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A review by coltonchase
Groundskeeping by Lee Cole
5.0
I picked this book up on a whim, drawn to the beautiful, minimalist cover. I am so happy I did.
Set in rural Kentucky in the days leading up to and months following the 2016 election, this debut novel tells the story of Owen. Owen is a character so beautifully written, I won’t soon forget him. Or Pop, whom I loved very much. This is a comfort read — perfect for early spring or late fall. I was happy I read it when I did because I can’t believe that it would have had the same effect on me if I’d have read it in the summer.
The story was slow paced, told in shorter jolts of several paragraphs at a time (there are no chapter designations, there is a part 1 and a part 2). Going through it, you would think that there was no overarching plot, that it was just Owen’s life from August 2016 to spring of 2017. But in the last 20 pages there is a climax and a resolution. Typically I dislike when novels do this, I always think the resolution is rushed and hurried. But this worked beautifully. The ending is left quite open, and I will daydream about Owen for days to come surely.
The only downfall I can think of is that the ugly “Read with Jenna” bubble isn’t a sticker on this one. It’s printed on it and thus will be a boil on the beautiful cover forever. Maybe in future printings it will no longer adorn and I can donate this copy and buy a prettier one. I can hope.
Set in rural Kentucky in the days leading up to and months following the 2016 election, this debut novel tells the story of Owen. Owen is a character so beautifully written, I won’t soon forget him. Or Pop, whom I loved very much. This is a comfort read — perfect for early spring or late fall. I was happy I read it when I did because I can’t believe that it would have had the same effect on me if I’d have read it in the summer.
The story was slow paced, told in shorter jolts of several paragraphs at a time (there are no chapter designations, there is a part 1 and a part 2). Going through it, you would think that there was no overarching plot, that it was just Owen’s life from August 2016 to spring of 2017. But in the last 20 pages there is a climax and a resolution. Typically I dislike when novels do this, I always think the resolution is rushed and hurried. But this worked beautifully. The ending is left quite open, and I will daydream about Owen for days to come surely.
The only downfall I can think of is that the ugly “Read with Jenna” bubble isn’t a sticker on this one. It’s printed on it and thus will be a boil on the beautiful cover forever. Maybe in future printings it will no longer adorn and I can donate this copy and buy a prettier one. I can hope.