* I received this ARC from the publisher through Netgalley for the purpose of honestly reviewing the book*
The Found Child is a psychological thriller/suspense through and through. You don’t know what’s happening and who to trust for majority of the book. This book is nothing short of a roller-coaster ride for your mind.
The prologue starts off with a bang and I knew I was in for a ride. Then, the story at present begins normally enough, with us getting vibes of a regular family, but the underlying tension and secrets are strong enough for us not to get fooled. The protagonist is established as an anxious, paranoid mother. You slowly start to realize that she is not reliable narrator. The author does well to make us doubt her along with most of other characters.
There are many things happening in the book – multitude of secrets and mysteries begging to be unfolded. And as the story progresses, even more questions crop up. Just when you think you’ve got the answer to one mystery, another question comes up to complicate that same mystery.
I had some problems with the flow of the book. So much is happening at such a fast pace, that one might easily get overwhelmed and confused. I also had problems with some of the plot lines.
For example, a school nurse informs Child Protective Services about bruises in Jake’s body which later turn out to be a symptom of his Leukemia. Later on, a woman from Child Protective Services comes to check up on him, and while she fails to get any proof of abuse on Jake, she does get him to open up about the tension between his parents he noticed since he became ill. So, that woman uses that as an excuse to announce about further visit in the coming week. I was very surprised at that. From what I’ve read and seen about Child Protective Services, they have a lot on their plates to check back and counsel parents struggling because of their son’s illness, a son who has evidently not been abused by rhem. That, to me seemed too unbelievable. Or maybe my knowledge about the Child Protective Services has been flawed all along.
Despite its flaws, the pace of the book actually ensures that you don’t get a breather to stop and think about any possible inconsistencies. But, there is still not complete closure at the end. The ending leaves you with the feeling that there could be more in store for us readers. I think I’d like that.
Anyways, overall, The Found Child was true to its genre. The twists and turns were excellent. And it was unpredictable enough to keep me at the edge of my seat.