Author: David Rawding
Genre: Contemporary
Disclaimer: Drug use, Violence, and Suicide
Publication Date: June 26th, 2018
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing
Twenty-one-year-old Chris Olson has hit rock-bottom. His addiction to painkillers has left him homeless and ruined. Hoping to give him a clean start, his sister, Aida, convinces him to move to Anchorage to live with her.
But trouble seems to follow Chris, and he brings it right to Aida’s doorstep. Faced with having to kick her brother out of the house, Aida enlists the help of her friend, Doctor Max Fitwell. Max, haunted by a recent personal tragedy, wants nothing more than to be left alone in his misery. But he reluctantly agrees to allow Chris to stay with him and to help build a cabin.
Chris and Max, two men who are each struggling to find their own reasons to live, navigate the wilderness of Alaska, where they’ll either become better men or die trying.
*A Thank to the author for allowing me to read this in exchange for a honest and unbiased review*
Rating
Hello Fellow Readers,
This was such an emotional roller coaster. Once I thought I had a handle on my feelings Rawding gave me another loop and added a steep drop. Chris and Max's story is one that goes on everyday in the world but we never get to hear about it. Rawding did a great job writing their struggles so much so that I had to keep reminding myself that this is a work of fiction.
I was so invested in Chris and Max's journey. Chris did make me so frustrated at times, but this is because I was rooting for him to be strong and get clean, but anyone whose ever been or has known a drug addict can say that it's a daily struggle. There are going to be mistakes and relapses. Max's story, although not as prominent, was just as powerful. I've never lost someone I love (which I am so grateful for) but the grief and guilt he was suffocating in made you feel as if you had been the one grieving. Chris and Max's relationship was a ride all by itself. Every time I felt it was going somewhere they hit a hard stop. They kept taking one step forward and then two steps back again.
Rawding was really aiming for the heartstrings when he was writing this. He wrote amazingly, and really had me picturing the Alaskan Wilderness as if I was there. There were points in the story where I felt he detailed things a bit too hard but it didn't take too much away from the story.
Overall, this was a heart-wrenching book, so if your ready for a emotional ride pick this up.
