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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“But memory doesn’t let go of us. We can no more choose to put away the past than we can cease to breathe and go on living. And yet we try.”
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Audio, Audible
Heads up for some good old fashioned storytelling! What a satisfying novel. I loved that The Fortunate Ones was told completely from one narrator’s point of view, allowing us to grow very attached to our protagonist Charlie Boykin. Charlie is a rather unremarkable boy, raised by a single mother on the poor side of Nashville, until his mother uses connections to get Charlie into an elite private school. At Yeaton, Charlie is taken under the wing of Archer Creigh, a larger than life upper classman seeping with wealth and popularity. At first Charlie easy assimilates into this new lifestyle and all the privilege it offers. But over time - as Charlie comes of age - cracks begin to show in the surface, threatening to reveal the ugly underbelly of the upper class. This isn’t a story with high drama, yet you will find yourself compelled to continue reading about these wonderfully complex characters.
Disclaimer: I received this book and earc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Fortunate Ones
Author: Ed Tarkington
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: Historical fiction fans
Publication Date: January 5, 2021
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Pages: 320
Recommended Age: 16+ (sexual content, romance, law breaking behavior)
Synopsis: When Charlie Boykin was young, he thought his life with his single mother on the working-class side of Nashville was perfectly fine. But when his mother arranges for him to be admitted as a scholarship student to an elite private school, he is suddenly introduced to what the world can feel like to someone cushioned by money. That world, he discovers, is an almost irresistible place where one can bend—and break—rules and still end up untarnished. As he gets drawn into a friendship with a charismatic upperclassman, Archer Creigh, and an affluent family that treats him like an adopted son, Charlie quickly adapts to life in the upper echelons of Nashville society. Under their charming and alcohol-soaked spell, how can he not relax and enjoy it all—the lack of anxiety over money, the easy summers spent poolside at perfectly appointed mansions, the lavish parties, the freedom to make mistakes knowing that everything can be glossed over or fixed?
But over time, Charlie is increasingly pulled into covering for Archer’s constant deceits and his casual bigotry. At what point will the attraction of wealth and prestige wear off enough for Charlie to take a stand—and will he?
The Fortunate Ones is an immersive, elegantly written story that conveys both the seductiveness of this world and the corruption of the people who see their ascent to the top as their birthright.
Review: Overall, I really liked this book. I really liked the story and was captivated from start to finish. The book was well done, the character development was amazing, and the book did well to not drone on about the politics.
However, I did feel like the book did need some work for the world building. I also felt like there were moments where the pacing did slow down a lot.
Verdict: It was good!
Book: The Fortunate Ones
Author: Ed Tarkington
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: Historical fiction fans
Publication Date: January 5, 2021
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Pages: 320
Recommended Age: 16+ (sexual content, romance, law breaking behavior)
Synopsis: When Charlie Boykin was young, he thought his life with his single mother on the working-class side of Nashville was perfectly fine. But when his mother arranges for him to be admitted as a scholarship student to an elite private school, he is suddenly introduced to what the world can feel like to someone cushioned by money. That world, he discovers, is an almost irresistible place where one can bend—and break—rules and still end up untarnished. As he gets drawn into a friendship with a charismatic upperclassman, Archer Creigh, and an affluent family that treats him like an adopted son, Charlie quickly adapts to life in the upper echelons of Nashville society. Under their charming and alcohol-soaked spell, how can he not relax and enjoy it all—the lack of anxiety over money, the easy summers spent poolside at perfectly appointed mansions, the lavish parties, the freedom to make mistakes knowing that everything can be glossed over or fixed?
But over time, Charlie is increasingly pulled into covering for Archer’s constant deceits and his casual bigotry. At what point will the attraction of wealth and prestige wear off enough for Charlie to take a stand—and will he?
The Fortunate Ones is an immersive, elegantly written story that conveys both the seductiveness of this world and the corruption of the people who see their ascent to the top as their birthright.
Review: Overall, I really liked this book. I really liked the story and was captivated from start to finish. The book was well done, the character development was amazing, and the book did well to not drone on about the politics.
However, I did feel like the book did need some work for the world building. I also felt like there were moments where the pacing did slow down a lot.
Verdict: It was good!
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Poor character development. NOT Gatsby!
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this book. So far my favorite of 2021. Tarkington is a fantastic writer, weaving interesting plots with social commentary on race, class, politics, and more. I felt connected to Charlie and the other characters. I would have enjoyed more development of Vanessa, but since the story was told in first person this would have been difficult.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Suicide
Moderate: Death of parent
I’ve not read Ed’s other novel (although I have added to my TBR), and wasn’t aware of how well he writes characters!
This is a story of Charlie, a teen growing up with his mother in Nashville, without much money or opportunity and the evolution and life impacts that occur to he and his mother, after he gets a scholarship to a prestigious private school.
This book explores the impacts of privilege, connections and relationships, and the truths we believe and are aware of versus the facts we may not fully have clarity on.
The book spans decades of Charlie’s life, but with great focus on his teenage and young’s adult years. I loved the pace and approach used to tell the story, through Charlie’s perspective and relationships. The emotions are raw, and the pace of the novel is perfect to keep you engaged.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ pick this one up, you won’t regret it.
This is a story of Charlie, a teen growing up with his mother in Nashville, without much money or opportunity and the evolution and life impacts that occur to he and his mother, after he gets a scholarship to a prestigious private school.
This book explores the impacts of privilege, connections and relationships, and the truths we believe and are aware of versus the facts we may not fully have clarity on.
The book spans decades of Charlie’s life, but with great focus on his teenage and young’s adult years. I loved the pace and approach used to tell the story, through Charlie’s perspective and relationships. The emotions are raw, and the pace of the novel is perfect to keep you engaged.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ pick this one up, you won’t regret it.