jeanninedc 's review for:

The Boy from the Woods by Harlan Coben

4.0

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When a bullied teen goes missing, but unreported, another teen persuades his aunt to look into her disappearance. She in turn call on the skills of Wilde, who was found living alone in the woods as a young boy and never identified, growing up in the foster care system, and best friends with her now dead son. Wilde, now an adult, has returned to living in the woods in near isolation, slipping into the worlds of his friends - and enemies - with scarcely a shadow, the perfect person to track down a missing person. But the girl returns, then disappears again, and yet another teen disappears, this time the son of a wealthy, powerful couple tied to a Presidential candidate and the secrets and the power plays come fast and furious.
Wilde is a very intriguing character, and not fully explained. Not even he knows how he came to be in the woods, so his past is murky, and some of his motivations mysterious even to himself. Naturally his relationships and friendships are a bit different from normal and fascinating to watch evolve. All of the characters are well developed and believable, even the "bad guys." Fast moving with as much psychology as action (love the mix), and an absolutely perfect ending. I really enjoyed this one. My copy was an ARC from NetGalley.