KALA is Colin Walsh’s debut novel, and I think he couldn’t make himself more proud. It’s one of the best thriller novels I’ve read in years. It offers every aspect of a readers’ expectation on a thriller. At the same time, it is presented in a story that is embedded in an unusual environment and with unusual characters. It is an out-of-the-box thriller. I know it’s listed as a novel, and that’s also true. The characters are so well crafted and elaborated. Every one of them has a rich, deep psyche we delve into. We find ourselves wandering in the wild vastness of their intricate feelings.
We live the story through the eyes of each of the main protagonists we meet: Helen, Joe and Mush. They originally were part of a group of six teenagers that grew close in the summer of 2003. Out of a sudden, Kala disappears and never returns home. The teenagers are heartbroken and try to cope with their loss, each in their own way.
When Helen, Joe and Mush meet again over a decade later in the town of Kinlough, where the disappearance of Kala took place, human remains are discovered in the Caille Woods. It’s Kala. When the teenage twins Donna and Marie, cousins of Mush, disappear without a trace, a race against time begins. It’s the prelude of a dangerous chain reaction that threatens to put all of Kala’s friends in danger.
The debut novel is a great read into one’s own teenager period and awakens the 14-year-old self. It even made me dream at night. In the dream, I found myself a teenager again. Maybe because I read before night’s rest? I guess the book left an impression on me, as Colin Walsh is an extraordinary storyteller. The book made me engage in it completely. I could hardly wait to go back to it and find out more about the deep secrets of Kinlough. I liked how the author describes the feelings of fear, insecurities, sorrow and grief of each main character. He gave them life, and they appeared to me like real persons that could actually exist somewhere far away from my home.
Furthermore, Colin Walsh is able to create astonishing suspense throughout the whole book, which amazed me. The book seems so neat, every word is exactly where it needs to be in order to establish a magical flow. Also the Irish accent was charming. I cannot wait to read his next novel. Well done, Colin!
