I appreciated the magical world created by John Hart. I've never read a John Hart novel before and noticed the excitement that comes from his fans when a new one comes out. The magical world he created in this book is extraordinary and it pulls you in. It was interesting to learn about the life of solitude cultivated by Johnny Merrimon. You attempt to learn about the present story and crave the past because it is what has built the main character. The book delves into the past and present in a unique way and you learn about the cultivated bond between our main character and his old friend Jack. The world that surrounds Johnny is magical beyond belief and you definitely didn't want this story to end. I appreciated the exploration of friendship, being taken into a world that my own mind could have never thought of, and the connection between a person's past and present, and what it may bring to their future.

4.5 Ten years have passed since the last time readers heard from John Merriman and Jack. John now as an adult lives a solitary life in a cabin he built, on the land he loves. He sees few, but he and Jack are still best friends. Some people find him strange and dangerous, for others he holds almost a mythical reputation.

The Hush is a place like no other. Things happen here that can not be explained, and many have lost their minds, their lives, or both trying to walk through this land. For Johnny it is a place of magic, things he can see and feel, things that don't seem right, but mean home to him. But his land is in danger, legally and out worldly ,there are people that want the power for themselves. The Hush has seen gross injustice, terrible deaths and a great love that unleashes a powerful persona. Can a place like this really exist? A great mix of people and their motives in this novel as well.

Much belief must be put aside when reading this. It won me over because it was the nature of the book, the legend of the place and the experiences of the characters within this book. It was true to the story. There is violence, strange experiences, but the writing for the most part I found very powerful.
I was pulled into the story, skepticism and all. Does some land contain traces of past violence, I believe it can, that some places have the ability to reach out to the present, whether with just uneasy feelings, or strange sightings. This writer has the amazing ability to take me to places I've never been, to fully enter this strange world he has concocted. It is also a novel about a great friendship and a family's unconditional love.

When I am truly immersed in a book, loving what I'm reading I try to make it last as long as possible. Force myself to put it down and read something else, which is what I did with this book. This is why I am giving it five stars. All may not feel this way and I can understand that too, as I said reality must be suspended. The ending I did think may have been somewhat over the top, but it does provide explanations and closure.


ARC from Netgalley.

If I see John Hart’s name on the cover of a book, I know I’m in for a complex, multilayered mystery. This is the follow-up the The Last Child and takes place years after that story. Johnny Merrimon is now a grown man and lives off the grid in a wooded swamp called the Hush. He stays away from people and that’s just the way folks like it, Johnny has been under a cloud of suspicion since his sister disappeared all those years ago. It’s only when his right to the land he lives on is called into question that he leaves his solitary existence to seek out his childhood friend, Jack, now an attorney, to get help hanging on the land that’s been in his family for generations. What follows is a story of family secrets, long-held prejudices and a hint of the supernatural. I loved this book and welcomed the addition of a supernatural element. Hart is an amazing, gifted writer