Review: The Long Weekend by Savita Kalhan

Title: The Long Weekend
Author: Savita Kalhan
Genre: Suspense, horror, YA, middle grade
Published: 2008
Source: For Review

Summary: Eleven year old Sam and his friend Lloyd never should have gotten in that car after school. Now, they're in a deserted mansion with a dangerous man, and no one knows where they are. First he entices them with the latest games and toys, but then he becomes violent and angry, separating the boys into two different rooms. Sam is desperate to find a way out, and Lloyd is in total shock, hardly uttering a word. They wonder if they'll ever make it out alive.

My Thoughts: I devoured this book in one day not only because it was short, but because it was addictive and hard to put down. Even though it may be geared towards younger readers, it seriously had me on the edge of my seat and turning the pages incredibly fast. It had such a creepy feel (which I love in a book), and was so fast paced. I had to know what was going to happen and only stopped reading when I had to go to work. I think Savita did an excellent job developing the two boys and showing two very different reactions to a traumatic event. You really never know how someone will respond to terror and trauma. Sam took the lead and became a fighter, whereas Lloyd began to withdraw in fear. Both characters seemed realistic in their responses and I felt terror right alongside them. Because of the shortness of the book, a lot of things were left unanswered, such as, what did the man do to Lloyd, and what was his motive? While I would have liked to know more of these details, it created an even greater sense of mysteriousness. I love this book and think it is genuinely frightening because it's so real. Pick it up and you won't put it back down until you're finished!

My Rating: 4.5/5