A review by romonko
The Blade Between by Sam J. Miller

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

This book was given to me as a gift, so I read it until the end, but I can't tell you how many times I wanted to put it away.  It is very confusing, yes, but it is also graphic and it hits really close to home with its take on community vigilantism and acts of terrorism which we see so much of  in the news today.  I found all the characters were hateful, spiteful and loathsome.  I did not like any of them, and the main character is probably the worst of the lot.  Ronan has a lot of anxiety that he left behind him in Hudson, NY, and a lot of unresolved issues leftover from the early death of his mother, and the bullying that he received in school.  Ronan is openly gay, which the students in the school had no tolerance for.  He is called back to the nightmare of his childhood to look after his ailing father, but all his demons were still there waiting for him.  Ronan's hate and unresolved issues actually ignite the town to violence and destruction.  The "old" Hudson is no longer there.  Instead it is an up and coming town that is becoming the playground for the rich and famous and all the older citizens have been displaced. Interspersed throughout the book are supernatural occurrences which don't appear to make any sense to anyone, including Ronan.  After reading about the violence and hatred in the community for the first 50 pages, I soon grew tired of it and stopped trying to make sense of it.  I finished the book only because it was a gift, but I certainly cannot recommend it.