Salvage
Aidan Jones was my brother. But I couldn’t really remember his face. I couldn’t remember talking to him or playing with him. He was just a gap, an absence, a missing person.
Before she was adopted by a loving family and raised in a leafy Home Counties town, Cass Montgomery was Cass Jones. Her memories of her birth family disappeared with her name. But when her adopted family starts to break down, a way out comes in the form of a message from her lost brother, Aidan. Having Aidan back in her life is both everything she needs and nothing she expected. Who is this boy who calls himself her brother? And why is he so haunted?
I glance at the paper. There’s a big picture on the front page. A girl with dark red hair. A girl with eyes that might have been green or they might have been grey. I sit down and stare at Cass, and it is her, it is. My stolen sister.
Aidan’s a survivor. He’s survived an abusive step-father and an uncaring mother. He’s survived crowded foster homes and empty bedsits. His survived to find Cass. If only he can make her understand what it means to be part of his family. . .
What were your initial thoughts of the book?
I have been meaning to read Salvage for months now and when I finally got around to reading it, I felt like kicking myself for waiting so long. Salvage is an interesting story about a family that is broken in more ways than one. Personally, I love both issue books and books that are character-driven and this book was both. It was also a book that took me on an emotional rollercoaster. I found myself quickly getting attached to all of the characters and just really enjoyed reading about their journeys.
What was your favourite aspect of the book?
That the story was character-driven. This wasn’t about how things impacted the characters but was instead about how the characters were affected by the changes happening in their own lives. It was about a brother seeking his sister and his sister deciding to take a leap of faith. I admired that so much in this book and just loved watching the characters grow because of the decisions they had made. It made the story very entertaining and thrilling – the perfect gritty read.
Who was your favourite character and why?
This was a hard pick for me as all the characters in this story have their own unique merits that make them fantastic – such as kind and generous Will, and smart, sweet and strong Cass, but eventually I chose Aiden. Aiden has overcome so much in his life to become the person he is in the book. I loved reading about his past and present and can just imagine how his future will now play out. I thought Aidan was such a strong, thoughtful, kind and loving character who just had some difficulties to overcome in his life. He was also very well-written!
Would you recommend this book?
Absolutely! I know that there are people who don’t like to read issue books but if you do, I would highly recommend this one. While there was one small moment that I had a problem with, overall this book was incredible. It was full of a fascinating and moving plot, fully realistic and loveable characters and is a book that is just full of heart. So if that is what you look for in a book, definitely read Salvage.
Summarize the book in one sentence. (Verdict)
An emotional, but wonderful book about becoming our best selves despite our pasts. A book that is a definite must read.
Reviewed by Faye
