The detour by S.A. Bodeen

Life is great for seventeen-year-old Livvy Flynn, she is a bestselling author and living the good life.  Her books are loved by millions, have been translated into other languages, and she has enough money from her book deals to do just about anything she wants.  It's not all a dream life though, being famous means she has to be careful about what she does, and it also means that she has to put on public face and spend time with her fans.  Her dream life comes crashing down when she crashes her new sports car in somewhat spectacular fashion on the way to a writers retreat. 

The crash was bad enough, but when she wakes up she realises that she is in a nightmare that she can't wake up from.  Instead of waking up in a hospital she wakes up in a basement - a basement that includes a woman who demands that Livvy apologises from what she has done.  Terrified and in pain Livvy tries to think about what she could have possibly done to this woman or her daughter and comes up with a blank - could they have targeted her just because she is famous?  As her hopes of being rescued slowly start to fade Livvy has to find the strength to fight for her life in a situation that is increasingly scary and dangerous.  As Livvy tries to stay strong she can't help but relive her past, and if her fans knew what she was remembering they would realise that her life is not as perfect as people think it is.

The detour was yet another thrilling read from S.A. Bodeen, a tensely and sparely written book that has you wondering what could possibly come next for Livvy.  It was all too easy to put yourself in her shoes and wonder a) what could possibly come next, and b) what would I do in the same situation.  Without wanting to give too much away, it becomes clear quite early on that nothing is what it seems, and that Livvy and her perfect life are not as perfect as they seem either.

One of my favourite things about Bodeen and her books is that she makes her stories accessible to such a wide audience.  While there are mature themes here because of the kidnapping and some of the other events, it is written in such a way that teens who struggle with reading can read the book, and 'tweens with advanced reading and social ages can also enjoy the story (it was also a rather nice diversion for this adult reader too).  There is a puzzle aspect to this story, trying to figure out all the pieces before the story ends, and while I did figure them out I enjoyed the ride and I get the feeling that the won't be as obvious for readers who don't read as widely as I do!  A great read, and a fantastic diversion on a hot summer afternoon when it was too hot to do anything else but sit indoors and read.

If you like this book then try:

• The compound by S.A. Bodeen
• The Gardener by S.A. Bodeen
• The raft by S.A. Bodeen
• Checkers by John Marsden
• Proxy by Alex London
• Island of the blue dolphins by Scott O'Dell
• Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
• The Cay by Theodore Taylor
• When we wake by Karen Healey
• Survival by Chris Ryan
• I am the cheese by Robert Cormier
• The limit by Kristin Landon

Reviewed by Brilla