Review of ‘Resthaven’

Kaylee, a 15-year old, is living in a new town with her mother. When her mom insists she attend a party with a local rich girl, she doesn’t want to go, but is left with no choice. When the girl, a snotty bully, insists on having a scavenger hunt in Resthaven, a derelict rest home bordering her property, Kaylee is even more depressed. Inside the abandoned building, Kaylee discovers a bruised, deaf boy and a violent old man, and then the heat gets turned up when Jamie, the bully, locks her and her friends inside the building.

Resthaven by Erik Therme is a tense young-adult drama, not really a coming-of-age story; more a growing up fast novel. Much of the story takes place inside Resthaven as Kaylee takes charge of getting herself and her friends to safety—and, saving the little boy.

This is a story that will entertain young and old alike. The characters are well-drawn and easy to relate to, and the suspense is palpable.

I give it four stars.