Boy Released by J.D. Spero
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It is ten years after Tyler Trout was sent to psychiatric rehab after his mental illness caused a psychotic break and his family are still reeling from the murder of their next door neighbour Sally Hubbard and to help with their grief, they moved to the small resort town of Lake George Village and bought the Blue Palm Motel where they now live and work. Hen has grown up into a handsome young man and helps out doing the domestic work in the rooms while his mum, Marcella and Bernie, her partner handle the finances and the odd jobs, meanwhile Tyler has just returned and is living in one of the cabins as he starts to work towards some sort of independence.

As they are all settling into a routine, Tyler is managing to hold down a job at a local store, but his mental health takes a dive when someone from his past turns up and sets back the progress he has made, meanwhile, Hen is taking on more responsibility as the busy summer season starts and preparing for the transition to adulthood in just one short year when he will have to make some serious decisions about his future, whether that involves college or continuing to work at the motel, as well as deciding what to do with his inheritance money once he comes of the age to take ownership of it, all while trying to support his mum and keep up some semblance of normality by spending time with his friends.

All this comes crashing down around the Trout’s when Marcella is attacked at the office and Tyler is the only witness to the altercation, however, the information is locked inside his mind and the turmoil in which it constantly spins, however, when he approaches the office after the attack happens and incriminating himself in the process, his family have to confront Tyler’s illness all over again. Will Tyler be able to make anyone understand the information he holds in his mind and how important it is, or will they believe that he is capable of hurting his family and keep him in detention? Can his family overcome their own personal views of Tyler and help him to reintegrate into society, or will they fail to see beyond his diagnosis? This is a heart rending tale of mental illness and how it can affect those around them, as well as being an emotional rollercoaster of emotions as you become invested in the lives and trials of a family many can relate to.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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