She Treads Softly: The Boundaries We Cross

Thursday, October 17, 2024

The Boundaries We Cross

The Boundaries We Cross by Brad Parks
11/5/24; 416 pages
Oceanview Publishing

The Boundaries We Cross by Brad Parks is an excellent, very highly recommended thriller. Don't miss this un-put-downable, topical, academic thriller that has twists which will surprise you.

Charles Bliss has taught creative writing at the elite Carrington Academy for eleven years. As a teacher he insists on always keeping strict boundaries between himself and his students, so when he is summoned to the head of school’s office and accused of engaging in a romantic relationship with a student, Hayley Goodloe, he is shocked. He would never cross that line and denies the accusations. Hayley, the daughter of a state senator, the granddaughter of an ex-governor, and an heiress to a massive fortune, has a family with a lot of influence on the school - and the money to back it up. Charles is out of a job, presumed guilty, and finds himself trying to prove his innocence after Hayley disappears.

The compelling, well-written narrative is mainly through chapters from the point-of-view of Charles, with excerpts from Hayley's journal interspersed between them. This allows you to meet both Charles and Hayley through their own voices and actions. Adding to Charles' account are the occasional "midlogues" where he departs from the storyline to explain something to the reader. The choice to present the narrative in this manner works exceptionally well and is an absolutely brilliant choice.

The fast-paced plot takes off quickly and will immediately grab your complete attention. There are mysteries to solve, shocking surprises, and a couple completely unpredictable twists. Thanks to Oceanview Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.