Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of Night Road

Night Road
Night Road
Author: Kristin Hannah
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Hardcover
reviewed on + 113 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2


I loved this book! Hannah is an author who is seen everywhere all the time (the "stay away from" kind for me) but upon reading this, my first book of hers, I humbly admit my aversion to assembly line authors has kept me from a truly great one this time. "Night Road" is riveting reading! It deals with the hard subject of teenage drinking and it's repercussions on friends, family and society with compassion yet honesty. As we follow the lives of a family, a friend and a young love through all the devastation that can come from one poor choice.

First and foremost, however this is a love story. Whether young love, love of family, love of friends or love of fellowman, Hannah portrays each so deftly and with such a personal touch that the reader's emotions are captivated and crushed right along with the characters. Beautiful work in a heart-breaking shell! Why 4 and not 5 stars, then? Two reasons, the believability in some of the choices and twists in the story, especially those of Lexi, stretch the realistic limit. Also, after such a heart-rending journey of a read, the reconciliation needed more time. After experiencing what the young lovers go through, the reader yearns for a more meaningful explanation in an HEA. Even a page or two for the lovers to talk things out before the "all is well" hits would have been the 5 star cherry for sure.