A River of Crows by Shanessa Gluhm – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

A River of Crows by Shanessa Gluhm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sloan Hadfield’s life was changed forever in 1988 when her younger brother disappeared while on a fishing trip with their father. Although Ridge’s body was never recovered their father was charged for his murder and sent to prison. It was suspected that their father killed Ridge while in the midst of one of the blackouts he was prone to having from his flashbacks of his time spent in Vietnam. After Ridge’s death his mother started to spiral out of control and slowly descend into madness that had her repeatedly being admitted into a mental facility. After her mom was committed to a mental health facility long-term, Sloan moved away to attend college and start a life of her own.

Twenty years after her brother’s death, Sloan is forced to return home to look after mother who has been released from the mental health facility. Sloan is reluctant to return home because of the painful memories from her past but she is the only family her mom has left. After suffering from a recent divorce, she really has nowhere else to call home. Seeing her childhood home dredges up her painful childhood and how much she misses her brother, and her childhood prior to his death. They were once a happy family but now she feels lost, alone, and bitter at how her life turned out.

Missing her brother, Sloan visits their favorite place, Crow’s Nest Creek, which also is where he was last seen. This is the place Sloan, Ridge, and their childhood friend, Noah, spent countless hours watching the crows. This is the one place that helps her feel close to her brother and where she feels a sense of calm. Sloan still has numerous unanswered questions about her brother and what happened to him twenty years ago and starts reliving the moments leading up to his disappearance. When the body of another young boy who disappeared around the same time as her brother is discovered Sloan starts to wonder if the two disappearances were somehow linked. As she starts to ask questions and search into her brother’s disappearance, Sloan is shocked at the secrets that are revealed. The truth shocks her to her core.

This book was intense and impossible to put down! I was a bit upset when I was interrupted a few times while trying to read it because I needed to see what happened next. I was not prepared for the twists and turns the storyline took and I am certain I gasped out loud at points throughout as the truth behind Ridge’s disappearance were revealed. The storyline was well developed, well laid out, and clearly thought out from start to finish.

The characters were ones that I immediately felt a connection to. Sloan was to be admired for standing by her mom no matter how bad things got. Caroline was one that I both loved and hated at the same time. As I was able to catch a glimpse into her past, I could empathize with her because of the trauma she has been through. This helped to explain her actions to a certain extent. However, it is not a reasonable excuse for her outrageous behavior and violent outbursts. When Sloan made excuses for her, or covered up and lied for her mom, it made me want to slap her. Yet, at the same time, I could understand that she still loved her mom and wanted to protect her. It was a true rollercoaster ride for me as I felt the emotions alongside each character. This book had action, suspense, drama, intrigue, lies, hidden agendas, betrayal, sinister family secrets, and a lot of information about crows. I have a whole new outlook on the lives of crows and a whole new respect for them. This book did not disappoint and I will definitely be looking for more by this incredibly talented author!

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