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mollyjordan's review
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sjj169's review against another edition
2.0
Muddy Summer's seventeenth birthday went straight to hell. Her mama Ella has been found and it appears that she has hung herself. Muddy refuses to believe Ella would do such a thing and knows that her mama's husband beats her ever chance he gets. Once she starts digging she realizes that the whole town has secrets and lies.
Set in the early 1970's this book pretty much centers itself around the town landmark. The Liar's Bench.
The Liar's Bench came into being a century before when a slave named Frannie Crow was hanged based on her mistresses lies. Her son dismantled the gallows and built the bench.
If you read this book get used to hearing about that bench. I think it's only mentioned in every chapter at least twice.
Muddy's sorta boyfriend is Bobby Marshall who is a mixed race descendant of Frannie Crow's. So into the story you have some racism and bigotry. The thing is I felt that Muddy even showed signs of it. I think I would have liked her better if she hadn't been so wishy-washy. He's the only person that sticks up for her and she sorta whines her way through any confrontations that pop up.
The story line is not bad for this book. I love southern fiction. I have lived in the south my whole life and one of the big things that sticks out in this book is the language. I have never heard of a southern person using the language that gets used in this book.
It's one of those things that I felt demeaned southern people. We have slang and we have some southern drawl but I don't think I've ever heard the phrase.....It doesn't do anyone any good to pluck their chickens in the wind.
Huh?
It completely threw the book off for me. The whole book is written in the oddest language.
Set in the early 1970's this book pretty much centers itself around the town landmark. The Liar's Bench.
The Liar's Bench came into being a century before when a slave named Frannie Crow was hanged based on her mistresses lies. Her son dismantled the gallows and built the bench.
If you read this book get used to hearing about that bench. I think it's only mentioned in every chapter at least twice.
Muddy's sorta boyfriend is Bobby Marshall who is a mixed race descendant of Frannie Crow's. So into the story you have some racism and bigotry. The thing is I felt that Muddy even showed signs of it. I think I would have liked her better if she hadn't been so wishy-washy. He's the only person that sticks up for her and she sorta whines her way through any confrontations that pop up.
The story line is not bad for this book. I love southern fiction. I have lived in the south my whole life and one of the big things that sticks out in this book is the language. I have never heard of a southern person using the language that gets used in this book.
It's one of those things that I felt demeaned southern people. We have slang and we have some southern drawl but I don't think I've ever heard the phrase.....It doesn't do anyone any good to pluck their chickens in the wind.
Huh?
It completely threw the book off for me. The whole book is written in the oddest language.
marnie_in_dk's review
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Kidnapping, and Murder
arthur_pendrgn's review against another edition
2.0
Strong start and then it somewhat muddles through to the end. I liked the motif of the Liar's Bench, but I am uncertain why anyone would sit there considering its reputation.
The plotting is fitful and I'm not really sure what Mama was actually doing at the end and why. If they already had enough evidence, who let her have one last escapade? Nor do I believe that all of this began the days after the funeral.
The overall arc is fine, but the meticulous details and resolutions needed more attention. Who was the stranger in the white truck? How did she earn a scholarship if she quit the team?
The plotting is fitful and I'm not really sure what Mama was actually doing at the end and why. If they already had enough evidence, who let her have one last escapade? Nor do I believe that all of this began the days after the funeral.
The overall arc is fine, but the meticulous details and resolutions needed more attention. Who was the stranger in the white truck? How did she earn a scholarship if she quit the team?
knalpaa's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
kijesi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
misstwild2's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
books4escaping's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Okay. I didn't like or dislike this story.
I did not see the twist in the mystery of Mudas/Muddy mother death or the ending. The ending involving her father made no sense to me as there was no detail in the storyline about the second chance relationship with his ex-wife. It was just thrown in there I suspect to explain the ribbon.
Memorable quotes/lines
I did not see the twist in the mystery of Mudas/Muddy mother death or the ending. The ending involving her father made no sense to me as there was no detail in the storyline about the second chance relationship with his ex-wife. It was just thrown in there I suspect to explain the ribbon.
Memorable quotes/lines
And when life’s sweet fable ends. Soul and Body part like friends. No quarrels, murmurs, no delay; A kiss, a sigh, and so away.
Some people aren’t born, they just fall out of the ugly tree and crash into stupidity branches
When a lie seeps into the very heartwood of a town, soaks the beams and posts that hold it up from the earth, the rot sets to its work. The ruin that cruelty brings is always just a matter of time.
cwhalen1988's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This was such a beautiful story - full of mystery, passion, courage, love, and some laughs. I did not know much about this book before I listed to it but I will always remember this one and the narration was spot on - highly recommend!
dannb's review against another edition
4.0
A little sleuthing, a little dip into the racism of the time and place... I really liked the vocabulary and the images.