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A review by sjj169
The Old Creek Bridge by Sarah Kettles
3.0
In this book we meet Jack Snyder right after his granddaddy has been killed while running from the sheriff. Jack's grandfather is an ornery old moonshiner that people loved to gossip about.
Jack discovers at the age of ten that there is a "monster" that he must fight with. His temper, he battles to control it and not let it become who he is.
The story revolves around Jack and his family. His Dad who has melanoma that has spread, his northern bred mom, and his sister Mary. Jack hates his life in the small southern town of Ajax. He sees college in his future and tries to keep telling himself that he can get out.
He dates all through out high school the same girl, Kelly. Kelly doesn't want to leave Ajax. Everyone she knows and everything familiar is here. Why leave? She gets upset anytime Jack starts looking at colleges or mentions leaving.
The author of this story is from the south and she actually does a rare thing. She brings living in a small southern town to life very, very well. That feeling that you can't leave? It happens. The fact that everyone in town knows your business.
She also brings to life that feeling of solitude that can happen if you don't fit in with the people of your town, whether like Jack, you want for more out of life. Or like another character in this book, Louise (she was Jack's grandfather's common law wife) that you can just feel excluded and shunned.
The book does meander on quite a bit though. I told my husband several times that I didn't feel like it was ever going to get to the point. He asked me "What happens?"..and nothing had.
The story did have that feel of slow southerness about it though so I kept reading. It ended up being bittersweet in places and heartrendingly sad in others.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.
Normally this is the spot that I highlight another reviewers review for the book I just finished. I'm the first person to review this one though. So I'm leaving it like this for now.
Jack discovers at the age of ten that there is a "monster" that he must fight with. His temper, he battles to control it and not let it become who he is.
The story revolves around Jack and his family. His Dad who has melanoma that has spread, his northern bred mom, and his sister Mary. Jack hates his life in the small southern town of Ajax. He sees college in his future and tries to keep telling himself that he can get out.
He dates all through out high school the same girl, Kelly. Kelly doesn't want to leave Ajax. Everyone she knows and everything familiar is here. Why leave? She gets upset anytime Jack starts looking at colleges or mentions leaving.
The author of this story is from the south and she actually does a rare thing. She brings living in a small southern town to life very, very well. That feeling that you can't leave? It happens. The fact that everyone in town knows your business.
She also brings to life that feeling of solitude that can happen if you don't fit in with the people of your town, whether like Jack, you want for more out of life. Or like another character in this book, Louise (she was Jack's grandfather's common law wife) that you can just feel excluded and shunned.
The book does meander on quite a bit though. I told my husband several times that I didn't feel like it was ever going to get to the point. He asked me "What happens?"..and nothing had.
The story did have that feel of slow southerness about it though so I kept reading. It ended up being bittersweet in places and heartrendingly sad in others.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.
Normally this is the spot that I highlight another reviewers review for the book I just finished. I'm the first person to review this one though. So I'm leaving it like this for now.