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ljjohnson8's review against another edition
3.0
A small, slight book but that's not a complaint; sometimes a well-made snack is more satisfying than a meal. Les and Becky are two damaged people working together and towards each other through the horrors of meth addiction in their small town, but surrounded by incredible natural beauty. Recommended.
chefpatty's review against another edition
4.0
Set in NC
A small NC community's sheriff is close to retirement but has one final crime to investigate. One person appears to be the culprit but as the investigation proceeds, others are also suspects. A good story.
A small NC community's sheriff is close to retirement but has one final crime to investigate. One person appears to be the culprit but as the investigation proceeds, others are also suspects. A good story.
bundy23's review against another edition
3.0
Clichéd and melodramatic BUT it's short and easy to get through and the story was interesting enough that it never really got boring. A near perfect example of a 2.5 star book.
natesea's review against another edition
3.0
This is a gritty but engaging story about crime and slow-paced life in an Appalachian town. I haven't read any other books by Rash, but found this one tepid. Certainly a quick and engaging read, but nothing memorable at the end.
cierra_marie's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a little bit to fall into the rhythm of Ron Rash's writing style - I felt like it was very detailed, and romantic, way of writing in Above the Waterfall. Overall, I really enjoyed this one.
bgg616's review against another edition
4.0
This book took me a long time to finish. Because it was on my kindle, I kept forgetting about it. The subject of meth addiction in Appalachia is not an easy read either. Gorgeous writing, and excellent character development.
4.5 stars
4.5 stars
riverdogbookco's review against another edition
2.0
You can also find this review on my blog, WildlyRead, here: http://wildlyread.com/2015/10/05/book-review-above-the-waterfall-by-ron-rash/
This is the third Ron Rash book that I've read, having fallen in love with him after reading Serena years ago, which was originally recommended by my good friend and fellow bookseller, Emily of As the Crowe Flies and Reads. For my extensive review of that book (and I DO recommend reading it before seeing the film), click here. For my review of the book of short stories of his that I read, Burning Bright, (which I also greatly enjoyed and recommend) click here.
Unfortunately, though Ron Rash is rightfully referred to at a "staggering talent," and though I did admire the two books I read previously, I did not see him live up to his potential in this latest novel. I'm warning you right now that this won't be a gushing review, so please move on if you're opposed to those types of things.
The book is told in somewhat alternating chapters narrated by Les, a sheriff nearing his retirement (literally weeks), and his sort-of-romantic interest, Becky, who is a local park ranger. I believe Mr. Rash was trying something new in this book by writing Becky's chapters in a type of poetic prose, with some of Becky's nature poems thrown in, while Les's chapters were written in more standard prose, though he was a man of few words. I do enjoy poetry, and thought Becky's poems were quite lovely and evocative of ee cummings, but I had difficulty settling into her chapters. They were few and far between, and mostly consumed with either flashbacks of the school shooting she experienced, her grandparents farm where she recuperated, or descriptions of the present-day North Carolina landscape. I didn't think they added much to story, and frankly, I wasn't that impressed by the plot anyway. What I enjoyed about Burning Bright was quick the slice-of-life views of Appalachian communities that the short story form supported. In Above the Waterfall, it was as if Mr. Rash took one of those stories and then dragged it out for 250 pages, which was frankly unnecessary. I also found Becky's sections difficult to follow. It was as if my brain kept trying to hold onto the words to make sense of them, and the meaning kept slipping away, just out of reach. Reading her chapters always pulled me out of the narrative, rather than forwarding the plot, which made reading the book overall more difficult than I wanted or needed it to be.
Back to the plot - Anyone who's read Elmore Leonard's books about Raylan or seen the show Justified will have a pretty decent working knowledge of the meth problem in rural towns. Mr. Rash adds nothing new to the scene. He doesn't give a particularly edgy accounting of that life nor does he push the boundaries of the heartache meth can cause and the affect it has on local communities. As a mystery aficionado, the mystery in this novel was very stale, with no gasping reveals and instead only a quiet resolution. In fact, as much as this sounds like a backhanded compliment, the best praise I can give is that this novel held really no surprises, much like the town's inhabitants, and so perhaps, in that mirroring, there lies a quiet literary genius. If so, I admit it was lost on me, and perhaps that's my shortcoming rather than the book's. I'm hoping Mr. Rash's next work will dive a little deeper into whatever story he's telling.
This is the third Ron Rash book that I've read, having fallen in love with him after reading Serena years ago, which was originally recommended by my good friend and fellow bookseller, Emily of As the Crowe Flies and Reads. For my extensive review of that book (and I DO recommend reading it before seeing the film), click here. For my review of the book of short stories of his that I read, Burning Bright, (which I also greatly enjoyed and recommend) click here.
Unfortunately, though Ron Rash is rightfully referred to at a "staggering talent," and though I did admire the two books I read previously, I did not see him live up to his potential in this latest novel. I'm warning you right now that this won't be a gushing review, so please move on if you're opposed to those types of things.
The book is told in somewhat alternating chapters narrated by Les, a sheriff nearing his retirement (literally weeks), and his sort-of-romantic interest, Becky, who is a local park ranger. I believe Mr. Rash was trying something new in this book by writing Becky's chapters in a type of poetic prose, with some of Becky's nature poems thrown in, while Les's chapters were written in more standard prose, though he was a man of few words. I do enjoy poetry, and thought Becky's poems were quite lovely and evocative of ee cummings, but I had difficulty settling into her chapters. They were few and far between, and mostly consumed with either flashbacks of the school shooting she experienced, her grandparents farm where she recuperated, or descriptions of the present-day North Carolina landscape. I didn't think they added much to story, and frankly, I wasn't that impressed by the plot anyway. What I enjoyed about Burning Bright was quick the slice-of-life views of Appalachian communities that the short story form supported. In Above the Waterfall, it was as if Mr. Rash took one of those stories and then dragged it out for 250 pages, which was frankly unnecessary. I also found Becky's sections difficult to follow. It was as if my brain kept trying to hold onto the words to make sense of them, and the meaning kept slipping away, just out of reach. Reading her chapters always pulled me out of the narrative, rather than forwarding the plot, which made reading the book overall more difficult than I wanted or needed it to be.
Back to the plot - Anyone who's read Elmore Leonard's books about Raylan or seen the show Justified will have a pretty decent working knowledge of the meth problem in rural towns. Mr. Rash adds nothing new to the scene. He doesn't give a particularly edgy accounting of that life nor does he push the boundaries of the heartache meth can cause and the affect it has on local communities. As a mystery aficionado, the mystery in this novel was very stale, with no gasping reveals and instead only a quiet resolution. In fact, as much as this sounds like a backhanded compliment, the best praise I can give is that this novel held really no surprises, much like the town's inhabitants, and so perhaps, in that mirroring, there lies a quiet literary genius. If so, I admit it was lost on me, and perhaps that's my shortcoming rather than the book's. I'm hoping Mr. Rash's next work will dive a little deeper into whatever story he's telling.
smoney58's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75