A quirky and perceptive psychological tale with an unexpected, jolting twist at the end.
In this novel, a Canadian author battles to overcome agoraphobia and depression to complete his third book.
Jack is a sci-fi writer living in Penticton, British Columbia. He has produced two novels that have gained him a small but ardent fan base. It is five years since he completed his last book, which ended with its main character, Sage Sauer, being confined to a “stasis chamber.” Since then, Jack has suffered from writer’s block, causing him to obsess over one particular paragraph, which prevents him from crafting more. His agoraphobia and depression have also steadily intensified, meaning that he divides his time among his home, where he lives with his best friend, Shelly; his psychiatrist’s office; and a local coffee shop, the Green Beans Café. Although he’s frightened of attempting anything more ambitious than a short walk from his apartment, his doctor has been preparing him for an unthinkable journey across town to his sister’s house, located on the West Valley Wall. The novel tracks Jack’s odyssey, from the moment Shelly tosses him over her shoulder and bundles him into their Mustang to the life-altering events that occur after he watches his 12-year-old niece, Tessa, for his sister. Lloyd (Burning the Last Bridge, 2017) understands the debilitating restrictions and negative mind chatter faced by agoraphobics to the extent that he captures their essence in one simple passage. Jack confesses to Shelly: “I just feel like avoiding everything in life because life stresses me out. I want to hide and not deal with it.” The author is also able to pinpoint the irrational but terrifyingly real feelings that escalate anxiety into a panic attack: “I just feel unsafe, and I don’t know why. I know these surroundings; I grew up around them. It’s not a new environment….It just doesn’t make any sense, and it’s probably not supposed to.” Nevertheless, the message of the stirring story is positive. Despite their chilling nature, Jack addresses his fears head on and begins to reap the benefits—psychologically, socially, and in terms of his literary output. This is an intuitively written book that should beguile most readers, particularly those who have had similar mental health experiences.
A quirky and perceptive psychological tale with an unexpected, jolting twist at the end.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 222
Publisher: Tellwell
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Entertaining and unpredictable; Reid makes a compelling argument for happiness in every life.
Reid’s latest (After I Do, 2014, etc.) explores two parallel universes in which a young woman hopes to find her soul mate and change her life for the better.
After ending an affair with a married man, Hannah Martin is reunited with her high school sweetheart, Ethan, at a bar in Los Angeles. Should she go home with her friends and catch up with him later, or should they stay out and have another drink? It doesn’t seem like either decision would have earth-shattering consequences, but Reid has a knack for finding skeletons in unexpected closets. Two vastly different scenarios play out in alternating chapters: in one, Hannah and Ethan reconnect as if no time has passed; in the other, Hannah lands in the hospital alone after a freak accident that marks the first of many surprising plot twists. Hannah’s best friend, Gabby, believes in soul mates, and though Hannah has trouble making decisions—even when picking a snack from a vending machine—she and Gabby discover how their belief systems can alter their world as much as their choices. “Believing in fate is like living on cruise control,” Hannah says. What follows is a thoughtful analysis of free will versus fate in which Hannah finds that disasters can bring unexpected blessings, blessings can bring unexpected disasters, and that most people are willing to bring Hannah her favorite cinnamon rolls. “Because even when it looks like she’s made a terrible mistake,” Hannah’s mother observes, “things will always work out for Hannah.” The larger question becomes whether Hannah’s choices will ultimately affect her happiness—and it’s one that’s answered on a hopeful note as Hannah tries to do the right thing in every situation she faces.
Entertaining and unpredictable; Reid makes a compelling argument for happiness in every life.Pub Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4767-7688-0
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Washington Square/Pocket
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
For those who like their science fiction dense, monumental, and a bit overwrought.
Brown is back with Book 4 of his Red Rising series (Morning Star, 2016, etc.) and explores familiar themes of rebellion, revenge, and political instability.
This novel examines the ramifications and pitfalls of trying to build a new world out of the ashes of the old. The events here take place 10 years after the conclusion of Morning Star, which ended on a seemingly positive note. Darrow, aka Reaper, and his lover, Virginia au Augustus, aka Mustang, had vanquished the Golds, the elite ruling class, so hope was held out that a new order would arise. But in the new book it becomes clear that the concept of political order is tenuous at best, for Darrow’s first thoughts are on the forces of violence and chaos he has unleashed: “famines and genocide...piracy...terrorism, radiation sickness and disease...and the one hundred million lives lost in my [nuclear] war.” Readers familiar with the previous trilogy—and you'll have to be if you want to understand the current novel—will welcome a familiar cast of characters, including Mustang, Sevro (Darrow’s friend and fellow warrior), and Lysander (grandson of the Sovereign). Readers will also find familiarity in Brown’s idiosyncratic naming system (Cassius au Bellona, Octavia au Lune) and even in his vocabulary for cursing (“Goryhell,” “Bloodydamn,” “Slag that”). Brown introduces a number of new characters, including 18-year-old Lyria, a survivor of the initial Rising who gives a fresh perspective on the violence of the new war—and violence is indeed never far away from the world Brown creates. (He includes one particularly gruesome gladiatorial combat between Cassius and a host of enemies.) Brown imparts an epic quality to the events in part by his use of names. It’s impossible to ignore the weighty connotations of characters when they sport names like Bellerephon, Diomedes, Dido, and Apollonius.
For those who like their science fiction dense, monumental, and a bit overwrought.Pub Date: Jan. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-425-28591-6
Page Count: 624
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2018
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
