Back Roads (1999) by Tawni O'Dell is a dark and gripping novel that explores the tumultuous life of Harley Altmyer, a 19-year-old thrust into adulthood after his mother is imprisoned for killing his abusive father. Tasked with raising his three younger sisters—Amber, Misty, and Jody—Harley struggles with the weight of responsibility, buried family secrets, and his own troubled past. The story unfolds as Harley navigates a maze of emotional turmoil and fractured relationships. He develops an illicit and obsessive relationship with his married neighbor, Callie Mercer, while grappling with the residual trauma of his father's abuse. A series of harrowing revelations—including signs of possible incest, hidden abuse, and murder—force Harley to confront uncomfortable truths about his family. The tension peaks when Callie is found dead, and Harley is arrested after confessing to the murder. However, a shocking discovery implicates Amber in the crime, leading to her arrest and Harley's confinement in a psychiatric hospital. A raw and haunting portrayal of familial dysfunction and survival, Back Roads was an Oprah’s Book Club selection in 2000 and adapted into a 2018 film starring Alex Pettyfer.
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