The Runaway By Claire Wong

I received this book from Kregel Publications and the author for no charge in exchange for my honest review of this book. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Book Description: 

Shortly before her eighteenth birthday, Rhiannon Morgan runs away from the remote Welsh village of Llandymna. Camping out in Dyrys Woods, she starts to make a new life for herself. In the woods she finds space for her active imagination--weaving together the stories she loves and memories of her past, including the mother she lost thirteen years ago.

Back in the village, Rhiannon's disappearance triggers a series of events that uncover the cracks in Llandymna's quiet surface. Relationships become frayed as a young police officer is forced to investigate his neighbors, and the village's elderly storyteller hints at a secret that the older generation has kept for decades. But as painful as the village's past may be, it may hold the key for hope in the present...

Claire Wong's strong debut explores how human relationships develop, how we change as we interact with one another, and the role of folktales and mythology in small communities. 

My Thoughts: 

 The Runaway is Claire Wong's debut novel and I enjoyed it. As my readers know I absolutely love reading new authors so that first drew me to this book, also the cover art and the back cover description really caught my attention. I enjoyed this book and this authors writing. The whole story is definitely different in a good way. Claire Wong writes with authority about Wales, small town hierarchy, teenagers, and surviving in the woods. The village where this story takes place, Llandymna, is a fictional village in the hills of mid-Wales. Small and remote, it has stood there for hundreds of years on the edge of a vast forest. Today, it consists of a church, a primary school, a pub and a local shop, all surrounded by houses and fields. I loved the village and could totally picture it in my mind. I really like Claire Wong's style of writing, she definitely puts her readers right there and her seamless transitions from past to present make for a cohesive story line.  The characters in this story are unique and well written. I can't say that there is one character that I liked more or less. These characters are set in their ways but a 17 year old running away makes them realize the changes that need to be made in their ways and how they leaned on their faith.  I found myself intrigued by this story with its fairy tale like premise. I highly recommend this book to adults and teens alike. I am excited to read more from Claire Wong, she is on my list of authors to read! I give this book 4 STARS.