aeagle73's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, probably because I am also a daughter of the deep south, and also because I am not unaccustomed to the racism that still exists in these southern small towns. Though my hometown does not have the stigma of such an extremely racially divisive event in it's history, I can definitely relate to many of the issues that Jolie must face in this novel. Distrust of outsiders, family that you love but have such polar opposite ideas from, divided loyalties. It drew me in, and as much as I hated hearing it, I couldn't put it down until I knew the whole story.
aimeebenitez4's review against another edition
3.0
It kept me reading, but there were some odd word choices. "Vanilla folder"? Really? Sometimes I couldn't tell what was sarcasm ("less mundane" when describing truly mundane tasks) and what was free indirect discourse and what was just poor editing.
jillybean77's review against another edition
3.0
Overall reaction is that this could have been great, but the author skips over many points that require more detail in order for it to make the intended impact. For example, in the end, Hugh, a huge supporter of Jolie, pretty much bails out on their business together, and it's not clearly explained enough why he feels this way. I think the premise is great, but it fails on execution.
caraarver's review against another edition
4.0
Good and interesting family history. I like her "tone" words.
wynne_ronareads's review against another edition
3.0
While I didn't love this book, there was an undertone type of pulse that proved very interesting.
Jolie Hoyt is the tough foil to her best friend Lena, dark hair where Lena's is blonde, shy and withdrawn while Lena is flirty and outgoing, and the worst of all, denied from college while Lena got an acceptance letter.
Jolie, raised by her grandfather, comes from a long line of Hoyt's, who have been bred with the Northwestern Florida values of many generations: conservative, secretive, prudish and a little racist. When Jolie meets Sam, on Lena's last night in town before going away to school, her life is changed forever. Sam is a student, visiting Hendrix, Florida to research a long ago lynching that happened in Hendrix. Of course, that's not what Sam tells Jolie and the rest of the Floridians.
What develops is a love story amidst too many years of family and small town bigotry, tradition and race. When Sam prods a little too deep, a catastrophic event occurs that changes the course of everyone involved.
Owens has certainly done her research. The characters read true to a Southern society I knew very little of, down to the language they use and the food that they eat. (At least as true as I can imagine, having never spent much time in small Florida towns). What was a little irksome was the old fashioned style in which Owens attempted to write the novel. Maybe it was supposed to parallel the story's characters being old fashioned, but it just came off pretentious. Sort of a watered down, out of context Jane Austen.
The book fluctuated between moments of taught tension that drew you in, and beautiful descriptions of the Florida world, to entire pages I felt like I had slept through. It was an interesting concept however, and a bold attempt at a modern commentary on old fashioned lives we so often forget still exist in 2012.
Jolie Hoyt is the tough foil to her best friend Lena, dark hair where Lena's is blonde, shy and withdrawn while Lena is flirty and outgoing, and the worst of all, denied from college while Lena got an acceptance letter.
Jolie, raised by her grandfather, comes from a long line of Hoyt's, who have been bred with the Northwestern Florida values of many generations: conservative, secretive, prudish and a little racist. When Jolie meets Sam, on Lena's last night in town before going away to school, her life is changed forever. Sam is a student, visiting Hendrix, Florida to research a long ago lynching that happened in Hendrix. Of course, that's not what Sam tells Jolie and the rest of the Floridians.
What develops is a love story amidst too many years of family and small town bigotry, tradition and race. When Sam prods a little too deep, a catastrophic event occurs that changes the course of everyone involved.
Owens has certainly done her research. The characters read true to a Southern society I knew very little of, down to the language they use and the food that they eat. (At least as true as I can imagine, having never spent much time in small Florida towns). What was a little irksome was the old fashioned style in which Owens attempted to write the novel. Maybe it was supposed to parallel the story's characters being old fashioned, but it just came off pretentious. Sort of a watered down, out of context Jane Austen.
The book fluctuated between moments of taught tension that drew you in, and beautiful descriptions of the Florida world, to entire pages I felt like I had slept through. It was an interesting concept however, and a bold attempt at a modern commentary on old fashioned lives we so often forget still exist in 2012.
amythebookbat's review
3.0
I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I liked parts of it, but there were parts that just weren't working for me. I didn't care for the racist language, but I realize that it was appropriate for the setting and subject matter of the book... it just made me uncomfortable because we don't use that language in my family and I was raised to consider it wrong. What I thought was interesting was how an event that happened in 1938 (a robbery/murder followed by a lynching/massacre) could affect people today. The community tried to keep the details hidden, but secrets have a way of coming out, even if it takes 70+ years. I felt like the ending was rushed.
One thing I though was cool is that my college was mentioned several times in the first section of the book. Both female characters applied to the Savannah College of Art & Design, one got in, the other didn't. One left the school and then the other went until her dad had a stroke and she had to leave to take care of him. Pretty good to see SCAD in print. Go Bees!
One thing I though was cool is that my college was mentioned several times in the first section of the book. Both female characters applied to the Savannah College of Art & Design, one got in, the other didn't. One left the school and then the other went until her dad had a stroke and she had to leave to take care of him. Pretty good to see SCAD in print. Go Bees!
beccak's review
3.0
This is one of those books that starts off like a 5, then sinks and sinks.
The book is divided in three parts. The first is a compelling young love story with a lot of suspense, a good dose of humor, and a cliffhanger. When an outsider comes to a tiny Florida backwater, he tells everyone he's doing research on American Indians who have intermingled with the local White population. This much is true. However, he has a secondary research goal which is far more personal and far more dangerous.
The next part of the book is mostly just a bridge to get you to part three. The third part is supposed to be the exciting climax of the book, where all the secrets are revealed...and it's also where the problems with this book start.
We go through a whole sequence of reveals (the true relationship between Jolie and Hugh, the real shooter of Sam, etc.) which have little shock and no real consequences for the plot. The nice, menacing tone of the novel diffuses with little danger and no real payoff. The romance wraps up too tidily, some of the characterization is off, and when the shed is burned down...there is no real reason why. I was entirely let down.
Overall, I'm glad I read the book. It was more than diverting, containing some substance and a great deal of storytelling skill in that first third. It's also a genre I don't read (an update on Southern Gothic) and it was good getting out of my comfort zone. But after reading the glowing recommendation that led me to add American Ghosts to my To-Read list, I was more than a little disappointed.
The book is divided in three parts. The first is a compelling young love story with a lot of suspense, a good dose of humor, and a cliffhanger. When an outsider comes to a tiny Florida backwater, he tells everyone he's doing research on American Indians who have intermingled with the local White population. This much is true. However, he has a secondary research goal which is far more personal and far more dangerous.
The next part of the book is mostly just a bridge to get you to part three. The third part is supposed to be the exciting climax of the book, where all the secrets are revealed...and it's also where the problems with this book start.
Spoiler
We go through a whole sequence of reveals (the true relationship between Jolie and Hugh, the real shooter of Sam, etc.) which have little shock and no real consequences for the plot. The nice, menacing tone of the novel diffuses with little danger and no real payoff. The romance wraps up too tidily, some of the characterization is off, and when the shed is burned down...there is no real reason why. I was entirely let down.
Overall, I'm glad I read the book. It was more than diverting, containing some substance and a great deal of storytelling skill in that first third. It's also a genre I don't read (an update on Southern Gothic) and it was good getting out of my comfort zone. But after reading the glowing recommendation that led me to add American Ghosts to my To-Read list, I was more than a little disappointed.
debs71d4e's review
3.0
3.5 stars. A compelling tale, deeply steeped in a particular culture. It is this highly developed and palpable sense of place and people that makes it a good read.
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