3.5! ( )

Cheryl Kaye Tardif drew me into her novel, Children of the Fog, from the epilogue and kept my attention until the last page.
Sadie is the loving mother of Sam. When she catches the kidnapper who has been making headlines in the paper in her son’s bedroom, she is faced with a decision to watch the man murder her son before her own eyes or let him take Sam. Sadie lets Sam go. Now every decision that she makes from that point on is to protect her son with the goal of getting him back safely, but it all seems to be putting Sam in further danger.
Other complications including Sadie’s failing marriage, a decomposing friendship and Sadie’s own alcoholism. All of this proves to be too much for Sadie and she spirals into a sea of depression and she is no longer able to trust herself when she starts to see unexplained thing.
I was already thrilled with the story line in the middle of the novel, but Tardif was not done delivering more suspense with cleverly inserted lessons life. Every turn of the page exceeded my expectations and led me to a ending that came as a complete surprise.
I would recommend Children of the Fog by Cheryl Kaye Tardif to anyone. Really. This is not only for suspense lovers. If you read The Lovely Bones and liked it, you can not pass this one up. ( )

A parent's worst nightmare—a mother's greatest fear. This story of terror, fear, remorse, and unfulfilled closure is deftly written. The contrast between the sweetness and light at the beginning and the bleak blackness and despair in the midst of the horror is overwhelmingly realistic. The excruciating pain of not knowing, coupled with the feeling of guilt—she should have done things differently, she should have been able to save her child—chews at the mother's insides. This very dark story may seem over the top with other problems running throughout but it is not. Trauma flattens the soul, the voice is still and dead or shrill and frenzied as different parts of the story unfold.

As a mother myself, I found this an emotional book to read, and yet I was mesmerized by it and couldn't put it down. Cheryl Kaye Tardif brings detail and personality to every book she writes. Midway through this story as our protagonist Sadie runs from the myriad upheavals in her life into solitude, a shift in the feel of the book follows her and leads us into a different place, a place of temporary respite from tragedy, bringing us into nature and the natural order of things, however brief it may be. But when Sadie sees glimpses of children and hears childish laughter in the woods, is she hallucinating? Who is leaving her little gifts, and why an onion for goodness sake? What does the crow that taps on her window have to do with anything?

The suspense builds up until it spills over in this tense story. Is it God? Kismet? Fate? Something or someone is driving Sadie deeper and deeper into the fog and dark. She must keep her wits about her to understand what is being shown her. This book tugs at the heart and dredges up our fears and mortality. A tale of innocence and evil well told, with an ending that will both thrill and chill. ( )

I was captured by the prologue of this book. I entered to win a copy and did not win, so I purchased it. From the moment you read the prologue where you find Sadie, an alcoholic determined to commit suicide to the moment she sees the faces of children out side her window as she places the gun to her head, you are caught. Why does she want to kill herself? What happened to her son? Who are the children outside the window and what do they want? These were the questions that popped into my head as I began the journey of reading a book that I KNOW I will re-read several more times.
We find out that Sadie is an author and is currently writing and illustrating a story about bats for her son. Her illustrative abilities will help and hurt her situation when the notorious “Fog” kidnaps her son in his own bedroom. She hears a noise and goes to check on him only to catch him in the act. No one has ever seen his face until Sadie. He gives her a choice, let him leave with her son and he lives or he will kill him right there in front of her. I kept thinking what I as a mother would do. One part of me kept thinking I’d rather he kill him so that I knew it would be quick and over because if he took him I had no idea what type of torture he would go through. The other side of me said, let him go because I would not want to witness my child’s murder. Sadie does just that, lets him go. She is warned she will never see her son again if any details about what he looks like gets out.
We go from this situation to her husband coming in late. Right away we know there is a big rift in their marriage. That helps ramp up the tension. When he finds a sketch she has made of the kidnapper, we know from his personality that things have gone from bad to worse. Throw in the legal troubles he is having and that would be enough for anyone to want to throw in the towel. Sadie decides to go off into the woods, rent a cabin, get her affairs in order and then take her life. However, she is getting nightly visits from children who keep telling her they need her help.
There were so many eloquently executed twists and turns in this story. I kept flying through the pages to find out what happened next. I was frustrated when my husband woke up and told me I had to put the book down because I only had two hours until I had to get ready to go to work. I solved that problem though. I assigned a silent reading day in class so I could finish the book. I guess I got pretty involved because I looked up and my students were watching me. I was making noises as I read the book. They figured it must be really good if I was “that into it”. I told them it was and that if I could find a middle grade/young adult book that was as suspenseful, I’d have several copies on my shelves. This is a definite must read for anyone who loves mysteries, suspense, a good thriller. This is definitely a great author, one whose works I will continue to read. I love it when I can find a new author. ( )

Children of the Fog is a suspenseful mystery.

When Sadie O'Connell's six-year-old son, Sam is kidnapped, her already crumbling world disintegrates. The Fog has already abducted 7 other young children, none of whom have been found. Unknown to anyone else, Sadie saw the face of the abductor, information she cannot share with the police if she wants any chance of recovering her son alive. The Fog has threatened to send her son back to her in little, bloody pieces if she reveals his face. To preserve her own sanity, and come to terms with the terrifying decision she makes, she draws a picture of The Fog and files it away.

Struggling with her loss, and battling a history of alcoholism, every day is torturous for this successful career woman. Her adulterous husband is far less than supportive and Sadie is barely hanging on. This good and loving mother is almost destroyed by the guilt over the decisions she made regarding her son.

Then her husband discovers the picture she drew of the abductor, and Sadie's life takes a far darker turn. Police begin to doubt her and question her reasons for keeping such a vital clue hidden. Her grief mounts with the knowledge The Fog will find out and make good on his threat. Then the most horrifying things happen and Sadie teeters on the brink of insanity.

Children of The Fog is filled with tense scenes that give the reader chills. The weaknesses and flaws in the characters make them human and believable, fragile yet strong in the face of their most challenging moments. They make mistakes and move on, refuse to give up or give in.

The story contains a paranormal element, which is both horrifying and heartbreaking. Children of The Fog is filled with evil, compassion, struggles, strengths, loss and love. The story moves at a good pace and is engaging throughout.

The kindle version ends at 90%, the last 10% filled with info about the author and additional works, which is a little disappointing. ( )