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A review by lorikleininak
Sleeping Giants by Rene Denfeld
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I'm a Renee Denfeld completist, but her books are not for everyone. They are intense and tackle really challenging subject matter - incarceration, kidnapping, mental health, abuse. Sleeping Giants has themes around adoption, foster care, abuse, and a controversial therapy called "holding time" used on children (still to this day) with devastating outcomes.
Dennis Owens is nine years old when he escapes from his foster home and runs into the unforgiving ocean along the Oregon coast. If he's going to die, he's going to die on his own terms. 20 years later, his younger sister, Amanda, arrives on the coast to try to learn more about her brother's brief life. With the help a kind, retired cop, Amanda digs into secrets long buried by the local community. This is a fast paced, intense read, with a compelling side story about polar bears (I know, random, but compelling). I highly recommend (with a nod to content warnings).
Dennis Owens is nine years old when he escapes from his foster home and runs into the unforgiving ocean along the Oregon coast. If he's going to die, he's going to die on his own terms. 20 years later, his younger sister, Amanda, arrives on the coast to try to learn more about her brother's brief life. With the help a kind, retired cop, Amanda digs into secrets long buried by the local community. This is a fast paced, intense read, with a compelling side story about polar bears (I know, random, but compelling). I highly recommend (with a nod to content warnings).