Savaged Paperback – May 29, 2019

MY RATING SYSTEM5 stars--WOW4 stars--would read again3 stars--was good, won't read again2 stars--read it, but didn't enjoy it1 star--didn't finish, it was so awfulDo I need to read books before this one: noCliffhanger: no, but I could see books about other childrenSUMMARYJak wakes in the dark, cold. He and 3 boys are atop a snowy cliff--a blond one, a tall one, and one with big brown eyes. “Will you die today?” the man asks from behind them. “Maybe tomorrow? Next week? Many years from now a lauded warrior? Celebrated?” Jak is confused, wants to know where his baka is. “Do you have a will to survive? To fight for your life? Tooth and nail? Heart and soul?” The blond cries. Jak clenches his fists. The boy with big eyes slips a pocket knife into Jak's hand; he pockets it quickly. Suddenly there's a crack, the snow gives way, and they're falling. The small boy grabs his hand. Tumble, roll, fall, hit. Pain. The boy's hold weakens, so Jak holds on tighter. The boy is crying. They hit a ledge, both hold onto the edge. He hears the other boys's screams echoing. Jak sees that the boy’s eyes are starting to close, blood streams from his nose, his face is bruised and bloody, and his head is rolling on his neck like he might fall asleep. There's room for only 1 on the ledge. Jak grabs the boy just as he lets go, makes him climb up his body onto the ledge. Jak gives the boy a final push and yells "Live!" as he falls.15 years later, Sheriff Dwayne Walbeck asks Harper to assist Agent Mark Gallagher, new to Montana, in the investigation of 2 homicides by bow and arrow. She's got the rural equipment and savvy Mark doesn't. They have a person of interest, Lucas, found near the 2nd scene at Isaac Driscoll's house. He looks like a caveman.EVALUATIONMs Sheridan writes a powerful narrative of survival and hope, surpassing my expectations for some intrigue and romance.The story advances 2 timelines—Jak growing up and present day. It uses Jak's viewpoint solely for growing up, and uses a variety of viewpoints for the present (Jak, Harper, Mark, minor characters) so we get all the information to understand the crimes as they're solved. The author uses foreshadowing, literary references, and natural imagery to deepen our experience with the main characters. I usually don't like stories with little dialog, but extensive thinking is appropriate to being alone.RECOMMENDATIONI've already recommended it to my adult friends who read! Especially good for those who've read Count of Monte Cristo.FAVORITE QUOTESA faraway wildflower field after a rainstorm. Clean. Earthy. A woman. Her smell...soothed him. Confused him. The scent of her was new and old, something that was not known and already a part of him. Deep down. Deep, deep down. Something came alive like a spark, rising up to greet its match, a singing in his blood that was like the wind that showed up on a cold winter morning telling the forest that springtime was in the close faraway.The forest had nourished his body, but her mother’s words had nourished his soul.Had he really wanted to die though? No. He had wanted the pain to end, the loneliness.She smelled like life, like sweet water, like fertile earth, and perfectly ripened berries that would take away the pain of hunger. Her woman scent was the beginning of everything and the place where he wanted to draw his final breath. She was meant for him, he knew that now. No other woman. Only her.Sometimes miracles—like love—arrived gently. Softly. Without fanfare. Without a lightning strike. For true miracles needed no such thing.“Did you know the trees speak to each other? They tell secrets in their roots, those deep, dark places that can’t be seen. I think we’re like that too. We know things deep, deep down, secret things, ancient things, that whisper through us, one to the other. You whispered to me. And I whispered back. You heard, didn’t you?”Everyone started talking at once, the way the birds did in the morning, happy to be alive for another sunrise and chitter-chattering to tell the whole forest about it.[What did you learn from The Count of Monte Cristo this time?] All human wisdom is contained in these two words—wait and hope. “That if we can hang on—survive—through the hard times in life, there is something better waiting for us. There’s a purpose we can’t always see. There’s an...order.” He’d felt it—that whisper, that unseen something that flowed through him, into and around all living things and back again. There were no words he’d found that fully captured it. God, maybe. Fate? Miracles? The souls who had passed before them? All he knew was that it was loving and good, and it sought to make things *right.*POSSIBLE TRIGGERS (SPOILERS)Sex: multiple scenes, nudity, reference to masturbatingLanguage: 2 F words, 58 Lord's name in vain, 5 S wordsViolence: murder scenes described, indication of child molestation, fatal knife fight, kidnappings, attempted murder by gun

What a joy to read a novel with a very good story! So many books have the same formula and it gets so predictable. I loved the characters especially Jak. I could see a follow up book from this…. Please 😉

This book contains an intricately woven plot that combines elements of several genres: mystery, horror, fantasy, and romantic suspense. It's a story of a child's survival to manhood in the face of overwhelming cruelty, so anyone prone to depression might be troubled by this one. It's certainly not an easy or "enjoyable" read, but if you focus on slivers of light and hope in all that darkness and despair, you'll be amazed by the beauty of this extraordinary tale.No big plot summary from me this time; hundreds of reviewers have covered that ground already. Instead, I'll mention the main things I liked and a few things I questioned. First of all, Jak's incredible courage just blew me away! How on earth could a young boy survive in the Montana wilderness for two winters, living in caves and eating raw meat, with a wolf as his only companion? Impossible? Probably, because Montana winters are brutal! But Jak manages to survive until our villain (Driscoll) finally allows him to live in a rustic cabin so his "adaptation" to deprivation and a harsh environment can be closely recorded and studied. (Driscoll and his cohorts are evil personified!)Despite Jak's obvious courage and intelligence, he grows to manhood without ever questioning the tale he's fed by Driscoll--that the world is at "war" and he'll be killed if he dares to leave the forest. Come on. The town of Helena Springs can't be that far away. Driscoll's cabin even has electricity (a luxury forbidden to Jak). But Jak is a grown man when he finally ventures into the town, where he learns the "war" was a lie. How could an intelligent person believe such a lie for fifteen years? (But now that I think about it, millions of people are duped by even crazier lies every day. I guess Jak's naivete isn't so far-fetched after all.)Anyway, when Driscoll is brutally murdered and Jak is discovered nearby, he's brought to the sheriff's office for questioning. Following the interview, he meets Harper Ward, a beautiful wilderness guide who's agreed to assist in the murder investigation. Naturally, there's an immediate attraction between the "savage" man and Harper. She notices that he's wearing a locket that belonged to her mother, who died in a mysterious car wreck--along with Harper's father--fifteen years ago, but the car and their bodies were never found. Does Jak know where they are? And what does he know about Driscoll's murder?Determined to find answers, Harper goes to Jak's cabin and questions him. When she's ready to leave, her truck has a dead battery, so she spends the night with him. They fall into lust that gradually morphs into love as the story progresses. (Be advised--the sex scenes are explicit!) Their unusual love is both raw and tender, forming a central theme that draws all of the cleverly twisted plot threads together until they reach a stunning conclusion.Still, a few things puzzled me. When Jak's true parentage is revealed, we learn that Jak's grandfather totally rejected him for twenty-three years because his mother was a drug addict. But when the mother is killed, Jak's grandfather does a complete turnaround and welcomes him into the family. Why the sudden change of heart? Long-suppressed guilt, perhaps?Then there's the unresolved mystery of Harper's parents' car wreck. Her parents had been coming back from dinner in Missoula, but their car ended up in a canyon deep in the forest, miles from the highway between Missoula and Helena Springs. Why did Harper's father turn off the main highway onto dirt back roads? That made no sense to me (except, of course, that their wreck is an essential component of the plot).But these are small flaws in the rich tapestry of a most unusual and unforgettable story. The final confrontation and stunning revelations took my breath away, followed by an epilogue that warmed my heart. The story ends with a quote from one of Jak's (and my) favorite books, The Count of Monte Cristo: "All human wisdom is contained in these two words--wait and hope." Indeed. This remarkable book easily earns five extraordinary stars and my enthusiastic recommendation!

Mia Sheridan is amazing! So many twists and turns, each one catching you off guard! I became obsessed with this. Bravo Ms Sheridan!

Jak’s story of survival in the woods was heartbreaking. Harper’s story of survival in the system was heartbreaking too. What they ended up finding together was beautiful 💕

Omg 5 freaking stars. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book I’d give 5 stars to another amazing book by Mia Sheridan

Jak is a boy who, by circumstances he doesn't understand, was forced to live in a forest when he was eight years old. Along with him he had three more children, but fate was cruel to two and one, the girl, he managed to save. Years after years Jak was surviving and learning how to live in a forest. Living only on what was necessary and what he produced.Harper lost her parents in a car accident where she was also in the vehicle, but managed to survive, she just doesn't remember perfectly how she saved herself. After the discovery of two murders in the small town where she lives, she goes to the police station to help with the search, as she knows the forest better than anyone, since one of the dead lived in a cabin in the woods. At the police station, she is impressed by a wild-looking man.Then by stroke of fate Jak and Harper begin to meet. In this, Harper begins to know Jak and admire him for everything he has gone through to survive, but Harper is determined to find out who did what to the boy who despite the ways he lived is sweet, kind and considerate to her.As the book progresses, we learn more about Jak's past, how and why he ended up in the forest. And Harper and Jak will realize that their fates were linked a long time ago.A story of resilience, determination and love. With a touch of suspense that leaves the story with interesting details and that desire to know the end with each page read. It's exciting. I recommend.

The last Mia Sheridan's book I read is always her best. Every story is more surprising, more amazing. Every character she brings to life is better on every book. I simply love her books. And this is the greatest.

I loved every book from Mia Sheridan that I’ve read until now, but after Savaged something in me changed.What a beautiful story!I am in awe! I thought it would be a little bit like “Archer’s voice” but ohh how wrong I was.This book went in a completely different direction, every word, every step of the story brings us to feel something.. else.I have so much compassion for Jak, felt his every pain, every fear, every achievement. His heart and his humbleness won me right there at the beginning, I was sooo sad and in complete agony for what he endured, I wanted to reach out for him and do something! WHAT A POWER you have in your fingertips Mia!Jak and Harper’s love story has the capability to change the way you think about so many things in life.Oh god, I got myself thinking in things that we do and we normally don’t even think about. How sometimes we don’t value the things that for us are so little and simple but maybe huuuge for others. That being empathetic, being human towards another is soooo important! This is something my father taught me as a child and today I am so thankful! And I am thankful for being again reminded by this book.And THAT is the reason why I love reading so much! Books like this one, that transform us in any way, are worth every second spent reading.Thank you, thank you, thank you!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌶Phenomenal. Heartbreakingly beautiful.Savaged is the story of waiting and hoping. Following two murders in a small town in Montana, Harper, a wilderness tourism guide, is called in to assist the sheriff. A man only described as savage is a potential lead in the case. He is a man of the wilderness, having been isolated from society for years.Lucas does not have a last name. Lucas does not have many things, except for his survival instincts, intuition, and intelligence.Secrets of the case and Lucas' history are uncovered, and Harper's own history once again rise to the surface. As Harper assists in the case, she delves into Lucas' life... and who he really is. Is he the savaged and uncivilised man people believe him to be? Or is he a man who has done his best to survive in overwhelming conditions stacked against him?This novel, in the words of Harper and Jak: “This fills my soul. You . . . you fill my soul.”“When did it happen? she wondered, trying to pinpoint the exact moment she had fallen. It should have been . . . momentous, wasn’t that true? But no, she realized dreamily, it hadn’t been one singular stopping of time. It was a beautiful string of moments, each one opening her heart to him little by little. And this was one. Watching Jak under the twinkling lights of his first Christmas tree, it was suddenly clear. Sometimes miracles—like love—arrived gently. Softly. Without fanfare. Without a lightning strike. For true miracles needed no such thing.”