The Boy That Never Was by Karen Perry

A storm is rising. He can feel it in the strange stillness of the air. There is no movement, no flutter of clothing, not a whisper of a breeze along the narrow streets of Tangier.
   Beyond the lines of washing strung between the building, above the tiled roofs, he sees a patch of sky. There is a strange luminous quality to it, a bluish hue and lights that look almost like auroras.
   He stirs a cup of warm milk, blinks, and looks out again on to the changing and other worldly colours of the sky.

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This restlessness rumbled about inside me as I walked from room to room, assessing the varying degrees of dilapidation and making a mental list of what needed to be done.

~~~~Page 56, The Boy That Never Was by Karen Perry 


Title: The Boy That Never Was
Author: Karen Perry
ISBN: 9781405912907
Publisher: Penguin Books/2014 (march)
Pages: 314

Harry leaves his sleeping four year old son for a few minutes, to get candles for his wife, Robin's birthday. Meanwhile, an earthquake strikes and Dillon is lost by being buried. Harry and Robin are artists and they leave Tangier after the loss of their son. Robin seems to be quite forgiving towards Harry. But he is unable to get over his guilt. Thee appears to a crack in their relationship. 

Told alternatively in the voices of Harry and Robin, we get to see the loss of their son has affected both but in different ways. Both feel guilty for different reasons. Harry still can't believe that Dillon is no more. Robin has some secrets that she can't share with Harry. The pain, the hurt almost breaks them apart.

Then one day, Harry sees a boy, who looks like Dillon. Before he can react, the boy vanishes. Harry is convinced more than ever, that Dillon is alive. He does not tell Robin but makes it his mission to search for that boy.

When Robin finally comes to know, we find flaws in both of them, with buried secrets and revelations which almost destroys them. It all builds up to a climax which is horrifying for the reader and both Harry and Robin.

With believable characters which are flawed, taut writing, and psychological twists and turns, it makes an excellent family drama. I was surprised by the ending yet I understood the reason for it. All through the novel, one can feel the love that Harry has for Dillon. It is so palpable that it jumps out of the novel.

It is yet to be published and is worth waiting for. I would say, a superb novel......