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A review by marym2215
What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Set against the backdrop of a small-town community, What Happened to the McCrays? explores the power of resilience, family bonds, and second chances. When Kyle McCray returns to his hometown after his father’s stroke, he’s met with resentment and lingering hurt from those he abandoned several years ago, including his estranged wife, Casey. Determined to stay only long enough to help his father recover, Kyle instead finds himself drawn back into the town’s life when he is asked to coach the struggling middle school hockey team. As he reconnects with the community and confronts the pain of his past, Kyle is forced to reckon with the choices that tore his marriage apart and determine if healing and redemption are still within reach. Full of heart and raw emotion, this story captures the complexity of broken relationships and the enduring hope for forgiveness and redemption.
I absolutely devoured this story. Told from alternating perspectives of Kyle and Casey in both the present day as well as the past, What Happened to the McCrays was an incredible book for so many different reasons. It pulled me into its raw, emotional depths from the very first page. The struggles Kyle and Casey faced in forgiving themselves for the choices they each made were so heart-wrenching and felt so real. Their pain could be felt through the pages and reminded me how difficult it can be to confront the worst parts of our past. The way the story captured the fragile, yet powerful, bonds of family and the strength that comes from a supportive community left a lasting impression on me. I was especially moved by the depiction of loss - the debilitating pain of watching a loved one suffer, and the quiet resilience needed to move forward. It’s a story about second chances and the heavy cost of redemption and how healing requires both courage and vulnerability. While there were instances that I found myself frustrated by choices that Casey made, I cannot fault her for her decisions knowing what she was going through by the end of the book. This is my first book by Tracey Lange but it will most definitely not be my last. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a moving story about love, loss, and forgiveness.
Content warnings: Loss of a child, suicide attempt, loss of a parent, depression, infertility, self harm
Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read to an ARC of What Happened to the McCrays in return for my honest review.
I absolutely devoured this story. Told from alternating perspectives of Kyle and Casey in both the present day as well as the past, What Happened to the McCrays was an incredible book for so many different reasons. It pulled me into its raw, emotional depths from the very first page. The struggles Kyle and Casey faced in forgiving themselves for the choices they each made were so heart-wrenching and felt so real. Their pain could be felt through the pages and reminded me how difficult it can be to confront the worst parts of our past. The way the story captured the fragile, yet powerful, bonds of family and the strength that comes from a supportive community left a lasting impression on me. I was especially moved by the depiction of loss - the debilitating pain of watching a loved one suffer, and the quiet resilience needed to move forward. It’s a story about second chances and the heavy cost of redemption and how healing requires both courage and vulnerability. While there were instances that I found myself frustrated by choices that Casey made, I cannot fault her for her decisions knowing what she was going through by the end of the book. This is my first book by Tracey Lange but it will most definitely not be my last. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a moving story about love, loss, and forgiveness.
Content warnings: Loss of a child, suicide attempt, loss of a parent, depression, infertility, self harm
Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read to an ARC of What Happened to the McCrays in return for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
Moderate: Infertility