Why? The one-word question everyone has after a heinous event.

In Grist Mill Road, a thirteen year old, Matthew, ties a fellow teenager, Hannah, to a tree and proceeds to shoot her repetitively (49 times) with a BB gun, the last pellet lodging into her left eye. Matthew’s best friend, Patch witnesses the atrocity but does nothing to stop it. Why?

Immediately after the event, the three characters go their separate ways, never receiving answers. Fast forward twenty-five years and their paths become more intertwined than ever before. The story is told from varying viewpoints of the three people present in the woods, alternating between the “then” and “now”. Don’t be alarmed. Yates does a great job layering the narratives in a clear and powerful way.

I really loved the structure of this novel. The varying perspectives grant the reader insights before others receive the same luxury. However, Yates also hides certain facts that expose themselves at dramatic times where the reveal packs a powerful punch. Despite all the twists and turns along the way, no one can answer that one question until the bitter end. Why?

We feel for the trio as they struggle to achieve closure from the forest they never truly left. As the story (and frankly, characters) begin to unravel, you will be racing to finish this novel to see how it all shakes out.

Grist Mill Road is an intriguing and unique mystery. Misunderstandings, lies, and deception snowball and the blame game becomes as murky as the answer to the question why?

Verdict: Read it!! (4/5 Stars)
Length: 352 pages
When: For your next face paced drama!
Quote: “Being around Alice was like owning an aggressive breed of dog.  Loyal when it suited, but you had to stay on your toes.”

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