Runaway

Chills and thrills dominate this tale of survival and friendship among a religious cult. Thirteen-year-old Mark Blackwood is so dissatisfied with his family life that he runs away, encountering many people, one of which being a recruiter for the Redemption House, a shelter for lost souls. Overjoyed, Mark thinks he finally found a place where he'll belong but quickly discovers how wrong... and right... he is. Taking the _Hensel & Gretel_ children story one step further and adding elements of _Lord of the Flies_, Stephen Gresham creates a unique and effective boys-in-jeopardy tale with a ghostly undertone. His main character Mark is a strong, resourceful young man who soon becomes the leader of a bunch of colorful secondary characters. Among them is the solver of all problems Digger, physically challenged but very strong Ocie, bad-tempered and elusive Zack, and paternal Dealy who is the glue to this reconstructed family. It is through him that the boys will interact, expressing their most secret thoughts. This is where Gresham shines the most, in his ability to cut through the obvious and to go deeper into the psyche of his people. It is clearly evident that he knows a thing or two about teenage angst. The adults, here, are mostly evil, with the exception of two "outsiders" who, like the teens themselves, are trapped in their own web of unhappiness. The sudden awareness of their inner strength helps move the plot to a highly satisfying conclusion. Suspenseful, scary, yet surprisingly touching, RUNAWAY will surely gather new fans while captivate current ones. Definitely a must.-----Martin Boucher