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rowanhill's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Features:
- A biracial main character coming to terms with his grief, identity, and a complicated family history/legacy
- Explores themes of loss, grief, addiction, identity, fatherhood, and disenfranchised groups finding their voice
- Set in a US northeastern coastal town
- Heavy and reflective with moments that push the edges of reality
One can be haunted by many things in many ways, and this narrator experiences almost every way possible. This story starts with an emotional drive to his son’s funeral and never really lets up from there. However, the narrative style gives it a calm, reflective feel despite some of the more intense moments. I am not the biggest fan of the main character, but I think a lot of the complicated feelings I have about him are intentional.Through this character, Vercher masterfully manages to capture your attention and empathy while still leaving room for thoughtful criticism. This story pushes the edges of reality though it never completely crosses into the realm of paranormal or fantasy. Both this and the heaviness of the story mean that this book isn’t really for everyone. However, if you are looking for a read that is equally beautiful and tragic with just a sprinkle of paranormal oddity mixed in, I would highly recommend this book!
Pro: Grief you can feel
After the death of his son, the unnamed narrator of this story receives a notice informing him of a plot of land that had been left to his son by the narrator’s grandfather. While the narrator tries to piece together what to do with the land and the dark family history it reveals, he is also under threat of losing his job due to his failure to publish. The story bounces back and forth between the present and past memories and is written as a one-way conversation the narrator is having with his deceased son. The style gives this a very somber, reflective feel even as dramatic things continue to happen to the narrator in the present.
Due to the style of writing, the reader gets to see the narrator at his most vulnerable throughout. Though I expected the narrator to try and make excuses or present a skewed picture of things, it is quickly clear that the narrator’s goal is to be honest and critical, especially with himself. In this way, we live through his grief not only emotionally, but physically as well. We experience his panic attacks, night terrors, sleep paralysis, and other physical manifestations of his inner turmoil in a visceral way. This book is definitely one of the best representations of immense grief and how all-consuming it can become.
The Breakdown: A hard man to like
The narrator of this story is easy to empathize with, but hard to actually like. Despite being vulnerable and introspective when describing things to his son (and the reader), his external actions and dialogue are very different. Though some of what he says and does are understandable for someone grieving, the vast majority reveal him to be a somewhat self-centered and callous individual. Though he reflects on these moments, it is clear for some of them that there is still some disconnect. For others, even when he realizes the harm done, he doesn’t seem to learn and attempt to adjust his behavior. We do eventually see some growth in the present, but it feels almost arbitrary after all of the harm that has already been done.
Though I ended up not really liking the narrator for most of the book, I was still really invested in his story. There were a lot of things I could empathize with and I found some of his reflections and introspection to be extremely powerful. Healing and change are a process, and I think a tragic character like this really highlights that point. Despite all of his flaws, the narrator is still someone that I wanted to succeed in finding his place.
Special thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Slavery, and Racism
Minor: Homophobia
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