kbranfield's review
4.0
4.5 stars.
The Secrets of Neverwood anthology concludes with Libby Drew's The Lost Year. Devon McCade is the oldest foster brother and he is definitely the most enigmatic of the three. Although he kept in touch with Audrey over the years through letters, he never returned to Neverwood after he left. While Devon is behind the renovation 100 percent, his career as a photojournalist requires frequently travel. Returning home after his most recent assignment, Nicholas Hardy asks for Devon's help in locating his runaway son, Robbie.
The Lost Year is a little different than the other stories in the anthology since some of Devon's story takes place away from Neverwood. He and Nicholas form a close bond during their search for Robbie, but both view their relationship as short term. Surprisingly, although he tends to be emotionally distant, Devon falls hard for Nicholas but he remains very wary of opening up and letting Nicholas completely into his life.
Like his foster brothers, Devon is still struggling to put his painful past behind him. He was one of Audrey's first (and most difficult) foster children and she felt his loss the most keenly. The reasons behind his behavior and departure are deeply rooted in his dysfunctional childhood and it explains much about Devon, including his career choice. While his relationship with his brothers is much improved, the fact that he is not at Neverwood full time is still cause for uncertainty and they are very wary of his involvement with Nicholas and Robbie.
As with The Growing Season, the paranormal portion of the storyline is much more pronounced in The Lost Year. Each of the brothers experiences their encounters with Audrey's ghost differently and her role in the storyline increases along with their fight to keep Neverwood out of the hands of an unscrupulous developer. The conclusion of this story arc is rather dramatic and extremely satisfying!
The Lost Year by Libby Drew is a marvelous conclusion to the Secrets of Neverwood anthology. It is well worth the wait to uncover all of Devon's longheld secrets but it is watching him fall in love that is so incredibly gratifying.
The Secrets of Neverwood anthology concludes with Libby Drew's The Lost Year. Devon McCade is the oldest foster brother and he is definitely the most enigmatic of the three. Although he kept in touch with Audrey over the years through letters, he never returned to Neverwood after he left. While Devon is behind the renovation 100 percent, his career as a photojournalist requires frequently travel. Returning home after his most recent assignment, Nicholas Hardy asks for Devon's help in locating his runaway son, Robbie.
The Lost Year is a little different than the other stories in the anthology since some of Devon's story takes place away from Neverwood. He and Nicholas form a close bond during their search for Robbie, but both view their relationship as short term. Surprisingly, although he tends to be emotionally distant, Devon falls hard for Nicholas but he remains very wary of opening up and letting Nicholas completely into his life.
Like his foster brothers, Devon is still struggling to put his painful past behind him. He was one of Audrey's first (and most difficult) foster children and she felt his loss the most keenly. The reasons behind his behavior and departure are deeply rooted in his dysfunctional childhood and it explains much about Devon, including his career choice. While his relationship with his brothers is much improved, the fact that he is not at Neverwood full time is still cause for uncertainty and they are very wary of his involvement with Nicholas and Robbie.
As with The Growing Season, the paranormal portion of the storyline is much more pronounced in The Lost Year. Each of the brothers experiences their encounters with Audrey's ghost differently and her role in the storyline increases along with their fight to keep Neverwood out of the hands of an unscrupulous developer. The conclusion of this story arc is rather dramatic and extremely satisfying!
The Lost Year by Libby Drew is a marvelous conclusion to the Secrets of Neverwood anthology. It is well worth the wait to uncover all of Devon's longheld secrets but it is watching him fall in love that is so incredibly gratifying.
papercranestitches's review
4.0
*** 4.25 Stars ***
I felt as if this one had more raw emotion than the other two, and I'm a total sucker for that.
My only real issue with this book was that I don't think the author ever explained why Robbie ran away from home in the first place. I mean, it was established why Nicholas thought he ran away, but Robbie claimed that wasn't it (of course, he was talking to Devon at the time, so I don't know if he ever told his father that wasn't the reason). I feel like this explanation was a necessary piece of the story and I don't understand how it didn't get included. I'm serious. It's such a critical detail that I feel like it MUST be there, and I somehow missed it. That's right, I'm willing to doubt my own reading ability rather than accept that an author would have such an egregious oversight in her plot.
Has anyone else read this one? Feel free to comment below and tell me I'm an idiot and Robbie ran away because...
Edit:
Hmm... the more I think about it, the more "I thought he didn't want me anymore" seems to ring a bell for me. But if that's so - if that's the entire reason this kid spent a year on the streets - that's weak sauce, my friends.
Regardless, I liked the book and I thought it was generally well written. The characters wormed their way under my skin with surprising speed and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
I felt as if this one had more raw emotion than the other two, and I'm a total sucker for that.
My only real issue with this book was that I don't think the author ever explained why Robbie ran away from home in the first place. I mean, it was established why Nicholas thought he ran away, but Robbie claimed that wasn't it (of course, he was talking to Devon at the time, so I don't know if he ever told his father that wasn't the reason). I feel like this explanation was a necessary piece of the story and I don't understand how it didn't get included. I'm serious. It's such a critical detail that I feel like it MUST be there, and I somehow missed it. That's right, I'm willing to doubt my own reading ability rather than accept that an author would have such an egregious oversight in her plot.
Has anyone else read this one? Feel free to comment below and tell me I'm an idiot and Robbie ran away because...
Edit:
Hmm... the more I think about it, the more "I thought he didn't want me anymore" seems to ring a bell for me. But if that's so - if that's the entire reason this kid spent a year on the streets - that's weak sauce, my friends.
Regardless, I liked the book and I thought it was generally well written. The characters wormed their way under my skin with surprising speed and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
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