In a suburb on Boston’s North Shore, a catatonic little girl is found behind a dumpster. She is a mystery. As Social Worker Debbie Gillan pieces together the puzzle of the child’s identity, she discovers the child had disappeared two years earlier along with a twin sister. She also discovers HANNAHWHERE, an alternate world that is both a haven and a prison…. Life altering trauma becomes the key … key to unraveling the truth about the children, about Hannahwhere…and about Debbie herself. Truths that could either save them or destroy them all.
Winner of the 2015 Drunken Druid Award (Ireland) for high literary merit.
Nominee for the 2015 Bram Stoker Award (HWA) in the First Novel category.
”Hannahwhere is a revelation….
— F. Paul Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of FEAR CITY
”Hannahwhere by John McIlveen is everything a book should be…I loved it!”
— Heather Graham, New York Times bestselling author of THE HIDDEN
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Hannahwhere
This book is amazing! Haunting, with an addicting story line. I can’t put it down!
Hannahwhere has all the elements for a fast-paced emotionally complex intriguing read. Most enjoyable read folks – highly recommended.
HANNAHWHERE is a mystery, and it is a love story, and it is a complex horror story. There are some supernatural elements interwoven with very real physical and psychological terror that, in the hands of a less capable writer, could have become so entangled as to never reach a suitable conclusion. John McIlveen did not resort to any convenience of plot to overcome the entanglements but rather followed the convoluted path wherever it might lead while giving his reader a truly gut-wrenching ride. At times it was hard to turn the pages fast enough.
The way we look at the issue of child abuse, or for that matter any abuse, has changed, in my lifetime, from something never to be mentioned to being emblazoned on the front page of the newspaper, or blog, or TV news. I don’t believe that this is due to an increase in this horrendous behavior, but rather due to an increase in the willingness to talk about it. Abuse is a fact of life with which we should all be uncomfortable, and, at the same time, something that must never be ignored.
Key to the telling of the tale is the sympathetic language used to describe horrors we would like to think are unimaginable. By sometimes talking around the barbaric acts, a clearer picture emerges, images we would rather never see. I never felt that this language was meant to diminish the savagery. In some ways, the careful choice of words made the violence that much more real.
For the most part, the presentation here is highly polished and readable. However, there are several streaks that mar the finish. Overall, they are mere blips that ultimately do nothing to diminish the story.
HANNAHWHERE is one of those books that it is difficult to say you enjoyed reading, yet it is not unique in this characteristic. There have been any number of books that I am glad that I read but feel that to say I enjoyed them would reflect badly on me. Sometimes it is enough to read and understand what the author is saying to make a novel a worthwhile read. HANNAHWHERE is a worthwhile read.
Great story and characters! I was entertained the entire book.
Incredible! It’s the best word I can write. Anna and Hannah are twin sisters, raised in an extremely abusive home. Hannah is found, Anna is not. Along comes caseworker Debbie, who we soon learn as an extremely abusive past. How these three coped with the abuse is fascinating, and the rest of the book takes the reader on an amazing, thought-provoking journey into places our minds are not used to traveling. The story gave me exciting highs, and painful lows, and the emotional roller coaster is consuming. I had to put the book down several times as I found myself getting too involved and tense! Excellent read!
A book that has twist and turns but keeps your interest.
Wow! Truly unique and thoughtful. Kept me on the edge of my seat. I dont want to spoil anything it is that good!!
This is a spooky read, but the sweetest way.
Had some twists that held my interest. Was surprised by the plot several times.
This is an extremely difficult book to read.
Truthfully, had I known there was going to be such graphic scenes of child rape and molestation, I never would have picked it up.
There is graphic murder in front of children.
The story is haunting.
I had a difficult time sleeping afterwards.
I cried several times throughout the book.
It’s extremely well written and the author doesn’t use shock to help keep you interested in the content.
When you think you have it figured out, the author throws in a curveball that you weren’t expecting.
And it works.
The end is tragic even if you think you know, but still hold out some hope, that the inevitable truth has to happen.
It’s tempered by magic, but still hurts.
Read this book when you have time to read it all because you’ll want to know how it ends.
Haunting. Traumatizing. Painful. Beautiful.
I really liked this book. It was a real page turner . Very tragic but uplifting.
I just finished reading this book and I thought it amazing how the sisters were able to communicate with each other even though they weren’t together. A little of the supernatural in there. I do not for a minute deny this is possible. I thought this was a well told story that kept my interest. Although the losses were sad, but was happy for the survivors. I’m glad I picked this one to read. Thank you for offering it.
If you want to read a story of child abuse mixed with fantasy, go for i t. It was well written.
There is a realistic, sad theme. I did enjoy the capricious idea of everywhere for everyone!
Such an amazing writer I enjoyed every twist and turn in the book it was hard to put it down