Book Review: “Better Must Come” by Desmond Hall

Book Review: “Better Must Come” by Desmond Hall (2024)

Genre: YA, Contemporary, Fiction

Page Length: 336 pages (hardcover edition)

Synopsis:

Deja is a “barrel girl”—one of the Jamaican kids who get barrels full of clothes, food, and treats shipped to them from parents who have moved to the US or Canada to make more money. Gabriel is caught up in a gang and desperate for a way out. When he meets Deja at a party, he starts looking for a way into her life and wonders if they could be a part of each other’s futures.

Then, one day while out fishing, Deja spies a go-fast boat stalled out by some rocks, smeared with blood. Inside, a badly wounded man thrusts a knapsack at her, begging her to deliver it to his original destination, and to not say a word. She binds his wounds, determines to send for help, and make good on her promise…not realizing that the bag is stuffed with $500,000 American. Not realizing that the posse Gabriel is in will stop at nothing to get their hands on this bag—or that Gabriel’s and her lives will intersect in ways neither ever imagined, as they both are forced to make split second choices to keep the ones they love most alive.

Review:

An exhilarating read from beginning to end Better Must Come packs a powerful punch as a YA thriller that will keep readers on the edge of the seat. It was action-packed and filled with suspense, making it an immersive reading experience. Reading this novel felt like watching a movie play out before his very eyes.

The two alternating point-of-views between Deja and Gabriel added depth to the story and gave their characters a solid background. It made me empathize with just how great the stakes were for each character and their determination behind their mission. The novel paints a vivid portrait of the harsh realities of gang life in Jamaica and how one is willing to go for family. Though Deja and Gabriel feel like their lives differentiate from each other they have more in common than they think. They strive for a better life for themselves and their loved ones promising a more hopeful future.

Hall’s writing is very detailed and transports its readers to Jamaica. I got to experience the land, culture, delicious food, as well as the real island often not glimpsed by tourists through each page. This thriller is gritty and dark at times which adds to the atmosphere of the novel. The intense moments that felt like cliffhangers made the overall reading experience entertaining. I would highly recommend this novel to fans of thrillers!

Final Verdict: