The Offspring

I wasn't really sure what to expect from this book. It was the cover that caught my eye first, looking like it leans towards horror, before I noticed it was sitting there in the general fiction section. A glance at the author's name told me nothing, it was not a name I recognized. The short synopsis didn't give away much either, but I picked it up anyway and began to read. Within the first few pages when I met a character by the name of Irene who was Hughie's mom that had run off years ago with a book salesman... there was no turning back for me.

I think I would put this more in the historical fiction category than general fiction. It spans several decades as Hughie Decker, now a grown man, stands on the spot he hasn't visited since childhood and sees clear as day the events of the past. As Hughie travels back to his childhood home and contemplates events of long ago days we are introduced to several more characters from the past Including his best friend Kenny, Hughie's father Lem who never did get along with the cowardly sheriff and his brother Tom who never could win his parent's love. I'm not going to go into details about the plot because I enjoyed discovering it for myself and will leave it for you to do the same.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. This is one of the best books that I have read in a while. The characters were so realistic I felt almost like I knew them. There are so many twists and turns I couldn't put it down till I found out what was going to happen next. It is hard to believe this is a first novel. The author did a fabulous job making the story come alive.. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes this genre.. Definitely worth five stars.