The Lost Boy
a gripping domestic thriller
📘 About This Book
Things are going wrong for Olivia Shorten. Her little boy has become withdrawn and anxious. Her marriage is not the safe place she had believed it to be. To top it all off, her teenage stepson has just come to live with them…and there’s something unsettling, something not-quite-right about Charlie. Olivia has her own plan about how to fix things. Unconventional, maybe, but she thinks she’s doing the right thing for her family. But then her little boy vanishes from their backyard without a trace. Frantic with fear, and with the police and the media poking around in places she'd rather they didn't, it soon becomes apparent that everyone is hiding something. Including Olivia. “Thought-provoking…deep and powerful” ★★★★★ “Beautifully written, tightly plotted page-turner.” ★★★★★ “Smart, fast-moving, twisty and dark.” ★★★★★ “Tense, haunting, perfect for fans of The Last Thing He Told Me and Little Fires Everywhere.” ★★★★★
📖 Summary
The Lost Boy by S.A. McEwen, published in 2021, is a gripping and thought-provoking work of fiction that spans 236 pages, diving deep into the fractures of a modern household where nothing is quite as it seems. The story centers on Olivia Shorten, a woman whose life is steadily unraveling on multiple fronts. Domestically, she is facing mounting distress as her young son grows increasingly withdrawn and anxious, signaling a shift in the household dynamic that she struggles to comprehend. Compounding her maternal anxiety is the state of her marriage, which proves to be far from the safe, secure refuge she once believed it to be. Into this already tense and fragile environment arrives her teenage stepson, Charlie. There is something immediately unsettling and not-quite-right about Charlie, an intangible aura that puts Olivia even further on edge as he integrates into their daily lives. Determined to take control of her circumstances and mend her breaking family, Olivia devises a plan. It is unconventional, perhaps even reckless, but she genuinely believes she is doing the right thing to protect and fix the people she loves. However, her plans are violently derailed when her little boy vanishes from their backyard without a trace. This sudden disappearance plunges Olivia into a state of frantic fear, transforming her private domestic struggles into a public nightmare. As the search for the missing child intensifies, the police and the media begin poking around in the corners of Olivia's life that she would much rather keep hidden. As the investigation presses forward, it quickly becomes apparent that everyone in the household is hiding something. Secrets are deeply embedded within the family structure, and Olivia herself is no exception. The narrative masterfully builds suspense, transforming a classic missing person mystery into a psychological exploration of deception, guilt, and maternal desperation. Readers are taken on a fast-moving, beautifully written page-turner that forces them to question the nature of trust and the hidden depths of the people closest to us. McEwen crafts a deep and powerful story that lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned, highlighting how easily the facades we build to protect our families can crumble under the weight of hidden truths.
🎯 Key Lessons
⚖️ Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
Tightly plotted narrative that keeps readers turning pages rapidly.
Thought-provoking exploration of family secrets and deception.
Beautifully written prose with a deep and powerful emotional core.
Complex, suspenseful character dynamics involving Olivia and Charlie.
⚠️ Cons
The concise page count may leave some readers wanting more background on the characters.
The pervasive sense of unease and hidden agendas can make the domestic setting feel relentlessly tense.
❓ FAQ
Who is the author of The Lost Boy? +
The book was written by S.A. McEwen.
When was The Lost Boy published? +
It was published in 2021.
How many pages long is the book? +
The novel spans 236 pages.
What genre does The Lost Boy belong to? +
The book falls under the fiction genre, specifically as a suspenseful psychological drama.
What triggers the main crisis in the story? +
The main crisis is triggered when Olivia's little boy vanishes from their backyard without a trace.
