As a boy grows, so a man becomes, sometimes with the help of a loyal friend. L.K Aldrich takes the reader on such a journey in his newly published book, Into The Mist, published by Little Book Factory and available on Amazon.com. (I was given access to this novel through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
Aldrich, a veteran of the armed services, weaves a story beginning with a young boy, Thomas, and his ever-present companion, his cat. The boy experiences adventures with "cat" as they play together, creating memories throughout his childhood. As Aldrich creates the child, so he also jumps forward and shows the reader the man that emerges from that child. Thomas is now an army reservist serving alongside three other men during the post 9/11 Afghanistan War. Thomas serves in coordination with the Afghan National Police in the hot zone. The main character, Thomas, shares glimpses of his other self in memories when he reminisces during his deployment maneuvers. The reader gets to know the depth of Thomas as a man as they move throughout the book.
Thomas is a relatable character because he experiences friendships, loves and losses yet with his family and ever faithful "cat" he perseveres.
I have to confess, at first I was a bit frustrated with the flow of the story. Mainly because the sequences from boy to army veteran felt choppy. It may be because there is quite a bit of army jargon and abbreviations needed in the story, and as someone unfamiliar with the terminology, it was distracting to me. Yet once I got to the half way point in the book, it all seemed to come together and flow well throughout the remaining of the book. I am not certain whether I just got comfortable with the format or whether the author's style changed, but whichever the case, I enjoyed the book from that point on so much that I mourned the ending of it on the final page.
I also had a personal stake in the story which made the book even more interesting for me. I grew up in Manhattan, Kansas which is close to the army base Fort Riley. Having grown up nearby I have many memories of the soldiers that are trained at that location. The references in the story to Fort Riley, though fleeting, brought the book even more alive to me.
At the end of the story and on the writer's website I found that he has two sequels to Into The Mist: The Story of Thomas. I am excited to read those as well. Now that I have met the character "Thomas," I want to learn more about his life and what happens to him next. One knows a book is a success if the reader is captivated enough to want more, and Aldrich has certainly done that for this reader.
To learn more about the author, visit his website: https://www.lkaldrichmist.com/