A Station on the Path to Somewhere Better is a harrowing, psychologically deft thriller about a series of terrible crimes and the protagonist's struggle to live with their aftermath. When Daniel Hardesty was 12 years old, a road trip with his father descended gradually into horror. The story of the road trip takes up most of the novel, and it unfolds slowly, patiently, gradually filling in details about Daniel's strained relationship with his father and building an impressively detailed psychological portrait of the characters. When the inevitable happens--the road trip is related by a much older Daniel who makes it clear that the trip will have a shocking end--the ground has been laid so thoroughly, motivations and personal dysfunctions so intricately established, that the shocking acts of violence seem perversely comprehensible.
The novel builds incredible tension in its gradual progression from discomfort to horror, only made more excruciating by the protagonist's age and his innocent belief that his estranged father might not let him down this time. A Station on the Path to Somewhere Better is spectacularly successful as a work of suspense, but it might be even better as an examination of trauma. By allowing the reader to hear the adult Daniel's thoughts on the events as they progress, Wood cleverly reveals a parallel story about surviving the unthinkable. Decades later, Daniel still endlessly revisits the road trip, seeking answers that can't be found, yet Wood dares to leave readers with glimpses of a path forward. --Hank Stephenson, the Sun magazine, manuscript reader