The Lost Kings

With one novel (The Wolves of Winter) already under his belt, Johnson’s writing proves to be brilliant with this new psychological thriller about a girl named Jeanie. At 12 years old, Jeanie witnesses her father with blood on his hands. The next morning, she wakes to find that her twin brother, Jamie, and her father are both gone. All alone, she is forced to leave behind her life, including her childhood love, a boy named Maddox. Now, 20 years later, Jeanie has moved from the United States to Britain. Then, Maddox arrives in town with news that he has located Jeanie’s father. Jeanie must decide whether or not to confront her father about the past and decide what to do with her future with Maddox. Johnson’s use of psychological terminology and his personal love of poetry are sprinkled throughout the story, and the realistic characters are emotional and imperfect, which will leave readers feeling empathy and surprise at the same time.