective offered an insight into his mental fragility, I found the language his sections a little difficult to read at times and I found that I didn't particularly want to feel any sympathy towards him.
It was pacey enough that it didn't feel drawn out and repetitive, but not so much that it made light of the story and situation in anyway.
Despite the brief sections, each character was well developed, and likable, even Col at times, who I felt very conflicted with sympathising with.
The various coping methods and personalities portrayed by each character with dealing with the situation were very believable, and did a great job at evoking empathy from myself as the reader .
(I'm also really glad that Blue was not forgotten about and found a loving new home 😊)
The few worn out cliches aside, overall, The Way Back gave an insightful view into the minds of those affected by trauma and tragedy.
I had a difficult time with the lack of chapter segregation (purely my own style of reading, I find it difficult to read big sections of writing with little chance to pause, reflect and just take a breather). I did really like the break up of before, during and after, and the portrayals of the effects of each stage on the various characters involved.
I love the idea of using multiple perspectives throughout, and it worked well with this story and the style in which it was written. It was a great way to put forth the emotions of all sides of the situation, loved ones, person involved and captor.
Although the parts written from Col' s perspective offered an insight into his mental fragility, I found the language his sections a little difficult to read at times and I found that I didn't particularly want to feel any sympathy towards him.
It was pacey enough that it didn't feel drawn out and repetitive, but not so much that it made light of the story and situation in anyway.
Despite the brief sections, each character was well developed, and likable, even Col at times, who I felt very conflicted with sympathising with.
The various coping methods and personalities portrayed by each character with dealing with the situation were very believable, and did a great job at evoking empathy from myself as the reader .
(I'm also really glad that Blue was not forgotten about and found a loving new home 😊)
The few worn out cliches aside, overall, The Way Back gave an insightful view into the minds of those affected by trauma and tragedy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2017
An innocent, friendly, 13 year old girl who loves horses, loves riding in the forest. They were always told to ride with friends, never alone. On this day Charlie's horse goes lame so that she needs to walk him back. Her 'friend' is impatient and leaves her. A lonely, mentally challenged, old hermit -Col- sees her and thinks she's nice and that he'd like to stroke her beautiful hair. He decides to take her and keep her as a friend and so Charlie's nightmare begins. A horrific 4 months later she finally manages to escape. Back to everything she loves but nothing will ever be the same. When they finally arrest Col and there is going to be a trial it's even worse as she doesn't want anyone to know what she really endured. How will she ever be able to live a normal life again?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2017
LOVED this book. I finished it (3/4 of the book) in one sitting. I'm a big fan of Kylie Ladd's books and this one has just surpassed my longtime favourite Last Summer. Kylie has a way of putting the reader inside the families she writes about. I particularly loved the way Kylie neatly finished this book - not in a schmaltzy predictable way - but in a way that gave the reader (me) a satisfying closure. Many books don't do this.
August 19, 2017
Been reading books from Australian Authors recently so much talent..this book is amazing too...grab a copy you will be so glad you did:)
August 28, 2017
Heartbreaking, written with such empathy for all involved. Really looking forward to reading the author's other novels.
July 29, 2017
I’m generally a fan of novels of suspense and whodunnits. The Way Back is not that sort of book. We know who’s taken Charlie from the get-go and Ladd takes us into her mind (and that of her captor’s to an extent) during the four months she’s away from her family.
This book isn’t about the investigation or the hunt for the baddie. It isn’t a race against time to save someone’s life. The blurb tells us Charlie returns home, so we already know that happens.
This book is very much about Charlie and how she copes while in captivity and after being released, and it’s about her family and the impact Charlie’s disappearance has on their life…. on the things they’ve previously held dear and – of course – on their relationships.
As well as a short time in the head of Charlie’s captor, we alternate between the four members of Charlie’s family and they’re all complicated and very very real.
I really loved the relationship between Charlie and her older brother Dan. When we first meet the family his parents are unable to really ‘connect’ with Dan but he’s completely unguarded when it comes to his sister. She easily slips beneath his defences and he doesn’t just tolerate his younger sibling, but appreciates her personality and presence.
I suspect it’s obvious I loved this book, which touches on the helplessness parents feel when harm comes to their children, or they feel unable to help them. I liked the fact the novel reflects all of the family’s individual relationships and the fact we see the characters AND their relationships both falter and change because of – and in spite of – what happens.
Read the full review on my site: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
This book isn’t about the investigation or the hunt for the baddie. It isn’t a race against time to save someone’s life. The blurb tells us Charlie returns home, so we already know that happens.
This book is very much about Charlie and how she copes while in captivity and after being released, and it’s about her family and the impact Charlie’s disappearance has on their life…. on the things they’ve previously held dear and – of course – on their relationships.
As well as a short time in the head of Charlie’s captor, we alternate between the four members of Charlie’s family and they’re all complicated and very very real.
I really loved the relationship between Charlie and her older brother Dan. When we first meet the family his parents are unable to really ‘connect’ with Dan but he’s completely unguarded when it comes to his sister. She easily slips beneath his defences and he doesn’t just tolerate his younger sibling, but appreciates her personality and presence.
I suspect it’s obvious I loved this book, which touches on the helplessness parents feel when harm comes to their children, or they feel unable to help them. I liked the fact the novel reflects all of the family’s individual relationships and the fact we see the characters AND their relationships both falter and change because of – and in spite of – what happens.
Read the full review on my site: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
March 24, 2025
This was a disappointment for me, after reading 'I'll leave you with this' and 'The Mix-up', both 4 stars. The characters were a bit unlikeable and disjointed, the story wentt on and on, with no resolution (except an easy way out for one character) Everyone was on the surface , no depth of characterisations for me. very disappointing.
August 19, 2017
I’ve read a lot of police procedurals and psychological thriller/suspense novels about the race to save someone from an abductor or a vicious serial killer. This isn’t one of those sorts of books.
Instead this book is more focused on the ‘after’ – the what happens after a young teenager is taken against her will and held captive for almost four months in a remote area of a national park by a reclusive and troubled man. That Charlie would return isn’t a question when the reader picks up this book (unless you don’t read blurbs, but in that case you’re probably not reading reviews either) but it’s more how she will return….mentally. How will she cope with what has happened and be able to move on? How will her parents and brother deal with what happened to her while she was taken and the resulting media frenzy that always accompanies such a thing.
Charlie is a horse-mad teenager who spends most of her free time at the stables where she leases a pony named Tic Tac. She’s just started high school and is struggling through the newness of that, of being a high schooler and the negotiating of new friendships, boys, etc. Charlie is a really strong character, she never stops fighting, despite the fact that she is the one in the position of victim, of vulnerability, of relying on someone else who is keeping her captive for the very basics to keep her alive. Still though, she is thinking, trying, planning even as she’s being beaten down and trapped and starved. She backs herself time and time again which for a 13 year old girl was amazingly brave.
Charlie’s parents experience an utter nightmare and the ways in which they cope with her disappearance (or the ways in which they don’t cope, I suppose) were quite fascinating to read about. Charlie’s dad is a fireman, a man of action and he never stops. He spends hours searching, making posters, just constantly doing things in order to get through the days where she’s missing. I found it really easy to put myself in their place, to examine what I would do in such a situation. To be honest I don’t think I’d be the active, always doing things type, always certain that there was still hope. I’d probably the one that fell apart but I guess that would work in my favour, as this book bitingly observes the Australian public like their women openly messily grieving, sobbing in public on television and looking like shit. No calm Lindy Chamberlain or even Rosie Batty types thanks – that makes people uncomfortable because they’re not doing grief “right”.
The role of the media in this book deserves a mention. The media can be a useful tool in a missing persons case in getting the word out to a huge number of people. In the current climate, social media and the immediacy of the 24/7 news cycle means that precious little time is wasted. Photos can be circulated state wide in moments and everyone is walking around looking at twitter or facebook – you don’t even have to be near a televison or watching the news. But the media is very much a double sided sword because they can also be incredibly invasive and unkind in some of the things that go to print, especially when they can’t get their hands on an exclusive story. Some of the media-related things that occur in this story are horrible – psychologically damaging to someone already psychologically damaged. It’s a frustrating element that I think people might not really think about – yes the person is home. Life can go back to “normal”….but it can’t. Because there are so many things that are preventing it from going back to normal and just one of those things are the media packs camped out on the lawns/at the front doors and the stories appearing in various glossies about “What Really Happened!” except they don’t really know what really happened and mostly what’s inside will be whatever some “source close to the family” made up that day. This book is such a thoughtful examination of the after (the title after all is, The Way Back) and it made me think about how detrimental it all must be to continue seeing versions of what happened, some of which bear little or no resemblance to the truth, everywhere you go for people who go through things like what Charlie and her family did. And it’s not just limited to abductions or cases where children are missing but anything really newsworthy. It makes it even harder to return to some sort of ‘normal life’.
I really enjoyed the characterisation in this – Charlie and her more introverted older brother Dan, their mother Rachael who balances hovering somewhat protectively with a full time job and the fireman/stay at home father Matt who is less concerned about homework and asking how things are going. The relationships were intimate but also realistic: the comfortable marriage not without its issues, the breakdowns, the love, the grief. All of the emotions were so well nuanced and made it so easy to connect with both the people and their stories.
Another clever, amazingly well written book from Kylie Ladd examining the intricate thought processes during an unthinkable event from every angle surrounding it.
Instead this book is more focused on the ‘after’ – the what happens after a young teenager is taken against her will and held captive for almost four months in a remote area of a national park by a reclusive and troubled man. That Charlie would return isn’t a question when the reader picks up this book (unless you don’t read blurbs, but in that case you’re probably not reading reviews either) but it’s more how she will return….mentally. How will she cope with what has happened and be able to move on? How will her parents and brother deal with what happened to her while she was taken and the resulting media frenzy that always accompanies such a thing.
Charlie is a horse-mad teenager who spends most of her free time at the stables where she leases a pony named Tic Tac. She’s just started high school and is struggling through the newness of that, of being a high schooler and the negotiating of new friendships, boys, etc. Charlie is a really strong character, she never stops fighting, despite the fact that she is the one in the position of victim, of vulnerability, of relying on someone else who is keeping her captive for the very basics to keep her alive. Still though, she is thinking, trying, planning even as she’s being beaten down and trapped and starved. She backs herself time and time again which for a 13 year old girl was amazingly brave.
Charlie’s parents experience an utter nightmare and the ways in which they cope with her disappearance (or the ways in which they don’t cope, I suppose) were quite fascinating to read about. Charlie’s dad is a fireman, a man of action and he never stops. He spends hours searching, making posters, just constantly doing things in order to get through the days where she’s missing. I found it really easy to put myself in their place, to examine what I would do in such a situation. To be honest I don’t think I’d be the active, always doing things type, always certain that there was still hope. I’d probably the one that fell apart but I guess that would work in my favour, as this book bitingly observes the Australian public like their women openly messily grieving, sobbing in public on television and looking like shit. No calm Lindy Chamberlain or even Rosie Batty types thanks – that makes people uncomfortable because they’re not doing grief “right”.
The role of the media in this book deserves a mention. The media can be a useful tool in a missing persons case in getting the word out to a huge number of people. In the current climate, social media and the immediacy of the 24/7 news cycle means that precious little time is wasted. Photos can be circulated state wide in moments and everyone is walking around looking at twitter or facebook – you don’t even have to be near a televison or watching the news. But the media is very much a double sided sword because they can also be incredibly invasive and unkind in some of the things that go to print, especially when they can’t get their hands on an exclusive story. Some of the media-related things that occur in this story are horrible – psychologically damaging to someone already psychologically damaged. It’s a frustrating element that I think people might not really think about – yes the person is home. Life can go back to “normal”….but it can’t. Because there are so many things that are preventing it from going back to normal and just one of those things are the media packs camped out on the lawns/at the front doors and the stories appearing in various glossies about “What Really Happened!” except they don’t really know what really happened and mostly what’s inside will be whatever some “source close to the family” made up that day. This book is such a thoughtful examination of the after (the title after all is, The Way Back) and it made me think about how detrimental it all must be to continue seeing versions of what happened, some of which bear little or no resemblance to the truth, everywhere you go for people who go through things like what Charlie and her family did. And it’s not just limited to abductions or cases where children are missing but anything really newsworthy. It makes it even harder to return to some sort of ‘normal life’.
I really enjoyed the characterisation in this – Charlie and her more introverted older brother Dan, their mother Rachael who balances hovering somewhat protectively with a full time job and the fireman/stay at home father Matt who is less concerned about homework and asking how things are going. The relationships were intimate but also realistic: the comfortable marriage not without its issues, the breakdowns, the love, the grief. All of the emotions were so well nuanced and made it so easy to connect with both the people and their stories.
Another clever, amazingly well written book from Kylie Ladd examining the intricate thought processes during an unthinkable event from every angle surrounding it.
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December 27, 2017Kylie Ladd writes with incredible compassion. I found myself sobbing with relief at one point. Nicely paced and terrific insight into the realm of familial relationships. Check it out.
November 4, 2017
This is the first book by Kylie Ladd that I’ve ever read. She touched me with her sensibility, the way she portrayed all her characters, how she handled such a difficult topic and engaged me from the beginning since the last word. Thank you for the fabulous read!
March 16, 2018
great book, well written and a book that I didnt want to put down.
October 15, 2017
A great thought-provoking look at what happens to an entire family during and after trauma. Most books/movies end 'happily ever after' with the return of someone who went missing. This novel goes far deeper.
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