What They Always Tell Us by Martin Wilson

I should note as well that I enjoyed the setting for the story too.

I loved it because the story really was done (as both an author and a reader I know that) but I still wanted to know more about the journey these characters were on. I both loved and hated where the book ended. In particular the final act as Sam seeks to make peace with his three years away was both heart wrenching and cathartic.

The emotions that run through this book are strong and I loved how Wilson balanced the whole package to create a compelling, satisfying story. Wilson does a tremendous job balancing the stories of Beth and Josh as they figure out how to deal with Sam’s return and what it means to them while at the same time giving voice to Sam’s story from those three years plus what he has to do to feel right at home. There are uncomfortable discussions that lead to a tense finale. As Beth copes with not being sure of her place at school or at home, Josh becomes the one Sam talks to about what happened during his three years away. Josh, meanwhile, has a disconnect with his best friend Nick while finding himself drawn to Sam, even though they weren’t the best of friends before the kidnapping. For Beth there’s a shift in her friends as she initially gravitates back to the ones that she hung out with when Sam disappeared instead of her more recent ones, including potential boyfriend Donal. The POV in the book alternates between Beth and Josh, which was a great way to tell the story rather than having Sam tell the story. There’s a flurry of interviews, visits from neighbors, and strained relationships that form around Beth, now 17, and Josh, now 14, as they figure out how to cope with this major change in their world. Jump forward to the present and Beth gets a call to come home right away because Sam’s been found…and he’s alive. It’s the last time they see each other because by the end of that day, Sam doesn’t come home and Josh and Sam’s sister Beth are both hiding things they know. The book opens three years ago, as 11-year-old friends Sam and Josh are headed out, in the midst of a hot Alabama summer day to ride their bikes to the mall to get a videogame. We Now Return to Regular Life is a powerful book about what it means to be family, an ally and a friend. Nine years later comes Martin’s second book and it was well worth the wait. Martin Wilson’s debut novel, 2008’s What They Always Tell Us, is a stunning book that has been an inspiration to me since I first read it.

What They Always Tell Us by Martin Wilson