THE LONG WEEKEND

The Long Weekend is my first novel. It’s published by Andersen Press. It’s a gritty, tense thriller full of suspense about two boys who get abducted after school on a Friday afternoon.

Sam knows that he and his friend Lloyd made a colossal mistake when they accepted the ride home. They have ended up in a dark mansion in the middle of nowhere with a man who means to harm them. But Sam doesn't know how to get them out.

 

They were trapped, then separated.

 

Now they are alone.

 

Will either of them get out alive?

 

THIS GRIPPING AND HYPNOTIC THRILLER WILL HAVE YOU READING LATE INTO THE NIGHT

The Long Weekend was shortlisted for the Fabulous Book Award 2010, and longlisted for the Doncaster Book Award, and the Coventry Book Award.

Reviews for the book:

Books for Keeps

Myslexia

Junior Book Worm

Writeaway

Carolyn Copland (School Librarian)

 

 

After four different schools in three different countries 11-year-old Sam is tired of the loneliness and the anxiety of being the new boy. He is delighted with his brand-new friendship with Lloyd, whose wealthy father’s glamorous lifestyle in the music business ensures that his son has all the confidence and material possessions that Sam has always wanted. So when the boys are to be picked up after school by one set of parents, Sam assumes the expensive car which collects them is Lloyd’s father’s and the remote and luxurious manor house they are driven to is a treat connected with a concert being given locally by his favourite band.

It soon becomes clear, however, that Lloyd assumes that Sam’s father is the owner of the car and the boys’ attempts to rationalise their position are further muddied by the driver’s obtuseness. The manor house, at first a treasure trove of entertainment and fun, rapidly becomes a prison and when the boys are taken to separate rooms Sam’s misgivings begin to take over.

Kalhan builds tension expertly; she strips back layer by layer Sam’s attempts to normalise their situation until there is only one viable conclusion – the boys are in the hands of an abuser and child murderer and his attentions are focused on Lloyd. The details of Sam’s escape and his return for the utterly cowed Lloyd convincingly explore the interplay of personalities under extreme duress and their captor’s slowly revealed insanity is graphic and chilling. The boys escape but they are irrevocably changed and their friendship dissolves under the strain of their experience and the knowledge of the shock and shame they wanted kept secret being teased out by the counsellors’ efforts to heal their mental and emotional wounds.

A postscript moves the story on six years to a chance meeting between the two boys and Kalhan gives subtle indications of a way forward for their long-postponed friendship. This is beautifully handled, without a trace of sentimentality and provides a credible and compassionate ending to a harrowing story – sadly, very much of our time.

 

 

Books for Keeps (5 Stars)

“A tense contemporary thriller about two boys escaping from a remorseless abductor. Written plainly and directly, this is all the more cogent as it is a realistic scenario – something of a cautionary tale in fact.”

 

The Bookseller

“The Long Weekend is a dark and powerful story full of menace and fear. Savita Kalhan has managed to get inside the mind of a terrified eleven-year-old boy and realistically write about his innermost feelings of fear, anger, self-pity, and deep hatred. I would recommend this book to anyone who’s looking for an attention-grabbing thriller. It’s not for the faint-hearted.”

 

Mslexia

“Written with a deft touch….the narrative traction (will they escape? will the man catch them?) gripped me and I had to finish this in one sitting. A compelling read.”

 

WriteAway.org.uk

“Savita Kalhan has written a horror book for young teens that is realistic and compelling.”

 

JuniorBookWorm.com

Reviews from teens:

 

"The Long Weekend is a gripping and horrifyingly realistic novel which is hard to put down."
Niamh Donnelly (13), Latymer School, London

 

"The Long Weekend is a thriller which draws you in and keeps you on the edge of your seat."
Alice Donnelly (14), the High School, Dublin

 

"Once I started reading, the book and I were inseparable. The book holds the reader to the extent you can't move until it is finished. The book shows us that there are still weird people and that it is of the utmost importance children of all ages know the types of people that can be out there. The book is better than brilliant and it is so powerful because these things can really happen."
Dominic Page (14), St. John's School, Surrey

 

"The Long Weekend is such a thrilling and well-written book that I was unable to put it down. If I were to describe it in one word, it would be 'gripping'. The book captures the consequences of child abuse and raises awareness of such crimes, as well as providing a solid storyline. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a captivating and modern read."
Harry Cain (Age 12), The Skinners' School, Tunbridge Wells

 

"Throughout the whole book there was never a lack of drama or thrill. It had me itching to find out what happens next. The book has plenty of suspense and a lot of surprises. It really conjured up a picture in my mind and expresses the situation that all parents and children fear. The quote that really drew my attention was, "Isn't this your car we're riding in?" This quote is the real beginning of all the action and drama. It has the sudden terror of realisation that they are in trouble. All in all a gripping novel and highly recommended."
Arthur Bolotovsky (14), Finchley Catholic High School, London

 

"I loved this book! It had me shivering with fright because it made me realise how easy it is to fall into a trap like that. It was scarily realistic! Savita, I think you're fab!"
Grace Woolford (12), St. Michaels Grammar School, London

 

"I couldn't put The Long Weekend down. It is one in a million. This book made my previous favourite book look dull and boring. It sent a chill down my back. TOTALLY LEGEND!"
Laura-Suzanne Olsen (13), New Hall School, Chelmsford

Review by Carolyn Copland (School Librarian)

The front cover shows a rather imposing house behind very large gates and this tempts the reader to ask what is happening inside this house. The first page gives reviews from teenage readers and the story is described as 'gripping and horrifyingly realistic'; all the reviewers say that the story is thrilling and dramatic.

The main character, Sam, is an 11-year-old boy who has moved schools regularly and therefore lacks the security of friends. At his new school he feels lucky to have been befriended by 'the coolest kid in the class'. A mix-up through lack of communication leads to them getting into a car after school, believing it to belong to the other's father. By the time it dawns on them that they are with a stranger, they are unable to escape.

The story concerns how the boys cope with both the abduction and the aftermath. It is a frightening story which pinpoints how easily these abductions can occur, no matter how sensible the victim may be. The smooth confidence of the abductor is horrifyingly realistic. I found the story and dialogue believable and gripping and would recommend this to any secondary school reader, especially those who may be reluctant to read.