At first glance Salem Falls is intimidating. The print is small, the book is thick, and once you've dipped a toe into the pages you soon realize that the topic is delicate on top of everything else. It starts off as a slowly progressing story about a man, Jack, who has a past he clearly wishes to leave behind him. He finds himself in the presence of a woman, Addie, with an equally broken past who wishes just as much as Jack does to ignore it. But as with any story and its hidden secrets they are sure to find themselves unraveled, leaving the characters to piece back their lives as best as they can. But for Jack, his past comes back to haunt him in a very big way and innocence is something he finds himself fighting to prove again.

This book surprised me on multiple levels. Being a reader of young adult books on average I wasn't sure if I'd end up enjoying such a serious storyline. However once I read a few chapters into it I couldn't put it down. I couldn't pull myself away from the compelling struggles and triumphs that took places in these characters lives. Characters who I found myself sympathizing with and caring deeply about.

Right up until the very end I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat, hoping for an outcome that I would be satisfied with. And while the reader might be able to suspect the ending it was very well disguised and proved to be a well rounded and profoundly written book.