Winner of the 2010 Edgar Award for Best NovelHeralded by the Washington Post as a “a magnificent creation, Huck Finn channeled through Lord of the Flies”, John Hart’s The Last Child is his most significant work to date, an intricate, powerful story of loss, hope, and courage in the face of evil. Thirteen year-old Johnny Merrimon had the perfect life: a warm home and loving parents; a twin sister, … perfect life: a warm home and loving parents; a twin sister, Alyssa, with whom he shared an irreplaceable bond. He knew nothing of loss, until the day Alyssa vanished from the side of a lonely street. Now, a year later, Johnny finds himself isolated and alone, failed by the people he’d been taught since birth to trust. No one else believes that Alyssa is still alive, but Johnny is certain that she is—confident in a way that he can never fully explain.
Determined to find his sister, Johnny risks everything to explore the dark side of his hometown. It is a desperate, terrifying search, but Johnny is not as alone as he might think. Detective Clyde Hunt has never stopped looking for Alyssa either, and he has a soft spot for Johnny. He watches over the boy and tries to keep him safe, but when Johnny uncovers a dangerous lead and vows to follow it, Hunt has no choice but to intervene.
Then a second child goes missing . . .
Undeterred by Hunt’s threats or his mother’s pleas, Johnny enlists the help of his last friend, and together they plunge into the wild, to a forgotten place with a history of violence that goes back more than a hundred years. There, they meet a giant of a man, an escaped convict on his own tragic quest. What they learn from him will shatter every notion Johnny had about the fate of his sister; it will lead them to another far place, to a truth that will test both boys to the limit.
Traveling the wilderness between innocence and hard wisdom, between hopelessness and faith, The Last Child leaves all categories behind and establishes John Hart as a writer of unique power.
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I loved this book.
My favorite John Hart novel. Excellent characterizations and a thrilling mystery.
I have read all of John Hart’s books, but this is by far my favorite. The plot will keep you riveted until the end, and the characters are so real, I can scarcely believe that they are not real.
Some of the best character development I’ve seen. This author understands that we don’t want cut-out characters. The premise of the book kept me turning pages and staying up late. I felt forlorn when I finished…its that good that I wanted it to go on forever. Read it!
Well developed characters as well as a well executed story line with interesting and otherworldly happenings
Slow to get into but I’m so glad I continued. Wonderful realistic characters. Good plot.
Thirteen-year-old Johnny Merrimon reels from a horrible year. His twin sister, Alyssa, disappeared a year ago in a kidnapping witnessed by his best friend, Jack. As the family cracked under the pressure, his father abandoned them causing their home to be foreclosed. His mother swirled into a life of alcohol, pain-killers, and an abusive boyfriend. And since God has failed to answer his prayers and return his sister, he has lost his faith, too.
Detective Clyde Hunt’s own life has spiraled out of control as he became consumed by the failure to find the missing girl. His wife has left him, his son has distanced himself, and his Chief lacks confidence in his abilities. He knows Johnny is taking life-threatening risks to solve the mystery, but the boy doesn’t trust him and will not confide in him.
At the anniversary of the disappearance, another girl goes missing. A series of dead bodies, a dying statement, an escaped convict, and a plethora of possible suspects offer conflicting clues.
The richly developed characters and deftly written twists and turns kept me guessing to the very end. And, I freely admit, I didn’t see the ending coming.
John Hart is truly a gifted writer, I’ll read anything he writes. I fell in love with Johnny instantly, his wisdom at such a young age and his heart bigger than his entire body. And then next I fell in love with Levi Freemantle just as quick. GREAT BOOK, I could feel the emotion in each character thanks to his beautiful and expressive writing skills.!
John Hart is one of my favorite authors and does a great job at developing the environment of the book and real characters; look forward to any and all books he writes!
Powerful words and imagery, complicated characters, and unforgettable scenes of love and violence come together, making this fast-paced thriller by John Hart truly unforgettable.
one of a kind story
I loved this book… One of my very favorite books…
It’s heart wrenching and will keep you on the edge of your seat ,couch,bed lol yeah it’s very much a page Turner or so it was for me. I’m still trying to find this book that I read some of but didn’t get to finish and for the life of me I don’t remember the author’s name but the book was call the boy called” IT”.HOPE OTHERS ENJOY THIS BOOK AS MUCH AS I HAVE THANK YOU..TAMMY DELSIED
Every time I thought I had a handle on the story – it changed. Great characters, interesting plot twists, and hard to put down.
Hard to put down.
I hated putting it down and wish to follow Johnny and Hunt further.
What a tragic story! Interesting to read about the relationships between boys growing up. But, the end was somewhat unexpected, and the story didn’t build up the “bad guys” enough to be believable.
Great story. The ending was a little different than I expected. Had a little twist. Definitely worth the time and enjoyable if you like this type of read.
This book broke my heart but it is so worth it.
I’ve read all his books! Each is totally different. Love the originality! He immediately takes u into the story and keeps you there.