A gripping tale of suspense, family dynamics and trauma’s fallout.
Schweig’s debut novel is a psychological murder mystery that traces the undoing of a family after tragedy strikes.
The Harris family, by all appearances, has it all in. Wealthy, beautiful and adored, parents Jim and Mary Beth enjoy the good life with their four children and many friends in idyllic Monroeville, Mo. But all is not as it seems both for the community and its favorite family—one night, Jim Harris is murdered while dozing in his home, unraveling the security of his family. As the police swarm, eager to determine who could have done the unthinkable, each member of the Harris family changes dramatically in the aftermath of their tragic loss. Mary Beth sheds her old skin as the domestic mother and emerges as a promiscuous femme fatale entangled in a string of affairs. This raises suspicion within her own son, witness to the fact that his mother “now moved, talked and even drove the car with a personal authority he has never seen…she had transformed herself into…a freewheeling spirit…as if some yoke had been lifted from her soul.” Even more disturbing than Mary Beth’s shocking response to her husband’s death is the contrast to the reaction of her daughter, Jennifer Harris, whose trauma from losing her father has left her unresponsive and emotionally scarred. Mary Beth blithely ignores Jennifer’s obvious need for help, leaving the problem to psychiatrist Dr. Timothy Adler to solve. But will his own emotional baggage prevent him from seeing this through? Did someone from Jennifer’s own family kill Jim, and is she the one who knows? Told in quick chapters and straightforward prose, this mystery novel takes on grief, trauma, murder and even insanity with a deft hand. The layers of insight and research are apparent as the characters struggle with one another and themselves with an admirable verisimilitude. Readers who find mysteries to be lacking in depth and character development will be pleased to find both areas well tended to here, executed effectively within a fast-paced and exciting read.
A gripping tale of suspense, family dynamics and trauma’s fallout.Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2013
ISBN: 978-1612962733
Page Count: 278
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Review Posted Online: April 16, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.
A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.
Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Plum Street Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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