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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Hanks Radio ( Haunted Collection book 4) in Books
Apr 2, 2022
58 of 230
Kindle
Hanks Radio ( Haunted Collection 4)
By Ron Ripley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A man's seductive voice emanates from an antique radio, luring women into his murderous embrace....
It's business as usual for Stefan Korzh as he continues to send haunted antiques onto unsuspecting buyers. Despite going into hiding, his desire to punish the universe for his own misfortune remains unchecked.
Victor Daniels, now more than ever, is focused on grabbing Korzh by the neck and making him feel the full extent of his pain and suffering. But plans change when a suave ghost from the 1940s leaves a trail of dead bodies in his wake. Hank, a sly and charming specter, uses a mahogany-colored radio to reach his victims...lonely, elderly women in nursing homes who find him hard to resist.
Meanwhile, Tom Crane is slowly adjusting to the life of a home-schooled student, spending his days immersed in books from the local library. But brewing underneath his scholarly demeanor is his insatiable thirst for revenge. With Victor occupied, Tom embarks on a dangerous mission to confront the man behind his misery.
The lives of Stefan, Victor, and Tom become more and more intertwined as they continue to play the blood-riddled sport. When old friends - and enemies - reveal themselves, they discover that anything is possible in a game filled with ghosts and vengeance.
Even the hunter can become the hunted....
I really enjoy these books and the character development. We pick up with Victor And Tom in this one and how they are dealing with Jeremy’s death and there continued search for Korzh. They get split up and things go a little haywire. These are so good and they involve a different vengeful spirit each time. This on also brought back the doll Anne that thing really gives me the bloody creeps. Recommended if you enjoy a good ghost story.
Kindle
Hanks Radio ( Haunted Collection 4)
By Ron Ripley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A man's seductive voice emanates from an antique radio, luring women into his murderous embrace....
It's business as usual for Stefan Korzh as he continues to send haunted antiques onto unsuspecting buyers. Despite going into hiding, his desire to punish the universe for his own misfortune remains unchecked.
Victor Daniels, now more than ever, is focused on grabbing Korzh by the neck and making him feel the full extent of his pain and suffering. But plans change when a suave ghost from the 1940s leaves a trail of dead bodies in his wake. Hank, a sly and charming specter, uses a mahogany-colored radio to reach his victims...lonely, elderly women in nursing homes who find him hard to resist.
Meanwhile, Tom Crane is slowly adjusting to the life of a home-schooled student, spending his days immersed in books from the local library. But brewing underneath his scholarly demeanor is his insatiable thirst for revenge. With Victor occupied, Tom embarks on a dangerous mission to confront the man behind his misery.
The lives of Stefan, Victor, and Tom become more and more intertwined as they continue to play the blood-riddled sport. When old friends - and enemies - reveal themselves, they discover that anything is possible in a game filled with ghosts and vengeance.
Even the hunter can become the hunted....
I really enjoy these books and the character development. We pick up with Victor And Tom in this one and how they are dealing with Jeremy’s death and there continued search for Korzh. They get split up and things go a little haywire. These are so good and they involve a different vengeful spirit each time. This on also brought back the doll Anne that thing really gives me the bloody creeps. Recommended if you enjoy a good ghost story.
Merissa (12841 KP) rated Reclamations (BBS #3) in Books
Apr 16, 2023
O.M.G. Let me start by saying, if you thought the first two were full of emotion, "You ain't seen nothing yet!" I thought it was impossible for Loyalties to be topped, but it was by Uncivil Wars. Stupidly, I thought the same thing for this book - these are so good, surely they can't get any better? The only stupid thing with that sentence was me! Reclamations will grab every emotion you own and twist them until you are not sure how much more your battered heart can take before it will take you even further.
The Pack grows yet again, and it is proven beyond doubt, that this Pack is one of 'Blood and Spirit'. Who you are, or what you shift into, has absolutely no bearing upon the loyalty of your heart. Characters change and situations happen that they must react to, or instigate, for the better good.
Jake, Selene and Collette wind tighter than ever, and you will waver between wanting one thing and another. My head was spinning as my opinion changed with every lead given by the authors. The best thing about this is that I never resented that. I was so totally immersed in the story, I was happy to go along with it.
SPOILER ALERT - Something happens in this book that just about killed me. It's not at the end, so don't worry about that, but it completely sucker-punched me and I was in pieces with it for a long time. In fact, I don't think I have recovered yet!
Totally and utterly fantastic and I can't wait for the fourth and final book in this series... if my emotions can cope!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 30, 2015
The Pack grows yet again, and it is proven beyond doubt, that this Pack is one of 'Blood and Spirit'. Who you are, or what you shift into, has absolutely no bearing upon the loyalty of your heart. Characters change and situations happen that they must react to, or instigate, for the better good.
Jake, Selene and Collette wind tighter than ever, and you will waver between wanting one thing and another. My head was spinning as my opinion changed with every lead given by the authors. The best thing about this is that I never resented that. I was so totally immersed in the story, I was happy to go along with it.
SPOILER ALERT - Something happens in this book that just about killed me. It's not at the end, so don't worry about that, but it completely sucker-punched me and I was in pieces with it for a long time. In fact, I don't think I have recovered yet!
Totally and utterly fantastic and I can't wait for the fourth and final book in this series... if my emotions can cope!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 30, 2015
Irish Milkshake Murder
Carlene O'Connor, Liz Ireland and Peggy Ehrhart
9.0
Rate It
Book
Raise a glass for St. Paddy’s Day but keep a shamrock handy because some of these minty milkshakes...
The Guardians of Earth
Book
A middle grade fantasy novel teaching kids about the protection of the environment. ...
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Clock Dance in Books
Aug 11, 2018
Clock Dance was the second pick for Barnes & Noble's nation-wide Book Club. (The first was Meg Wolitzer's The Female Persuasion, back in May.) Like the first one, it was contemporary fiction, which I'm pretty meh about. When I learned it was set mostly in Baltimore, and written by a local author, I became more interested. I'm originally from Oregon, but Baltimore has become my home, and I enjoy reading about it. We had a slightly larger group than last time, but I was the only returning attendee besides the store employee, Sam, who led the discussion.
Sam opened the discussion with the same question that she started the last one with - "Did you like the main character?" It's an interesting question because most people ask "Did you like the book?" which can have a different answer. I don't usually read books in which I don't like the main character, but that's usually because I choose my books. I'm not choosing my Book Club books, so it's a good question. Unlike last time, I did like Willa. I disagreed with her judgment when it came to husbands, but I still sympathized with her. I mentioned that I didn't like that she just floated through most of her life without any real ambition, but to be honest, I've done that too. I'm not a very ambitious person - or my ambitions are quite low. I think that, perhaps, is the difference. I find a lot of fulfillment in being, effectively, my husband's personal assistant. It's fun. Willa did not seem to find it fulfilling, she just - didn't want to rock the boat.
I like how we saw each of Willa's "defining moments" - the book opens on her as a child, her volatile mother having stormed out of the house during an argument. Her mother really does a number on her as a child. I think it's why she hates to rock the boat so much. From here, we fast forward to college, and Willa's boyfriend proposing to her after gaslighting her about an event that happened on the plane. Willa's mother disapproves. Vehemently. I think that's part of why Willa accepts. Our next view of Willa's life is the accident that takes her husband's life, and its aftermath.
Then we finally start into the real meat of the book, twenty years after the death of her first husband. Her sons have grown and moved away, she has remarried, and both of her parents have passed. Her husband is a little distant, and she seems rather untethered. Then she gets the strangest phone call. It turns out her eldest son lived with a woman (Denise) and her daughter for a little while in Baltimore; he has since moved on, but "Sean's mother" is still a phone number on Denise's emergency contact list. So when Denise is shot in the leg and put in the hospital, a neighbor lady sees it, assumes Willa is the grandmother of the child, and calls her to come take care of her. It's a little convoluted, and Willa can't even adequately explain to her husband why she's decided to fly to Baltimore to take care of a child she has no relation to, but she does so anyway.
This is where we get to Baltimore, and, in Anne Tyler's own words, "when her story changes to Technicolor."
I actually live just outside Baltimore myself, but one of my best friends lives in Charles Village, and I could SO EASILY envision Willa's neighborhood as a street of rowhomes. (Turns out it's probably based on a neighborhood in Hamilton, according to the Baltimore Sun.) I was even mapping locations in Willa's house to my friend's rowhome! Anne Tyler really captures the spirit of Baltimore, and now I want to read more of her books, even if they are contemporary fiction!
Overall I enjoyed Clock Dance; Anne Tyler is very good at subtle character growth, which is quite realistic. People don't often change all at once. Sometimes it takes a lifetime of being told what to do before finally waking up to what you WANT to do.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Sam opened the discussion with the same question that she started the last one with - "Did you like the main character?" It's an interesting question because most people ask "Did you like the book?" which can have a different answer. I don't usually read books in which I don't like the main character, but that's usually because I choose my books. I'm not choosing my Book Club books, so it's a good question. Unlike last time, I did like Willa. I disagreed with her judgment when it came to husbands, but I still sympathized with her. I mentioned that I didn't like that she just floated through most of her life without any real ambition, but to be honest, I've done that too. I'm not a very ambitious person - or my ambitions are quite low. I think that, perhaps, is the difference. I find a lot of fulfillment in being, effectively, my husband's personal assistant. It's fun. Willa did not seem to find it fulfilling, she just - didn't want to rock the boat.
I like how we saw each of Willa's "defining moments" - the book opens on her as a child, her volatile mother having stormed out of the house during an argument. Her mother really does a number on her as a child. I think it's why she hates to rock the boat so much. From here, we fast forward to college, and Willa's boyfriend proposing to her after gaslighting her about an event that happened on the plane. Willa's mother disapproves. Vehemently. I think that's part of why Willa accepts. Our next view of Willa's life is the accident that takes her husband's life, and its aftermath.
Then we finally start into the real meat of the book, twenty years after the death of her first husband. Her sons have grown and moved away, she has remarried, and both of her parents have passed. Her husband is a little distant, and she seems rather untethered. Then she gets the strangest phone call. It turns out her eldest son lived with a woman (Denise) and her daughter for a little while in Baltimore; he has since moved on, but "Sean's mother" is still a phone number on Denise's emergency contact list. So when Denise is shot in the leg and put in the hospital, a neighbor lady sees it, assumes Willa is the grandmother of the child, and calls her to come take care of her. It's a little convoluted, and Willa can't even adequately explain to her husband why she's decided to fly to Baltimore to take care of a child she has no relation to, but she does so anyway.
This is where we get to Baltimore, and, in Anne Tyler's own words, "when her story changes to Technicolor."
I actually live just outside Baltimore myself, but one of my best friends lives in Charles Village, and I could SO EASILY envision Willa's neighborhood as a street of rowhomes. (Turns out it's probably based on a neighborhood in Hamilton, according to the Baltimore Sun.) I was even mapping locations in Willa's house to my friend's rowhome! Anne Tyler really captures the spirit of Baltimore, and now I want to read more of her books, even if they are contemporary fiction!
Overall I enjoyed Clock Dance; Anne Tyler is very good at subtle character growth, which is quite realistic. People don't often change all at once. Sometimes it takes a lifetime of being told what to do before finally waking up to what you WANT to do.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Darren (1599 KP) rated A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: A Tale of Two Sisters starts with Soo-mi Bae in a hospital with a doctor trying to convince her to tell her story. We flashback to when sisters Soo-mi Bae (Lim) and Soo-yeon Bae (Moon) move to the country home owned by their father Moo-hyeon Bae (Kim) and their new stepmother Eun-joo Heo (Yum).
The two sisters don’t like their new stepmother and to make matters worse the two discover that they are being haunted by a spirit, but is the spirit guiding them to uncover a truth or does it have another motive?
A Tale of Two Sisters really makes you wonder what is going on because once the big reveal happens you are left wondering what just happened. Everything is very well created with the suspense building up through the early part of the film and returning to the high level by the end of the film. This story does need a re-watch because you will want to check out everything that is finally reveal.
Actor Review
Kap-su Kim: Moo-hyeon Bae is the father of the family who does seem to end up becoming pretty much a background character to the three female characters. I feel this character falls to the background too much to get a high enough rating.
Jung-ah Yum: Eun-joo Heo is the stepmother of the family who doesn’t seem to like the two girls, she has a past that is hidden but once it gets discovered we see hat she is capable off. I think she makes for a very good menacing performance throughout while looking very normal to her husband.
Su-Jeong Lim: Soo-mi Bae is the eldest of the sisters who always protects her younger sister from the new stepmother, she learns more about the stepmother’s past but has past that ends up helping with the final reveal. This is a good performance showing the fear and the caring side being used throughout.
Geun-young Moon: Soo-Yeon Bae is the younger sister who always looks at her big sister for protection, constantly following her around the house, we learn about why she is being haunted and needing help as the film unfolds. This is good performance that ends up have a big secret.
Support Cast: A Tale of Two Sisters really doesn’t have much of a supporting cast but the very few we have all do what they need to do.
Director Review: Jee-woon Kim – Jee-woon gives us a very good horror that will keep you guessing until the very end where you will be left wonder what did happen.
Horror: A Tale of Two Sisters has real horror moments when they happen that will shock you.
Mystery: A Tale of Two Sisters creates a mystery about what is happening and what is the secret behind the stepmother.
Thriller: A Tale of Two Sisters keeps you guessing to what will happen by the end of the film.
Settings: A Tale of Two Sisters keeps all the action of the film in an isolated country house which adds to the horror because the girls have no where to go or no one to see.
Special Effects: A Tale of Two Sisters uses the effects for the haunting which are the only need for them.
Suggestion: A Tale of Two Sisters is one for the horror fans to try which is don’t go and watch remake first. (Horror Fans Try)
Best Part: Girl at the end of the bed nightmare.
Worst Part: You will need to double check the twist.
Scariest Scene: Girl at the end of the bed.
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Runtime: 1 Hour 55 Minutes
Tagline: Every family has its dark secrets.
Overall: Horror film that is filled with suspense filled scares but a final twist that makes you wonder what really happened.
https://moviesreview101.com/2015/12/25/movie-reviews-101-midnight-horror-a-tale-of-two-sisters-2003/
The two sisters don’t like their new stepmother and to make matters worse the two discover that they are being haunted by a spirit, but is the spirit guiding them to uncover a truth or does it have another motive?
A Tale of Two Sisters really makes you wonder what is going on because once the big reveal happens you are left wondering what just happened. Everything is very well created with the suspense building up through the early part of the film and returning to the high level by the end of the film. This story does need a re-watch because you will want to check out everything that is finally reveal.
Actor Review
Kap-su Kim: Moo-hyeon Bae is the father of the family who does seem to end up becoming pretty much a background character to the three female characters. I feel this character falls to the background too much to get a high enough rating.
Jung-ah Yum: Eun-joo Heo is the stepmother of the family who doesn’t seem to like the two girls, she has a past that is hidden but once it gets discovered we see hat she is capable off. I think she makes for a very good menacing performance throughout while looking very normal to her husband.
Su-Jeong Lim: Soo-mi Bae is the eldest of the sisters who always protects her younger sister from the new stepmother, she learns more about the stepmother’s past but has past that ends up helping with the final reveal. This is a good performance showing the fear and the caring side being used throughout.
Geun-young Moon: Soo-Yeon Bae is the younger sister who always looks at her big sister for protection, constantly following her around the house, we learn about why she is being haunted and needing help as the film unfolds. This is good performance that ends up have a big secret.
Support Cast: A Tale of Two Sisters really doesn’t have much of a supporting cast but the very few we have all do what they need to do.
Director Review: Jee-woon Kim – Jee-woon gives us a very good horror that will keep you guessing until the very end where you will be left wonder what did happen.
Horror: A Tale of Two Sisters has real horror moments when they happen that will shock you.
Mystery: A Tale of Two Sisters creates a mystery about what is happening and what is the secret behind the stepmother.
Thriller: A Tale of Two Sisters keeps you guessing to what will happen by the end of the film.
Settings: A Tale of Two Sisters keeps all the action of the film in an isolated country house which adds to the horror because the girls have no where to go or no one to see.
Special Effects: A Tale of Two Sisters uses the effects for the haunting which are the only need for them.
Suggestion: A Tale of Two Sisters is one for the horror fans to try which is don’t go and watch remake first. (Horror Fans Try)
Best Part: Girl at the end of the bed nightmare.
Worst Part: You will need to double check the twist.
Scariest Scene: Girl at the end of the bed.
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Runtime: 1 Hour 55 Minutes
Tagline: Every family has its dark secrets.
Overall: Horror film that is filled with suspense filled scares but a final twist that makes you wonder what really happened.
https://moviesreview101.com/2015/12/25/movie-reviews-101-midnight-horror-a-tale-of-two-sisters-2003/
Hazel (1853 KP) rated As I Descended in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
With this retelling of the famous bard’s tragedy <i>Macbeth</i>, Robin Talley takes steps to add another genre under her belt. Talley is fairly new to the young adult literature scene with <i>As I Descended</i> being her third publication. Many avid readers may already be aware that the author likes to tackle homosexuality and the surrounding stigma, whilst also encompassing other issues, i.e. black civil rights and long distance relationships. This novel is no different, however the other “issue” is on a paranormal level and follows the key themes in the Scottish play.
The story is set in a Virginian private school full of rich adolescents full of high expectations and the desire to be the best. Maria is always coming second best despite all her hard work, and Lily, her girlfriend, thinks this is entirely unfair. The student in first position, and set to win the Kingsley Prize, is Delilah, a popular girl who bullies and manipulates people to get what she wants. Determined to get Maria to see she should be the winner, Lily arranges a séance where she plans to pretend a spirit has contacted her telling Maria to beat Delilah. However the plan falls through when a real spirit begins communicating with them.
Lily is almost as manipulative as Delilah and convinces Maria to cheat her way to the top. Keeping in mind this is a retelling of <i>Macbeth</i>, a play that contains several deaths; you can guess the direction events are going to take. With Delilah out of the picture, Maria’s best friend Brandon and his boyfriend Matteo begin to suspect Maria of foul play.
Due to their initials it is easy to work out which of the original cast each character is representing. Maria, Lily, Delilah, Brandon, Matteo… Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Duncan, Banquo, McDuff… As a result, the fate of the characters has already been predetermined, causing readers to jump to conclusions about each individual. However the introduction of a supernatural theme gives the storyline an entirely new outlook.
Initially I felt sorry for Maria and Lily, two lovely girls hiding their romantic relationship from the rest of the world. Maria never put a foot wrong, and Lily gets sympathy on account of being disabled. I related a lot to Lily at the beginning as I have also experienced severe leg pain and suffering around on a pair of crutches. However once the actual retelling of <i>Macbeth</i> began I took an instant dislike to the pair. I have never liked people who sabotage other’s lives and successes in order to be the best. This put a damper on the entire novel, making it a lot less interesting as there were no longer any characters I fully respected.
What I did enjoy was they way Talley managed to produce a modern retelling of the play. <i>Macbeth</i> is not the easiest story to bring into a contemporary setting, especially as it is about a King and set in a castle. Talley successfully created a narrative that no one else would have thought of – a particularly clever feat.
Those familiar with the play, especially those who had the opportunity to study it at school, will recognize a lot of the chapter headings as direct quotes from Shakespeare’s writing. It is exciting to find all the references to <i>Macbeth</i> and use your own knowledge to understand where the story is going.
Do not worry if you are unfamiliar with Shakespeare’s works, <i>As I Descended</i> is not reliant on prior knowledge in order to work. Ignoring <i>Macbeth</i>, the book is about greed and perfectionism as well as homosexual relationships and the worries about how others will perceive them, especially homophobic parents.
Overall, <i>As I Descended</i> was not as great as I hoped it would be due to the nature of the characters’ personalities. The risk Talley took in undertaking a retelling of <i>Macbeth</i> however has been an extremely successful accomplishment. It may even be beneficial for students struggling to understand <i>Macbeth</i>. If schools can get over their fear of homosexual content, it would be lovely to see this book being read as part of the curriculum.
With this retelling of the famous bard’s tragedy <i>Macbeth</i>, Robin Talley takes steps to add another genre under her belt. Talley is fairly new to the young adult literature scene with <i>As I Descended</i> being her third publication. Many avid readers may already be aware that the author likes to tackle homosexuality and the surrounding stigma, whilst also encompassing other issues, i.e. black civil rights and long distance relationships. This novel is no different, however the other “issue” is on a paranormal level and follows the key themes in the Scottish play.
The story is set in a Virginian private school full of rich adolescents full of high expectations and the desire to be the best. Maria is always coming second best despite all her hard work, and Lily, her girlfriend, thinks this is entirely unfair. The student in first position, and set to win the Kingsley Prize, is Delilah, a popular girl who bullies and manipulates people to get what she wants. Determined to get Maria to see she should be the winner, Lily arranges a séance where she plans to pretend a spirit has contacted her telling Maria to beat Delilah. However the plan falls through when a real spirit begins communicating with them.
Lily is almost as manipulative as Delilah and convinces Maria to cheat her way to the top. Keeping in mind this is a retelling of <i>Macbeth</i>, a play that contains several deaths; you can guess the direction events are going to take. With Delilah out of the picture, Maria’s best friend Brandon and his boyfriend Matteo begin to suspect Maria of foul play.
Due to their initials it is easy to work out which of the original cast each character is representing. Maria, Lily, Delilah, Brandon, Matteo… Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Duncan, Banquo, McDuff… As a result, the fate of the characters has already been predetermined, causing readers to jump to conclusions about each individual. However the introduction of a supernatural theme gives the storyline an entirely new outlook.
Initially I felt sorry for Maria and Lily, two lovely girls hiding their romantic relationship from the rest of the world. Maria never put a foot wrong, and Lily gets sympathy on account of being disabled. I related a lot to Lily at the beginning as I have also experienced severe leg pain and suffering around on a pair of crutches. However once the actual retelling of <i>Macbeth</i> began I took an instant dislike to the pair. I have never liked people who sabotage other’s lives and successes in order to be the best. This put a damper on the entire novel, making it a lot less interesting as there were no longer any characters I fully respected.
What I did enjoy was they way Talley managed to produce a modern retelling of the play. <i>Macbeth</i> is not the easiest story to bring into a contemporary setting, especially as it is about a King and set in a castle. Talley successfully created a narrative that no one else would have thought of – a particularly clever feat.
Those familiar with the play, especially those who had the opportunity to study it at school, will recognize a lot of the chapter headings as direct quotes from Shakespeare’s writing. It is exciting to find all the references to <i>Macbeth</i> and use your own knowledge to understand where the story is going.
Do not worry if you are unfamiliar with Shakespeare’s works, <i>As I Descended</i> is not reliant on prior knowledge in order to work. Ignoring <i>Macbeth</i>, the book is about greed and perfectionism as well as homosexual relationships and the worries about how others will perceive them, especially homophobic parents.
Overall, <i>As I Descended</i> was not as great as I hoped it would be due to the nature of the characters’ personalities. The risk Talley took in undertaking a retelling of <i>Macbeth</i> however has been an extremely successful accomplishment. It may even be beneficial for students struggling to understand <i>Macbeth</i>. If schools can get over their fear of homosexual content, it would be lovely to see this book being read as part of the curriculum.
Gossip Life - The Interactive Episode Story Game
Games and Entertainment
App
NEW GOSSIP LIFE – MORE THAN JUST A STORY GAME! IMMERSE yourself in our interactive stories...
Jenny Houle (24 KP) rated The Weight of This World in Books
Jan 13, 2018
I received an ARC from FirstToRead for an unbiased review of THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD.
It's particularly hard to explain the details of this book without spoilers, beyond the blurb already posted about it: "A combat veteran returned from war, Thad Broom can’t leave the hardened world of Afghanistan behind, nor can he forgive himself for what he saw there. His mother, April, is haunted by her own demons, a secret trauma she has carried for years. Between them is Aiden McCall, loyal to both but unable to hold them together. Connected by bonds of circumstance and duty, friendship and love, these three lives are blown apart when Aiden and Thad witness the accidental death of their drug dealer and a riot of dope and cash drops in their laps. On a meth-fueled journey to nowhere, they will either find the grit to overcome the darkness or be consumed by it."
I don't entirely think I knew what I was getting myself into reading the book, which was well written but a little too graphic for me. I think in referring others to it, I will consider those who handle certain scenarios well, versus those who do not (for example, I'm not exactly rushing out to recommend this to any of my friends who've returned home from war and are dealing with PTSD).
The development of the three main characters and the intensity of their bonds and loyalty, despite all the ways they continued to fail one another, were a true depiction of human spirit. How we can love someone so much that we never mean to fail them, yet we can never do fully right by them.
I loved the epilogue but not the ending...if that makes sense (I'm afraid to say much for fear of spoilers). Part of me wanted so desperately for Aiden, Thad and April to all find their way away from Little Canada, alone or together, having beaten all their demons. Part of me, though, is realistic enough to know that is not how life works.
I will absolutely be hunting for other books by David Joy having read this one. So glad I took the time and stuck out the scenes that were hard to stomach.
It's particularly hard to explain the details of this book without spoilers, beyond the blurb already posted about it: "A combat veteran returned from war, Thad Broom can’t leave the hardened world of Afghanistan behind, nor can he forgive himself for what he saw there. His mother, April, is haunted by her own demons, a secret trauma she has carried for years. Between them is Aiden McCall, loyal to both but unable to hold them together. Connected by bonds of circumstance and duty, friendship and love, these three lives are blown apart when Aiden and Thad witness the accidental death of their drug dealer and a riot of dope and cash drops in their laps. On a meth-fueled journey to nowhere, they will either find the grit to overcome the darkness or be consumed by it."
I don't entirely think I knew what I was getting myself into reading the book, which was well written but a little too graphic for me. I think in referring others to it, I will consider those who handle certain scenarios well, versus those who do not (for example, I'm not exactly rushing out to recommend this to any of my friends who've returned home from war and are dealing with PTSD).
The development of the three main characters and the intensity of their bonds and loyalty, despite all the ways they continued to fail one another, were a true depiction of human spirit. How we can love someone so much that we never mean to fail them, yet we can never do fully right by them.
I loved the epilogue but not the ending...if that makes sense (I'm afraid to say much for fear of spoilers). Part of me wanted so desperately for Aiden, Thad and April to all find their way away from Little Canada, alone or together, having beaten all their demons. Part of me, though, is realistic enough to know that is not how life works.
I will absolutely be hunting for other books by David Joy having read this one. So glad I took the time and stuck out the scenes that were hard to stomach.