Night Road by Kristin Hannah - A Review

Night Road by Kristin Hannah centers on Jude Farraday and her teenage twins, Mia and Zach, whose lives change when Lexi Baill, a former foster child, comes to live in town and becomes part of their world. As senior year unfolds—with parties, first love, and bad decisions—a devastating tragedy occurs and everything unravels. The story looks at motherhood, sibling bonds, loss, justice, and forgiveness.

I liked the premise, but the characters didn’t always work for me. Many of them felt exaggerated, especially Mia, whose extreme fragility was hard to believe given her privileged life. Others felt stuck in fixed roles, which made the first half repetitive. Once the tragedy hits, the story moves faster, but by then I had trouble fully connecting on an emotional level.

That said, the book still hit me in places. It starts off fairly light and then turns into an emotional roller coaster, and Kristin Hannah knows how to pull at the heartstrings. Lexi was by far the strongest character, and some moments were genuinely moving—especially themes that mothers will likely relate to.

I went in with high expectations after The Nightingale, one of my all-time favorites. Night Road didn’t quite live up to that for me, but I still love Kristin Hannah and appreciate what she was trying to do here.

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