Review: Surrender - Sonya Hartnett

Surrender by Sonya Hartnett is a psychological thriller.. Gabriel, who is still a very young man, is on his death bed. Through Surrender he recounts the haunting and horrific events from his brief life in a small, country town.

In the hills there's many places we call home, hollow trees, wombat holes, shanties I've built using timber filched from the tray of the carpenter's truck.

The book switches perspectives between Gabriel and his dangerous friend, Finnigan, setting up a layered story full of unexpected twists and turns.

Hands down, Surrender is a fantastic book. Gabriel is a flawed protagonist and his story is gruesome and dark. Sonya Hartnett's writing creates a chilling atmosphere that seems to come out of the pages.

We met among trees and on the edges of fields and by the creek where ebony snakes slid under stones; it suited us to meet this way, in wild places, like migrating birds.

I wouldn't recommend it for younger readers, though.. the story is bleak and heartbreaking.

Sonya Hartnett is fast becoming one of my favourite authors and Surrender does not disappoint. I rate it 4/5 Stars!