Synopsis:
Most kids dream about a new bike, a pair of top-dollar sneakers endorsed by their favorite athlete, or that totally awesome videogame everyone’s raving about. But thirteen-year-old Jake and his little brother Matthew want nothing more than to escape from their abusive father. As soon as possible, they plan to run away to California, where they will reunite with their mother and live happily ever after. It won’t be easy, though.
After a scuffle with a local bully puts Jake’s arch-nemesis in the hospital, Sheriff Theresa McLelland starts poking her nose into their feud. During a trip to the family cabin for the opening weekend of deer-hunting season, Jake and Matthew kick their plan into action, leaving Dad tied to a chair as they flee into the night.
Meanwhile, the bully and his father have their own plans for revenge, and the events to follow will forever change the lives of everyone involved…
Edition:
E-ARC
Disclosure:
I received an Advance Reader copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for review consideration. They give me no money, nor do they in any way influence my thoughts – those are 100% my own for better or worse. A great big thank you to Ken McKinley at Silver Shamrock!
My Thoughts:
To read In the Scrape you would never know it was written as a joint effort by two authors. The writing is absolutely seamless. And the book is wrenching. Although there is not explicit descriptions of child abuse, the story is about two children and their life with an abusive father, so, um…CW for physical abuse.
“Most children are afraid of the boogeyman in the basement or monsters under their bed. There was nothing that frightened me more than my own father when he was angry.”
For such a short book, this one gave me a lot of feels. I mean, stick a couple of children in harm’s way, and suddenly I’m at the edge of my seat. Especially when I’m not entirely sure how it’s all going to play out, what the absolute hell a ‘scrape’ is, and what the significance of the deer is (turns out those last two things are connected – who knew?). This was an quick, intense, and emotionally draining read.
About the Authors:
James Newman
James Newman is the author of numerous works of horror and suspense, including the novels Midnight Rain, The Wicked, Animosity, and Ugly as Sin, and the collections People are Strange and The Long N’ Short of It. In the Scrape is his most recent collaboration, following fan favorites such as Dog Days O’ Summer (co-written with Mark Allen Gunnells), Scapegoat (with Adam Howe), and The Special (also with Mark Steensland, and soon to be a major motion picture!).
Mark Steensland
Mark Steensland self-published his first book while in fourth grade, and has been telling stories ever since–some of them true. He became a professional journalist at the age of 18, writing about movies for such magazines as Prevue and American Cinematographer. His award-winning films have played in festivals around the world. The novel he wrote for young readers, Behind the Bookcase, was published in 2012. His novel for adults, The Special, was published in late 2018 and has been made into a feature film. He currently lives in California with his wife and their three children.
Rating:
In the Scrape By James Newman and Mark Steensland Silver Shamrock Press ISBN: 1951043006 Published: June 4, 2019 Paperback, E-book 104 Pages Publisher's Website Mark Steensland's Website
