Book Reviews

Book Blurb

High school senior Michael Sattler leads a charmed life. Almost. He has great friends, parents who love him just the way he is, and he was a champion hurdler until someone took out his knee when they kidnapped his boyfriend. Yet, Michael is determined to make the USATF tryouts in spite of his injuries.

Christy Castle is Michael’s entire world. Healing from years of abuse, his abduction by a predator has left him hiding a new secret as he tries to start his life again. Together, Michael and Christy work to recover from their wounds in time to make prom and graduate high school. To complicate matters, Christy is astonished to learn a fellow victim from his native Greece has survived. Christy will stop at nothing to bring him to the US to keep him safe.

But the prosecution of Christy’s kidnapper looms large in their futures and the struggle to return to normal only worsens. Christy's past continues to haunt them and, when the prosecution turns ugly and Christy’s new life is torn apart, only their unrelenting courage and determination can save them from the nightmare that threatens to destroy their future together.

Book Review

“Courage is not the absence of fear, it's to feel the fear and face it anyway.” ― Jeanette Coron

Tharros, by Cody Kennedy, starts where the first book in the series left off. Michael, Christy, his sister, and boyfriend are all in the hospital recovering from the vicious attacks by Yosef Sanna. It's a miracle any of them survived, but they are certainly not left unscathed. Christy's ordeal was the worst of all. Horribly abused by his kidnapper, Christy was once again thrust into the role of victim by a man who was determined to undermine Christy's progress during the past year and take him back to Greece as his sex slave. As determined as Sanna was to do so, Michael, Christy's lover, was even more determined that he was not. Against all odds, Michael rescues Christy from his evil clutches, but the ordeal is not over. Yosef still has to be prosecuted.

Although they are all anxious to do so, getting back to their normal lives is more difficult than they anticipated and Michael, particularly, is expecting way too much of himself. He loves Christy so much and wants to protect him, but he has to remember to balance that desire with the fact that Christy needs to learn how to think and act for himself, a fact that Christy frequently reminds him of. A new addition to their lives is a private security company that follows them everywhere they go. They are still under threat from Yosef Sanna's family and don't want to take any chances. Christy's cousin is even more concerned than Christy about retaliation. When Christy learns that Thimi, a close friend of Christy, has survived his abuse as well, all he can think of is bringing Thimi from Greece to be with him. This presents a huge rift between Christy and his cousin, but Christy is determined to have Thimi with him, regardless. Christy wants to protect him at all costs. The biggest catch to this idea is that Thimi is Yosef Sanna's son, creating seemingly impossible legal and moral obstacles, but in the end, actually helps them.

Christy's bravery during the trial astounds everyone as he relives all of the past torture and humiliation he endured. No matter what the lawyer throws at him, he tries his best to remain calm, at least on the outside, far exceeding everyone's expectations. The trial will entail reliving all of the past torture and indignity Christy endured. This alone is enough to destroy Christy, but, as awful as it will be to testify, what motivates him is the idea of Yosef put in jail for good, he will never be able to hurt anyone else ever again. Christy's courage drives Yosef crazy. Christy is holding up so far, but how much can Christy withstand without disintegrating?

There's much more happening behind the scenes than I can touch on in this review, but I've tried to cover enough to entice. Although tied together well, there are two stories. One takes place in the US and involves the present and future and is focused on love and healing. The other is set in Greece, encompassing events in the past and present, displaying the story's dark and intriguing plot. Yet even in Greece, there is a glimmer of hope for a better future. This is not a stand-alone book. Since events are so intrinsically intertwined, the series must be read in order; but if you appreciate a story with a dark, sometimes disconcerting theme, as well as one of courage and love, then this may be a book for you. Thanks, Cody, for continuing to enlighten me even though the subject of abuse is painful to face.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Harmony Ink Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 360 pages/109942 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	14-April-2016
Price	$6.99 ebook, $17.99 paperback, $17.99 bundle
Buy Link	https://www.harmonyinkpress.com/books/tharros-by-c-kennedy-376-b