Black Rabbit Summer by Kevin Brooks
This was the darkest book I have read in a very long time, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy every word of this new book from Kevin Brooks.
Pete Boland was a young man bored with life. He had finished school, well the compulsory bit, and was spending the summer vegetating at home trying to decide whether or not to return to school for the final year, or quit and get a job. And vegetating is the correct term, Pete had spent days in his room, too ‘tired’ to do anything but listen to music and watch TV. Suddenly, out of the blue, Nic, and old friend and love interest rings up. She and her brother are leaving for Paris and they would like to get the old gang together on Saturday night for one last time. The old gang consists of 5 friends that went through school together and used to hang out back when they were ‘little’. Although Nic didn’t invite him, Pete includes Ray who was once part of the group but was dropped by the others when he started hearing voices.
On the night of the reunion the friends get a little too drunk and rapidly the evening spins out of control. The next morning Ray is gone, a minor celebrity has disappeared, and from there life spins out of control.
Brooks maintains the authentic feel for the story with his portrayal of Pete’s anger and confusion. Pete’s frustration when no one seems to care that Ray is gone sends him off searching by himself, against his father’s instructions. Since Dad is a cop, not following advice lands Pete into more and more trouble. Gradually Pete discovers clues that the cops don’t care to know and comes to his own conclusion about what happened to Ray, and everyone else that night. I found Pete’s behavior totally believable and even admirable as he faces his fears.
This is a story primarily about friendship and loyality, but it is certainly a powerful adventure thriller as well.
