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liloud0626's review
4.0
I enjoy a mystery that introduces the reader to a lot of folks and slowly shows how they fit together. I was saddened by the way this turned out, only because it seemed so plausible, but it was a good, quick read.
tealrose81's review against another edition
4.0
The novel kept me interested. The mystery portion was less about who did it and more about why. There was an interesting group of characters. The ending felt a little rushed and anti-climatic. I would probably give it 3.5 stars.
vreadsabook's review against another edition
5.0
I received an advance reader's copy of this book thanks to the publisher.
This book was amazing. I don't normally like mysteries, but Jones overcame my general apathy towards mysteries through her skillful storytelling. Jones elevates the mystery of a young woman's death to a penetrating glimpse into both the treasured memories and the deep shames and insecurities that plague everyday people. That she is able to do so so well shows her talent, but that she is able to do so without judgement, taking all of the protagonist's feelings seriously really shows how Jones's skill is a cut above the rest.
This book is particularly exciting for me, because it is set in Western Kentucky, not too far from where I grew up. Madisonville, the nearest town to my hometown, is mentioned at one point. I really appreciated Jones's sensitivity and accuracy in capturing Western Kentucky life, without turning it into a trope or losing the distinctive character of the region.
This book was amazing. I don't normally like mysteries, but Jones overcame my general apathy towards mysteries through her skillful storytelling. Jones elevates the mystery of a young woman's death to a penetrating glimpse into both the treasured memories and the deep shames and insecurities that plague everyday people. That she is able to do so so well shows her talent, but that she is able to do so without judgement, taking all of the protagonist's feelings seriously really shows how Jones's skill is a cut above the rest.
This book is particularly exciting for me, because it is set in Western Kentucky, not too far from where I grew up. Madisonville, the nearest town to my hometown, is mentioned at one point. I really appreciated Jones's sensitivity and accuracy in capturing Western Kentucky life, without turning it into a trope or losing the distinctive character of the region.
annabelle_wella's review
4.0
I won this book from goodreads.
Originally I had imagined this book as this great mystery novel, but by the time I was done reading it I wasn't very impressed. It had a bit of a lame ending and the only suspense throughout the book was caused by your own doubt. The author never completely verifies who the murderer was, but it is implied. I don't regret reading the book because it was entertaining, just not the mystery I had hoped for.
Originally I had imagined this book as this great mystery novel, but by the time I was done reading it I wasn't very impressed. It had a bit of a lame ending and the only suspense throughout the book was caused by your own doubt. The author never completely verifies who the murderer was, but it is implied. I don't regret reading the book because it was entertaining, just not the mystery I had hoped for.
ailsabristow's review
3.0
This a thoughtful kind of mystery - one that is as much about unravelling the secrets of individual psychologies as it is about solving a murder. Jones creates a portrait of stifling small town America, and unravels the quietly dissatisfying being lived within it, by a cast of characters who all become tangentially connected in the aftermath of a woman's disappearance.
There are some tropes being handled here: the small town bad girl who gets her comeuppance; the desperately unhappy suburban wife; the tragic older working class guy who realizes too late that his life has passed him by. In some ways these characters don't feel particularly new or fresh: and yet they do feel like they possess a certain veracity - their stereotypical nature is forgivable because they are the kind of patterns real people do seem to slip into. You wouldn't be shocked to wander into one of these characters in some dive bar, pouring out their story.
Some characters expand achingly beyond their type-cast boundaries. I loved the dynamic between awkward eighth-grade Emily, and her bully/crush Christopher. They certainly fit a pattern - poor, overweight, weird girl in love with the handsome smart aleck rich kid - but they're such dense, complicated characters. Emily is at once deeply sympathetic and repulsive; Christopher is a massive jerk and yet he is so self-aware of this fact. Jones really handles the discomfort of being thirteen really well: the middle-school sections are probably some of the strongest in the book, and these characters were certainly the most compelling for me.
As for the mystery itself - well if you're a whodunnit fan this probably isn't the book for you. A little under halfway through the story it becomes blindingly obvious who committed the crime, the rest of the book a slow unravelling of the whys and hows. The book is much more of a portrait of how a town responds in the wake of a crisis, and about the ways in which strangers lives can overlap one another's. Despite the grim image presented of Roma, there's a near nostalgia in this book (it's set in the early 90s) - this is almost a love letter to a kind of small town experience that is probably much harder to come by these days, a sense of people actually living their life in tandem.
Jones is an assured writer, her prose unobtrusive. This is an engaging read; deftly plotted, and at times able to extend beyond its generic content in interesting and surprising ways. All in all, not a bad book to wile away a few hours with.
There are some tropes being handled here: the small town bad girl who gets her comeuppance; the desperately unhappy suburban wife; the tragic older working class guy who realizes too late that his life has passed him by. In some ways these characters don't feel particularly new or fresh: and yet they do feel like they possess a certain veracity - their stereotypical nature is forgivable because they are the kind of patterns real people do seem to slip into. You wouldn't be shocked to wander into one of these characters in some dive bar, pouring out their story.
Some characters expand achingly beyond their type-cast boundaries. I loved the dynamic between awkward eighth-grade Emily, and her bully/crush Christopher. They certainly fit a pattern - poor, overweight, weird girl in love with the handsome smart aleck rich kid - but they're such dense, complicated characters. Emily is at once deeply sympathetic and repulsive; Christopher is a massive jerk and yet he is so self-aware of this fact. Jones really handles the discomfort of being thirteen really well: the middle-school sections are probably some of the strongest in the book, and these characters were certainly the most compelling for me.
As for the mystery itself - well if you're a whodunnit fan this probably isn't the book for you. A little under halfway through the story it becomes blindingly obvious who committed the crime, the rest of the book a slow unravelling of the whys and hows. The book is much more of a portrait of how a town responds in the wake of a crisis, and about the ways in which strangers lives can overlap one another's. Despite the grim image presented of Roma, there's a near nostalgia in this book (it's set in the early 90s) - this is almost a love letter to a kind of small town experience that is probably much harder to come by these days, a sense of people actually living their life in tandem.
Jones is an assured writer, her prose unobtrusive. This is an engaging read; deftly plotted, and at times able to extend beyond its generic content in interesting and surprising ways. All in all, not a bad book to wile away a few hours with.
katiescott's review
3.0
*I received this book through the Goodreads First-Reads program.
I'll start with what I loved about this book: Goddard Jones did an excellent job of character detail and creating a sense of place for the setting of the novel. I felt like I knew these people and where they were from. I also could hardly put this book down because I wanted to know how it ended.
However, the fact that this was such a depressing book made it really hard to focus. Almost every character (except possibly Sarah) lived such dreadful lives that it was difficult to root for them. While it was an excellent character study of depressed people, it made for a tiring read.
I also found that while interesting, the constant changing perspective among characters and time hard to follow at times.
Overall, I am glad I read to the ending of this novel, but I wish there had been some positive aspect of the lives of the characters. I am, however, interested in future works by this author.
I'll start with what I loved about this book: Goddard Jones did an excellent job of character detail and creating a sense of place for the setting of the novel. I felt like I knew these people and where they were from. I also could hardly put this book down because I wanted to know how it ended.
However, the fact that this was such a depressing book made it really hard to focus. Almost every character (except possibly Sarah) lived such dreadful lives that it was difficult to root for them. While it was an excellent character study of depressed people, it made for a tiring read.
I also found that while interesting, the constant changing perspective among characters and time hard to follow at times.
Overall, I am glad I read to the ending of this novel, but I wish there had been some positive aspect of the lives of the characters. I am, however, interested in future works by this author.
cejaypi's review
3.0
This was well written, otherwise it wouldn't have made me as depressed as it did. I really disliked the story, and the characters and the plot - but it was written evocatively enough to make me dislike them, and to feel strongly about the whole horrid state of humanity.
I received this in a Goodreads giveaway and am thankful for being selected for a copy, am glad I read it, but won't re-read it! This is a talented author, I just wish she would use her power for good and not depression!
I received this in a Goodreads giveaway and am thankful for being selected for a copy, am glad I read it, but won't re-read it! This is a talented author, I just wish she would use her power for good and not depression!
victoria_loves_books's review
3.0
I'm not big in to mysteries and who-done-its, but this one was okay. I wasn't a big fan of the ending, and I honestly didn't care about any of the characters other than the dead one. I gave it 3 stars because it was a good story, just not my type of story.
jessies's review
3.0
Goodreads First Reads.
When Ronnie Eastman disappears, the dark underbelly of a small North Carolina town are revealed. The narrative alternates between Ronnie's school teacher sister Susanna, 13 year old student Emily, and lonely factory worker Wyatt.
I thought the plot was a bit slow, and I the author didn't make me care enough about Ronnie to worry about her disappearance. I sometimes found Wyatt's chapters a bit too depressing.
Emily is a bright spot in the book. She's awkward, weird and very off putting, I remember girls like that growing up, and I remember feeling like her sometimes. Actually, I like that all the teenagers act and talk like actual teenagers.
I enjoyed the characters, but I would have enjoyed a faster paced plot.
When Ronnie Eastman disappears, the dark underbelly of a small North Carolina town are revealed. The narrative alternates between Ronnie's school teacher sister Susanna, 13 year old student Emily, and lonely factory worker Wyatt.
I thought the plot was a bit slow, and I the author didn't make me care enough about Ronnie to worry about her disappearance. I sometimes found Wyatt's chapters a bit too depressing.
Emily is a bright spot in the book. She's awkward, weird and very off putting, I remember girls like that growing up, and I remember feeling like her sometimes. Actually, I like that all the teenagers act and talk like actual teenagers.
I enjoyed the characters, but I would have enjoyed a faster paced plot.
anndouglas's review
5.0
A book that can double as a detective novel and literary fiction? You bet. Holly Goddard Jones delivers a novel that is beautifully written and intricately structured, weaving together the lives of a number of deliciously troubled characters. I know I'm going to be re-reading this one (the ultimate compliment because, hey, there are far more books than time). Adding to my list of all-time faves....