Alexis met her boyfriend, Austin, when he showed up in her ER with a bullet wound. They have been dating for a while when Austin wants to take Alexia on vacation to Vietnam. Austin is an enthusiastic bike rider, so the trip has more than one purpose. To take a bicycling tour of the Vietnam countryside, and pay respects to his father and uncle who both fought in the Vietnam war. His uncle even died during the war. And because of the emotional aspect, Austin went off on a solo ride, leaving Alexis behind. But when Austin doesn't return, Alexis starts to think that their dream vacation has turned into a nightmare. And she is right. It turns out that Auston was there for more than just a bicycle tour. As Alexis enlists the help of a Private Investigator, she realizes that she doesn't really know her boyfriend at all.
If you follow the author, Chris Bohjalian, on social media, you know that he is an avid bicyclist and it is clear that he translated that passion into his latest novel. I really felt bad for Alexis. She was finally winning the war against her own demons and her world is turned upside down after the trip to Vietnam. With every revelation, I was afraid that she was going to fall back into her old ways of self-harm. As things unfold, you discover that Austin was involved with some pretty scary shit. Like pandemic levels of scary. Which is too close to the truth we are living right now. Things turned out okay for Alexis, but not for everybody around her. - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS.
Bottom Line - I adore Chris Bohjalian and the novels that he writes. His books are gripping and at times dark, but always good.
Details:
- The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian
- On Instagram
- Pages: 400
- Publisher: Doubleday
- Publication Date: 3/17/2020
- Buy it Here!
- Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for a review.
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