Savita Kalhan

Read this review, and many more on my blog October Tune!

This book made me realize that there are horrible people in the world; horrible, horrible people. Though the genre says 'horror', I wasn't really horrified or scared or anything, just extremely disgusted when I found out what happened. I haven't made many notes with this book, because I was so busy reading it, and it was just so short, that there wasn't really much I liked/didn't like. I liked the way it was written, the way some things were described, but I can't really say I 'liked' the story.

I have written a couple of times the things I wanted to do with that man that took Sam and Lloyd, and I'll tell you, they aren't nice things. I think I actually might have cheered at the end of the book, when I found out what happened with him.

I do think people should read this book, because it's a good book; I believe this is the first book that I've read that tells the story of the abducted one, and not their families (though I haven't read much books about people getting abducted).

I did like the part where Sam talked about Aragorn from Lord of the Rings; and when he compared the paintings in the house to the ones at Hogwarts. Yay!… (mais)

I admit. For a rather decent-sized book, I never expected the story to come out the way it did.

After reading the synopsis at the back of the book, the beginning's happening (how they got abducted) seemed pretty predictable. But the moment they made for their escape, I found myself almost wanting to skim past the descriptions and just read about how they were gonna escape. I was on the edge of my seat, and my heart racing.

The author is a genius at sucking the readers in to the dark world of Sam and Lloyd as they escape, with just the right amount of frustrations and panic.… (mais)

If ever there was a book that should be required reading for every 11 boy or girl then it is The Long Weekend by Savita Kalhan. The content does not make for comfortable reading, and as a parent you may find yourself having to answer some awkward questions that you may not be entirely at ease with, but that is why this book is so important as it looks at what could happen to a young person if they happen to let their guard down for just one moment. In simple terms it looks at the abduction of two boys, but from their point of view as opposed to that of the parents, which we see on TV and in books all too often. We see how a simple misunderstanding leads the boys to find themselves at the mercy of a human predator whose motives are only too apparent to us as readers. We witness how the two boys react to this danger, with one becoming the hero and taking control whilst the other, previously more confident boy, retreats into his shell.

As a teacher who comes into contact with young people on a daily basis this book did not make for pleasant reading at times as I could picture this sort of thing happening so easily to children I know well. I would say that at school every six weeks or so we have a call from a parent to inform us that their child was approached by a man in a van on their way to or from school. Fortunately, every time the young person or people concerned have acted with common sense and a maturity sometimes beyond their years, and no bad has come of this. However, I know this is not the case for many families and schools up and down the country, and this makes the plot of The Long Weekend even more hard hitting. I know so many kids who think they are streetwise, and yet could so easily end up in a situation similar to the one that Sam and Lloyd find themselves in. Savita Kalhan should be commended for tackling the rarely covered subject of child abduction and abuse (in YA books at least) in a way that is both gritty and sensitive.

This is a dark, dark story and may not be suitable for less mature readers. Although it isn't mentioned explicitly in the story, a simple case of reading between the lines suggests that something very bad happens to Lloyd whilst Sam is locked in another room. There are no graphic details of this assault, the author very cleverly leaves it to the imagination of the reader to fill in the blanks, and it is this that makes the book so frightening, perhaps even more so if you are a parent. In Sam and Lloyd, Ms Kalhan has created a pair of very believable 'boy next door' characters and as a reader I very quickly felt an affinity towards them, something else I believe contributed to the queasy feeling I had in my stomach as soon as it became apparent that they had been abducted.

The Long Weekend is probably best read in a single sitting, although at only 180 pages this won't take a huge chunk out of your day. I would also suggest reading it during daylight hours - there are no supernatural demons, vampires, zombies or werewolves, but it is just as scary as any of the recent YA horror stories that have been released, if not more so. And one final suggestion - perhaps parents should read it before their kids as only they will know whether their child will be mature enough to cope with the issues covered.… (mais)

Savita Kalhan spares no time with The Long Weekend diving into the scary tale. Even written for the young adult audience, Savita Kalhan also spared no expense leaving an imprint just like its senior, thriller, counterparts.

One of the many facets that added to the creep-factor of The Long Weekend was how realistic the voice of Sam, the eleven year old main character, was. Sam's voice seemed to be genuine of any eleven year old boy, tugging at my heart, wanting to step through the pages and help him and his friend, Lloyd.

The accuracy of the characters was only the beginning. Savita Kalhan told a story which flowed beautifully and was painted eerily lifelike. Even though The Long Weekend was not insanely graphic, I saw it and it was all there, no pieces missing. I was provided with a strong book from start to finish.

I must say, even though I am not one for horrifying adventures, sum it up to the after affects these stories leave on me, Savita Kalhan drew me in with her unique style of choppy, yet gentle, writing and her ability to tell a tale. The Long Weekend was a gripping young adult thriller, that will tug at your heart and have you turning over your shoulder.… (mais)