Introspective coming of age story that grips the reader

⭑⭑⭑⭑  Grist Mill Road was a multi-faceted, curious beastie that tips the reader's expectations over in a well-thought out fashion. Starting out, I thought this would be a horribly dark tale - and felt a bit anxious going forward - but it quickly leveled out, having delivered its shocking payload up front. What follows is a dissection of the lives of three American teens growing up in rural New York in the 80s. We jump back and forth from that time to current day to reveal how Patch, Matthew and Hannah get to where they are.

I loved all the food blogging by Patch. It broke up the close examination of past events that formed him and really added interest in his character. Nothing is as it seems, in a book like this, and I felt empathy for both Matthew and Hannah's younger selves. The revelation of Matthew's new found love of nature and the general 80s vibe was so like my growing up years that it felt like going home again. We spend a lot of time building the structure of the past, and it can feel a bit lethargic at times, but the pay off was worth it. Things are not as you imagine and, though it is slower in developing, the end is thought provoking.