Reviews

The Never-Open Desert Diner by James Anderson

sarahsbookshelves's review against another edition

2.0

[2.5 stars]

The Never Open Desert Diner begins quietly, with a strong sense of place and a eerie, Twilight Zone-type feeling…all of which held promise for me. I enjoyed the concept of a creepy diner in the middle of nowhere that, while perfectly maintained, is never open to the public. And, lovable curmudgeon Walt Butterfield (the diner’s owner) and “down on his luck, but trying to do the right thing” Ben Jones were both characters I could get on board with. BUT…

At the 20% mark, I had no idea where the book was headed and was kind of excited about that prospect. But annoyance set in when I felt the same way at the halfway point. I needed some sort of bone to keep me going because the writing itself, while fine, wasn’t carrying the book alone. When the action finally did pick up, it was completely ridiculous and eye-roll inducing. I really wish I could tell you the two lynchpins to the ending without spoiling the book because you might snort with laughter.

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jenndian's review against another edition

5.0

Great, wonderful read! Captivating story with incredible,characters! The author uses language beautifully! The descriptions are poetic! Loved this story about a trucker named Ben Jones and the colorful customers along 117.

missjackieoh's review against another edition

5.0

When I read the blurb for The Never-Open Desert Diner, I knew it would be something I would enjoy. Quirky, mysterious, thrilling; it was none of these and all of these descriptions.
I am totally and unashamedly in love with this novel. It has been 6 minutes since I finished the book and I STILL have goosebumps, a broken heart, and dried tear tracks.
The story was incredibly intriguing and slow burning. It took a while to really come to the point of the mystery, but that was okay because I was absolutely invested in Ben Jones and his cast of odd customers along the 117 highway. The romance was slightly insta-love but tender and beautiful. The whole mystery was just a bit anticlimactic but that was okay as well, because the story wasn’t about the mystery; it was about Ben and Claire, but mostly Ben and his ragtag of Utah ‘neighbors’ living off the grid.
This is going to down as a classic in my book. I am enamored completely; in fact I kind of want to read it again!
Oh and Whelper is a piece of shit! I needed to get that out!

I would like to thank Blogging For Books for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Happy Reading
Jackie

wordylocks's review against another edition

5.0

“Once, during one of our roadside smokes, the reverend had said that most people associate the desert with what is missing–water and people. “They never think of the one thing the desert has more of–light,” he said.”

Deserts. Places of heat and light. Of magic and mystery. Of the will to live. In The Never-Open Desert Diner, James Anderson brings the desert to life like never before.

Ben Jones is a trucker who operates on Route 117, an isolated road somewhere in the remote recesses of the Utah desert, delivering what the few residents of the desert need. Ben has a soft corner for these tough people. One of these people is the grumpy Walt, owner of a once (relatively) popular diner with a tragic past, now closed down and nick named “the never-open desert diner”. Deep in debt, he may soon lose this life he has grown to love so much. Until, on one of his runs he runs across a mysterious woman named Claire, who is hiding in the desert from someone or something. Intrigued by this woman, Ben attempts to get to know her better, sparking a chain of events that changes his life.

On reading the description for the book, I didn’t think I would enjoy it much. However, the book turned out to be different from what I thought it would be. Where I expected a typical action-oriented thriller, I found a fresh, lyrical narrative.

This is not to say that there is no “action’. Just that instead of blazing guns and crazy car chases across the desert landscape (which I wouldn’t have liked) I got action on a human, psychological level. It is the people and their relationships with each other and the desert that makes the fabric of this novel. This is probably not the book to pick up if one wants a fast-paced thriller, but is perfect for someone looking for a slower but dramatic book.

There is a beautiful earthiness to Anderson’s writing. It manages to be poetic without being flowery, rich while remaining simple. I could feel the burning sun on my skin, see the wondrous sunset in the desert and taste the butter brickle ice-cream that his characters seem to prefer. So vivid and detailed are Anderson’s descriptions.

The highlight of the book is the experience of the desert. Anderson manages to create a sense of calm, an almost meditative atmosphere of the desert.In describing life and survival in this harsh place, he finds the kindness in the cruelty of its landscape.

The characters are memorable and well-rounded, each with a back story that elicits the reader’s empathy. I got the feeling that I know these people and would recognize them if I met them.

Like the desert itself, the beauty of The Never-Open Desert Diner is a new and wonderful thing, best experienced first hand. For those who can appreciate the abundance of light in the desert, this is an excellent read.

FTC disclaimer: I received this book from Blogging for Books for this honest review.

Author Bio: http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/597/james-anderson/

themoodyambr's review against another edition

3.0

This is nothing what I expected this book to be. The whole first half of the book made no sense to me. Nothing interesting started happening until the halfway point. I had to force myself to finish. It wasn't a good read and it wasn't a bad read. I gave it 3/5 because the plot was what drew me in but it didn't really stick with me. None of the characters stuck with me. I do have unanswered questions though.

nkmeyers's review against another edition

4.0

truly one of a kind - the never open desert diner and its author present the reader with a genre defying story, a memorable setting & a cast of characters worthy of Chaucer . plus it is laugh out loud funny in parts too !

rezelazny's review against another edition

4.0

A haunting tale of loss, love and loyalty. Ben Jones is a truck driver who delivers anything a person can need to live in the desert. He delivers to people who live in the middle of nowhere, where nothing ever happens, the desert controls your every move, and people have powerful secrets. Ben himself is a keeper of secrets. During one of his deliveries Ben stumbles across a woman living in an abandoned housing project. Who is this woman and how did she come to reside in the desert, people don't just show up here? These questions lead Ben on a mystery that brings him closer to who he is and what he wants out of life. A wonderful slow moving tale that quickly gripped me and whose characters are wonderfully flawed.
Read through Penguin's First to Read Program.

mechee91's review

4.0

Starting out at a slightly slow clip, The Never-Open Desert Diner is a clever story about the lives of the people who choose to live away from modern life. Their link to the outside world is Ben Jones. As a narrator, Ben is clever and observant. As a protagonist, he seems to be lacking. While the perfect protag is often just as annoying and often borders a “Mary-Sue,” Ben has a tendency to go when he should stop and stop when he should keep moving. This make him frustrating but not horribly so. (Besides the peeing on houses, and peeping at naked cello players.) The internal conflict of trying to be a good man and yet, having some sort of hero complex leading him to try and defend Claire, our mystery woman can confuse the reader but I think it shows a human side to this literary character.
I wouldn’t really consider this a mystery novel, so much as I would call it a humanity piece. I really felt like the characters were whole, each with a backstory that understandably brought them out to that stretch of desert. I would recommend this to people looking for something a little different but very well written. You might not like the ending but like life, some stories end in unexpected ways. With a diverse cast of characters, and a worthwhile 295 pages, The Never-Open Desert Diner, is luckily getting a second push from Crowne Publishing and I have to thank Blogging For Books for getting this one out to me to review.

mwgerard's review

3.0

Ben is a delivery driver, bringing sundry items to a forgotten stretch of road in the Utah desert. His days as a driver are likely numbered if he isn’t able to collect some of the money owed to him, but he can’t bear to pressure the odd assortment of people on his route.

Walt is grumpy old man who tinkers with his vintage motorcycles. He owns the Well-Known Desert Diner that is almost never open. A pristine, retro roadside stop, Walt only gets behind the counter for certain people. Ben is one of the few people Walt will talk to — sometimes.

On a long stretch, Ben suspects he is being set up for a theft so he pulls into an abandoned neighborhood in an effort to throw them off. He accidentally finds a woman named Claire holed up in one of the empty homes. Confused and enchanted, he adds her temporary home to his list of stops.

Please read the rest of my review on my site:
ACCENT: THE NEVER-OPEN DESERT DINER
http://mwgerard.com/accent-the-never-open-desert-diner/

francomega's review

4.0

A review led me to believe that this was more noir than it is. It is noir-ish--a lot of the elements in place, plus a suitably nowhere desert locale. It's about a lonely, down-on-his-luck truck driver who stumbles upon a mysterious woman in an abandoned house along his anonymous desert route. And the most expensive cello in the world.

The writing is terrific and the story builds to a tense climax. It's probably more melancholy than noir, but there's nothing wrong with that.