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A review by gwalt118
Long Bright River by Liz Moore
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Violence, and Murder