The Last Child is a dark novel that showcases the power of love and friendship through the eyes of Johnny Merrimon, a young boy who searches endlessly for Alyssa, his missing twin. Missing for one year, Alyssa needs to come home so Johnny's life can go back to normal. Since she disappeared, his father has left them, his mother has become a booze-drinking, pill-consuming shell of who she once was, and they have been evicted. "Fortunately", his mother's boyfriend owns a rental house, and just about everything else in town, so they don't live on the street, but honestly, they might be better off there, based on the way they are treated. Hart moves through the story of this novel with absolutely unforgettable characters, which is a strength in his writing. Not only do you feel that you know these people, you can't get them out of your head, even a week after finishing this book. Riddled with twists and turns so unexpected that you cannot put this book down, Johnny's quest to find his sister will consume your spare time as it consumes his life, investing your emotions in his cause as if it were your own. A powerful story that you will not soon forget...