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missypy's review against another edition
5.0
Very good storytelling, paranormal with a touch of magic and curses.
lisadolak's review against another edition
4.0
This was very different for John Hart. While it follows the characters from The Last Child years later, it takes a turn not expected from this author. As long as you are willing to keep an open mind, you will like it. If you are looking for traditional John Hart, you might want to pass.
scnole2021's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
scrappymags's review against another edition
4.0
Scrappymags 3-word review: Supernaturally Thrilling Sequel
4.5 stars
All my reviews available at scrappymags.com
Genre: Mystery/Supernatural/Contemporary Fiction/Crime. A long-awaited sequel to one of my favorite books of all time, The Last Child (5 Stars). Not mandatory to read the first book but highly recommend.
Shortest summary ever: It’s 10 years after tragedy and Johnny Merriman is isolating himself from unwanted fame in his 6,000 acre forest/swamp NC home, one that holds an eerie and spectacular history.
Jack is still his best friend, a newly hired attorney at a prosperous law firm. Johnny requires his help with a legal matter over the land, but Jack senses something amiss on the land, a danger lurking that might not be entirely human... Why is Johnny so connected to this land and is it something worth dying for?
What’s good under the hood: like most sequels, it’s best to start with The Last Child (TLC) a book so astounding, touching, and heart-pounding I successfully converted scads of teenagers (okay 10 ) into readers by the mere thrill of the novel. That relationship helped with my rating as I felt the story jived with characters I connected to in the first book. That foundation was there thus I felt invested.
The suspense in the book is palpable. My dog barked while I was reading and took two years off my life, I was THAT on edge (bad Finnegan!!) That is an element Hart brilliantly retained in his writing from TLC. The suspense... that feeling of “what IS it?” drawn out into agonizing drama??
Damn right, I loved every second!
I also curiously (and pleasantly) enjoyed looking more into Jack's perspective in this novel as he was more the “side kick” to Johnny and eagerly and metaphorically loved kicking around the thoughts from his brain, learning what’s behind his character. I liked what I found.
What’s bad or made me mad:
Can’t say anything major. My 1/2 point off was simply I don’t think any sequel could measure up to TLC and there were a few motivations of characters I struggled with, but ultimately accepted. So in a nutshell, nothing major.
Recommend to:
If you read TLC you MUST read and I’d love to hear your feedback.
Lovers of the genre need to give this a try. It’s different in the irreverent way only Hart can do.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press and Mr. Hart for an advanced copy (and delivering a rare and unexpectedly thrilling sequel) in exchange for this completely honest review.
4.5 stars
All my reviews available at scrappymags.com
Genre: Mystery/Supernatural/Contemporary Fiction/Crime. A long-awaited sequel to one of my favorite books of all time, The Last Child (5 Stars). Not mandatory to read the first book but highly recommend.
Shortest summary ever: It’s 10 years after tragedy and Johnny Merriman is isolating himself from unwanted fame in his 6,000 acre forest/swamp NC home, one that holds an eerie and spectacular history.
Jack is still his best friend, a newly hired attorney at a prosperous law firm. Johnny requires his help with a legal matter over the land, but Jack senses something amiss on the land, a danger lurking that might not be entirely human... Why is Johnny so connected to this land and is it something worth dying for?
What’s good under the hood: like most sequels, it’s best to start with The Last Child (TLC) a book so astounding, touching, and heart-pounding I successfully converted scads of teenagers (okay 10 ) into readers by the mere thrill of the novel. That relationship helped with my rating as I felt the story jived with characters I connected to in the first book. That foundation was there thus I felt invested.
The suspense in the book is palpable. My dog barked while I was reading and took two years off my life, I was THAT on edge (bad Finnegan!!) That is an element Hart brilliantly retained in his writing from TLC. The suspense... that feeling of “what IS it?” drawn out into agonizing drama??
Damn right, I loved every second!
I also curiously (and pleasantly) enjoyed looking more into Jack's perspective in this novel as he was more the “side kick” to Johnny and eagerly and metaphorically loved kicking around the thoughts from his brain, learning what’s behind his character. I liked what I found.
What’s bad or made me mad:
Can’t say anything major. My 1/2 point off was simply I don’t think any sequel could measure up to TLC and there were a few motivations of characters I struggled with, but ultimately accepted. So in a nutshell, nothing major.
Recommend to:
If you read TLC you MUST read and I’d love to hear your feedback.
Lovers of the genre need to give this a try. It’s different in the irreverent way only Hart can do.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press and Mr. Hart for an advanced copy (and delivering a rare and unexpectedly thrilling sequel) in exchange for this completely honest review.
fremom3's review against another edition
5.0
This book defies description. Mystery? Horror? Probably more the latter. However you classify THE HUSH, I just really, really loved it!
I’m backtracking now and reading THE LAST CHILD, which is apparently BOOK ONE! Authors/publishers really should be required to put some mention of the fact that books are part of a series!!! (One of my many peeves!)
A bit scary, a bit gross...mystical, magical.... I don’t even know what to say, but I loved the characters, and I could not stop until I was finished!
I’m backtracking now and reading THE LAST CHILD, which is apparently BOOK ONE! Authors/publishers really should be required to put some mention of the fact that books are part of a series!!! (One of my many peeves!)
A bit scary, a bit gross...mystical, magical.... I don’t even know what to say, but I loved the characters, and I could not stop until I was finished!
candiebella's review against another edition
4.0
Audio. Great reader. Atmospheric, creepy mystery set in a swamp. Second of two ( who knew) but I was able to still greatly enjoy it. Going to listen to the first one next.
slucy13's review against another edition
4.0
I was excited to see this book after reading The Last Child. While The Hush was just as beautifully written and it kept me wanting to see what happened, it had an odd element to it. While it is the same characters from the first book, but 10 years later, the story took a different turn than I was expecting. Still worth the read!
rebecca_isreading's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to the publisher (via Netgalley) for an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
If you're a long time reader of John Hart, The Hush is going to require that you set aside some of what you expect from his books. The author's distinct writing style is here, and the southern setting is more vividly described and integral than ever before. However, if you're expecting a typical mystery, you're going to be surprised. Sure, the story is mysterious, but I'd definitely take issue with calling this one a mystery. Magical realism doesn't seem to quite fit, and it's not quite scifi or fantasy... it's just unusual. The last 10% or so of the book really lost me as when the final bits of the story came together it just didn't make a ton of sense. It's an interesting departure from the author's previous work, but may leave some readers a little baffled.
If you're a long time reader of John Hart, The Hush is going to require that you set aside some of what you expect from his books. The author's distinct writing style is here, and the southern setting is more vividly described and integral than ever before. However, if you're expecting a typical mystery, you're going to be surprised. Sure, the story is mysterious, but I'd definitely take issue with calling this one a mystery. Magical realism doesn't seem to quite fit, and it's not quite scifi or fantasy... it's just unusual. The last 10% or so of the book really lost me as when the final bits of the story came together it just didn't make a ton of sense. It's an interesting departure from the author's previous work, but may leave some readers a little baffled.
synne's review against another edition
Leaving this unrated for now. I have enjoyed all the previous John Hart novels I've read and although I do read magical, fantasy, supernatural, paranormal etc. books I was not prepared for it here and I didn't particularly like that aspect.