Reviews with content warning for Drug abuse - Long Bright River

This is not really a book I would ordinarily pick up based on content. But after reading God of the Woods I was starving for more of Liz Moore's way of constructing prose and articulating stories. The characters are so believable, there's so much depth and reality to the people and stories she creates. This book did not disappoint.

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jewellelizabeth's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

5.0

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mikaylapeterson's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

What a heart wrenching story. The characters are very well developed. Going to be thinking about this one for awhile

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lcg527's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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gwalt118's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

After reading Moore's newest novel, I immediately wanted to read Long Bright River. Then I learned it made Obama's "Best of 2020" List and the title comes from a Tennyson poem, and I was even more intrigued. Thankfully, I wasn't disappointed.

This novel is a meaningful exploration of the narcotic abuse crisis in America through the story of two sisters - one who becomes a cop and one who becomes addicted to hard drugs. Mickey and Kasey carry the traumas of their childhood very differently, and they make vastly different choices because of those traumas. Yet, Moore writes this novel in a way that creates empathy in the reader for both sisters and their choices.

Long Bright River is a lengthy book at almost 500 pages, but it moves quickly with short chapters and a fast-paced plot. The element of mystery and the various possibilities for the perpetrator kept me engaged. I started to doubt everyone, believing that the people who were initially portrayed as good might be bad and vice versa. I questioned every character.

I loved the way Moore breathed life into Philadelphia. Some of the descriptions reminded me of Cincinnati, and what it means to live in and love a city that has profoundly different neighborhoods and people. It's a complicated and beautiful sort of relationship, similar to the one that Mickey and Kasey have with each other.

If you have read this novel and you want to talk about the ending, let me know. That's all I'll say about that.

I cannot emphasize enough the compassion and understanding this book created in me. This is one of those novels that reminds me of that particular benefit of reading. I truly believe it makes all of us better people, and this novel is a perfect example of that.

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