This is the story that could have happened to anyone of us. Every one of us could have been lost and found or never found. Any child could have been taken to be tortured or taken to be saved as in the case of The Nowhere Child.
Reading this book one constant thought niggled at my brain: we have it easy. I have it easy. All the teenage angst, all the pain and conflict of living in the broken family an adapting to step-father, all the moving and changing schools, all the operations and bullying at school – are nothing comparing to what kids went through this tiny, quiet and peaceful town of Manson.
Reaching from the States to Australia, from tiny Manson to metropolis of Melbourne, this story stretches distances, time and mind. The Nowhere Child will make parents re-think their parenting, kids to re-think their rebellion and everyone question their own priorities when it comes to ‘you did me wrong’.
Christian White created a very believable situation, environment and characters. The only ‘not so good’ note would be Emma, the teenage older sister. Teenagers do no speak like she does. They do not philosophize and rationalize as she does. And then, if she was so smart at 13 why did she end up where she did? This bit was a bit off.
The rest of the book, including snakes and crazy preacher, read as one word. I finished this book quite quickly as I wanted to see how it all ends.
Happy end? In a way. Have a read for yourself.
Svetlana Tishchenko 