Scan barcode
bookstuff's review
4.0
I generally don't care for literary fiction, so the odds were stacked against me liking this book. But after the first chapter I have to admit that I felt compelled to keep reading. The book reads like two interwoven diaries, one by Michelle, the other by Jason.
Michelle's story is happening in the present, which is a near future scenario for us. She's hiding in some rural family's basement, pregnant, scared, and lonely. Jason's story is told as recollections of the past, which seem near to our present. He's a working class guy who's in love with his buddy's younger sister. He recounts their love story and young marriage.
What makes Jason's story unsettling is how the world around them is changing slowly at first, and then more and more drastically. The government is getting intrusive, controlling. Family members are becoming enemies.
The way the stories are told it's hard to pin down exactly what is being done, we just get the fear and anxiety of the characters. It's very atmospheric, and the way things are kept from the reader makes it feel like a mystery novel.
One of the things I liked is how all the bad stuff happening causes Jason, who starts out as someone who doesn't really think about religion, to start looking for guidance and comfort from God. I thought that was realistic - that someone under pressure would have to turn to something, and in this case it was faith. Michelle, when we meet her, is already religious, and it looks like she has been for a while. In her character's case, I thought the backstory did explain her emotional state as well.
I have to admit that I found the lack of a straight-forward plot frustrating at times. The story often doubles back on itself. Sometimes I just wanted to sit Michelle down and tell her "just the facts, Ma'am." I also have to mention that the book ends on a cliff-hanger. Those complaints are why I knocked a star off of my rating. But again, not my genre, so I might not be completely fair about that.
This is probably not a book I would have thought to read, so I'm glad someone asked me to review it. It's different from my usual reading choices and I did enjoy it on its own terms.
I received a review copy of this book for free. I also have a more in-depth review of it on my blog www.bookhorde.org
Michelle's story is happening in the present, which is a near future scenario for us. She's hiding in some rural family's basement, pregnant, scared, and lonely. Jason's story is told as recollections of the past, which seem near to our present. He's a working class guy who's in love with his buddy's younger sister. He recounts their love story and young marriage.
What makes Jason's story unsettling is how the world around them is changing slowly at first, and then more and more drastically. The government is getting intrusive, controlling. Family members are becoming enemies.
The way the stories are told it's hard to pin down exactly what is being done, we just get the fear and anxiety of the characters. It's very atmospheric, and the way things are kept from the reader makes it feel like a mystery novel.
One of the things I liked is how all the bad stuff happening causes Jason, who starts out as someone who doesn't really think about religion, to start looking for guidance and comfort from God. I thought that was realistic - that someone under pressure would have to turn to something, and in this case it was faith. Michelle, when we meet her, is already religious, and it looks like she has been for a while. In her character's case, I thought the backstory did explain her emotional state as well.
I have to admit that I found the lack of a straight-forward plot frustrating at times. The story often doubles back on itself. Sometimes I just wanted to sit Michelle down and tell her "just the facts, Ma'am." I also have to mention that the book ends on a cliff-hanger. Those complaints are why I knocked a star off of my rating. But again, not my genre, so I might not be completely fair about that.
This is probably not a book I would have thought to read, so I'm glad someone asked me to review it. It's different from my usual reading choices and I did enjoy it on its own terms.
I received a review copy of this book for free. I also have a more in-depth review of it on my blog www.bookhorde.org
More...