A review by michelles_book_nook
The Summer Children by Dot Hutchison

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

⚠️ CW: murder, domestic abuse, child abuse, sexual abuse, paedophilia, rape and sexual assault ⚠️ I think at this stage it's safe to say that Dot Hutchison has become one of my favourite authors! 😍 When Agent Mercedes Ramirez finds an abused young boy on her porch, covered in blood and clutching a teddy bear, she has no idea that this is just the beginning. He tells her a chilling tale of an angel that killed his parents and then brought him here so Mercedes could keep him safe. His parents weren’t just murdered. It was a slaughter, a rage kill like no one on the Crimes Against Children team has seen before. But they’re going to see it again. An avenging angel is meting out savage justice, and she’s far from through. One by one, more children arrive at Mercedes’ door with the same horror story. Each one a traumatized survivor of an abusive home. Each one chafing at Mercedes’ own scars from the past. And each one taking its toll on her life and career. Now, as the investigation draws her deeper into the dark, Mercedes is beginning to fear that if this case doesn’t destroy her, her memories might. This was one hell of a read. It had me hooked and feeling a rollercoaster of emotions all the way to the end. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the way Dot Hutchison is able to write such dark and gut wrenching situations is so hauntingly beautiful. Overall, I highly recommend this book and the series as a whole but please check the CW's before reading.

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