Golden-Rod

Meredith is considered a bit of an ice princess, though in actuality she is simply selective. She’s never found anyone she could feel at home with. She works in a lab, in a sterile environment, a bit removed from everyone. Both of her parents have passed so her family consists of Meredith and her good friends Tom, Mike, and Sherri (Tom’s girlfriend).

On a trip, the four friends go to Carlsbad Caverns. Meredith finds herself drawn to the dark caves, the bats, and the enigma of a handsome man who compels her. When a bat dive-bombs her, terrifying Sherri, Meredith doesn’t even notice because she's so enwrapped by the stranger. The friends venture into the caverns. When they reach the Great Room, an earthquake separates the group of friends. Meredith is plunged into a world of darkness only to be rescued (in the pitch dark) by the enigmatic stranger, Brandon. Together, they must find a way out of the unstable cavern or die.

This was an intriguing story with a very compelling voice toward the stranger. Brandon was drawn out in a truly sympathetic fashion. This reader found herself sucked into his world and caring about his needs and hurts. That said, I had a harder time caring about Meredith, maybe because Brandon was so stark, so real. The further I got into the tale, the more I enjoyed her and their relationship. By the end of the novel, I was cheering for the couple and offering them my hope for truth and prosperity. Good read.

Reviewed by: Izzy