The Children of Red Peak by DiLouie

"Dark and disturbing, in true Dilouie fashion, he deals with death, pain, guilt and survival in a gritty and horrifying way. He has a great gift for blending the paranormal with the normal, so much so that everything seems plausible when you're immersed in the story. This one will stick with me for awhile. "

3 Stars

Pros: It was definitely an interesting idea and Dilouie did a great job at making all the MCs frail and broken by what happened to them and completely human as to how some deal with the trauma and others don't. Everyone has a different coping mechanism.

Cons: At the same time that the ending didn't really give anything away, it also didn't really answer. or solve anything, though, in a way did it did. It's all a matter of perspective. I think Dilouie did the best he could with what he was working with. Which when you're dealing with a religious cult and mass suicide, the answers at the end of that riddle might not be ones you actually want to hear.

Full Review:

Beth, Deacon, David and Angela are the last surviving members of The Family of the Living Spirit, a religious cult that committed mass suicide on the slopes of Red Peak in the Sierra Nevada Mountains during the Summer of 2005. Brought together again after 15 years apart, David, Deacon and Beth attend the funeral of one of the other survivors, Emily. She sent them all a note that said, "She couldn't fight it anymore" and committed suicide.

Understandably, Beth, Deacon and David are all shocked and horrified at Emily's death. What happened at Red Peak was horrible and it's affected them all in so many different ways but they've all seemingly found a way to cope, or to at least pretend like they're functioning human beings. But the truth is, what happened during that last month before the "ascension" has scarred them forever.

Some hurts go too deep to heal and such is the case with Red Peak. But still, thrust back into that nightmare life by the death of Emily, they each decide that it's time they go back to Red Peak and see if they can't figure out what really happened that night. In order to find answers, they're willing to walk the same blood stained path they did that night 15 years ago.

Though the book took a good 120 pages to hit its stride, once it did, I was both horrified and amazed, I had to know how it ended. And since he's dealing with God, death, mortality and the meaning of life, Dilouie did it in a realistic, logical way that really sat heavy in my chest and made me think. This book was not for the faint of heart and in true Dilouie form, this one will stick with me for awhile.

Comments

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