Generation Annihilation (Blackthorn Peak Book 1)

SUSPENSE/THRILLER: Shaun Treadway is a 17-year-old boy who is used to being in trouble. Shaun adores his mother, and has tried many times to protect her from her abusive husband. When her husband’s latest beating lands her in the hospital, Shaun has had enough and sets fire to their home while the husband is drunk and passed out. Shaun flees to his grandfather’s abandoned cabin in Blackthorn Peak, West Virginia. Blackthorn Peak turns out to be completely deserted – except for the Blackthorn Peak Insane Asylum. While checking out the town, Shaun meets Cass and sees others at the Asylum. But when he ventures inside to find out why the asylum is housing the only form of life in town, what he learns changes his life forever.

Trigger warning as this book deals with issues of physical abuse, sexual abuse, mental illness, and suicide. This suspenseful novel is full of twists and turns! Although Shaun becomes a murderer early on, which he does in defense of his mom, he is relatable and easy to connect to as a hero. Though dark and sinister activities abound, it is easy to see how the twisted thinking came to be. The characters are easy to relate to and the villains have full back stories to help the reader connect with who they are, and why their actions make sense. This is a tale filled with ample suspense and twists too good to give away! This first in the series is a suspense-filled ride fans won’t want to miss!

Cara Cieslak