Do Not Become Alarmed By Maile Meloy

[amazon_link id=”0241305462″ target=”_blank” ][/amazon_link]’Do Not Become Alarmed’ is the latest book by Maile Meloy.

When Liv and Nora decide to take their husbands and children on a holiday cruise, everyone is thrilled. The ship’s comforts and possibilities seem infinite. But when they all go ashore in beautiful Central America, a series of minor mishaps lead the families further from the ship’s safety. One minute the children are there, and the next they’re gone. What follows is a heart-racing story told from the perspectives of the adults and the children, as the distraught parents – now turning on one another and blaming themselves – try to recover their children and their shattered lives.

In my cold and tired state, I sat up late so I could finish this book, I couldn’t put the book down until I reached its conclusion and if the children were returned safely to their parents.

When friends Liv and Nora go away on a cruise with their husbands and children, they think it will be perfect distraction from real life. Away at sea with an array of activities to keep everyone entertained, nothing could go wrong until the mothers and the children step off the ship and suddenly the children are gone, with the parents distraught and consumed with fear.

The story is cleverly written from both the narrative of the children and the their parents as they race against time to become reunited, but it’s not a simple reconciliation, as there are many hurdles along the way.

The inclusion of both perspectives is very interesting, with the children there is the fear of never being found as well as naivety, that they will be found. But, as the story progresses, the children are exposed to horrific situations and for some of them, rids them of their innocence and makes them stronger. With the much younger children, there is a sweet element, that adds a gentle touch of humour to the gripping tale, as they question and wonder about everything much to the annoyance of their elders.

Elsewhere the parents have to deal with the guilt of letting their children down and with each passing second, their fears become real as police delve further into the investigation. Their emotions race between fear, frustration and guilt at having their backs on them.

The story progresses at a quick speed with short and snappy chapters packed with many twists and dramas along the way. Filled with bad guys, bunnies and everyone wanting to do the right thing, ‘Do Not Become Alarmed’ is a fast paced drama about every parents nightmare.

You can pre-order [amazon_link id=”0241305462″ target=”_blank” ]Do Not Become Alarmed from Amazon [/amazon_link] and will be available to buy from good bookshops from 7th July 2017.