A review by nadia_g
L'estate che cambiò tutto by Beth Lewis
4.0
Knowing the truth has weighty consequences for the four protagonists of Bitter Sun, born and raised in a close-knit community in mid-West America where silence and complicity are the bread of everyday life.
The crime around which the novel is build functions like a boomerang: four children investigate a crime that no one cares about, and end up being the hunted.
Bitter Sun is narrated by John who recounts how in the summer of 1971, he, his sister and their two best friends found the body of a murdered girl. That year, they were around 12 years of age, and believing they could help the Sheriff, they set about finding clues. They are quickly baffled that no one appears interested in the murder, and soon they begin to eavesdrop and hunt for the killer themselves. Little do they realise that it is they who have become the prey.
Bitter Sun carries its title to perfection. The tale is a bitter one for these children. I felt such strong empathy for them. Beth Lewis has captured a deeply touching group dynamic and bond. John and his sister Jenny have been friends with Gloria and Rudy for years. The four are devoted to each other, and all experience similar problems at home. Alcoholism, low income, and petty violence are the realities to which they are confronted daily.
What gripped me most was the rippling effect of the murder on the innocent. As Johnny reflects early on in the novel, the murder was the first domino to fall. And the question that drives the entire novel is: will these kids escape from the crash.
The crime around which the novel is build functions like a boomerang: four children investigate a crime that no one cares about, and end up being the hunted.
Bitter Sun is narrated by John who recounts how in the summer of 1971, he, his sister and their two best friends found the body of a murdered girl. That year, they were around 12 years of age, and believing they could help the Sheriff, they set about finding clues. They are quickly baffled that no one appears interested in the murder, and soon they begin to eavesdrop and hunt for the killer themselves. Little do they realise that it is they who have become the prey.
Bitter Sun carries its title to perfection. The tale is a bitter one for these children. I felt such strong empathy for them. Beth Lewis has captured a deeply touching group dynamic and bond. John and his sister Jenny have been friends with Gloria and Rudy for years. The four are devoted to each other, and all experience similar problems at home. Alcoholism, low income, and petty violence are the realities to which they are confronted daily.
What gripped me most was the rippling effect of the murder on the innocent. As Johnny reflects early on in the novel, the murder was the first domino to fall. And the question that drives the entire novel is: will these kids escape from the crash.