The Boy That Never Was by Karen Perry

I picked up The Boy That Never Was from the library on a whim and read it in one sitting. It’s definitely a page turner.

How would you react if you left your child alone and they disappeared? That’s the central theme of The Boy That Never Was. Harry has never forgiven himself, yet Robyn has never once blamed her husband. They’ve returned to Dublin from Tangier to make a fresh start, or try to at least, but their world is turned upside down for a second time when Harry sees an eight-year-old boy in a crowd. He is convinced the boy is their son Dillon, but he disappears before Harry can do anything about it.

There is a great mix of tension and family drama. Watching Harry struggle to keep a grip on his life is not easy and I spent most of the book switching between worrying about his mental health, really disliking him and willing him on. This is not just a story about Harry though, Robyn has her own secrets. Secrets that become increasingly more difficult to keep.

The writing is fast paced without being one dimensional. Some of the more emotional scenes are beautifully written.

My only issue with The Boy That Never Was is that it tied up too many loose ends, but maybe I’m alone in liking books that leave me with questions.

Karen Perry is the pen name of Karen Gillece and Paul Perry. I don’t know how they approach writing together, but it flows so well that I didn’t even realise it was written by two people until I was finished. I’ve had difficulty with multiple authors in the past as I found the tone of writing changed too much throughout the story, but that isn’t an issue here.