Sweetgirl by Travis Mulhauser
HarperCollins: 2/2/16
eBook review copy; 256 pages
ISBN-13: 9780062400826
http://www.travismulhauser.com/
Sweetgirl by Travis Mulhauser is a highly recommended debut novel
of suspense set during a blizzard in Northern Michigan. Read this one
with a blanket and a warm beverage nearby.
Percy James, 16, drives off to try and find her meth addicted mother,
Carletta, just as a blizzard bears down on the northern Michigan woods.
Percy checks out the cabin of known cooker and dealer Sheldon Potter.
After having to abandon her truck a mile or so from the house, Percy
sets off on foot. When she arrives she doesn't find Carletta; instead
she sees Sheldon passed out with his girlfriend in the living room.
Thinking her mother might still be there in another room, Percy sneaks
inside and heads upstairs. What she finds is a dead dog in one room and a
baby in the other. In the baby's room the crib, with the name Jenna
written on it, is by an open window where the cold and snow are rushing
inside.
Deciding that someone needs to save baby Jenna, who Percy nicknames
Sweetgirl, Percy grabs the baby and the bag nearby. She's going to go
get this baby to safety while still trying to find her mother. Percy
heads on foot carrying Jenna to the cabin of Portis Dale, an
ex-boyfriend to her mother and the closest thing to a father that Percy
has ever had. She and Portis then take off, battling the elements and
trying to hide
from the criminal thugs Sheldon has sent out to look for the baby after
he woke up and found her gone. You read that right. After Sheldon comes
to and realizes the baby is gone, he tries to find thugs beholden to his
uncle to help him look for her before he takes off in a snowmobile to
find her too.
Sheldon Potter is a foolish man and his constant drug usage is addling
his thinking. Portis is a hard drinking, but caring, philosopher. Percy
is a sixteen-year-old who is wise beyond her years and a scrappy
fighter. She is a protagonist that you will be cheering for as she tries
to overcome the elements and other forces against her while saving
little Jenna. Having the blizzard bearing down on them and bad guys
after them creates
more obstacles, problems, and difficulties getting to the proper
authorities or finding some help.
Chapters alternate between Percy and Sheldon, creating a tension as you
follow what is happening. I'm going to have to admit that there were a
few things that seemed a bit too pat, like Sheldon's tenaciousness and
ability to get around even as he constantly is getting a buzz from
something. The biggest stretch of credulity is Percy's inability to get
help in this day and age. Sure, most of us would use our cell phones and
call for help but Carletta (conveniently) sold Percy's and Portis,
naturally, doesn't have one.
The writing is quite good, which really elevates the plot above a
cliche'. The setting also does this as one doesn't usually think of meth
cooking going on in the woods of northern Michigan. But Percy, however,
is the real winner here. She is a great character and this acts as a
thriller, as well as a coming-of-age novel. I liked the ending very much
and hope to read more from Millhauser in the future.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy
of HarperCollins for review
purposes.
After The Fog Clears by
Lee Thompson
DarkFuse: 2/2/16
eBook review copy; 220 pages (est.)
paperback ISBN-13: 9781940544939
After The Fog Clears by
Lee Thompson is a so-so novel that deals with the abandoned and the psychotic.
Saginaw police officer Nathan Hazzard accidental hits a small child
while in a high speed pursuit of Luther Anderson. Luther was speeding
home because he received a disconcerting phone call from his grandmother
and is concerned that something is wrong with her or his crippled
brother. The child was the son of Raul Spencer, who just heard before
the accident that his father was temporarily laying him off from the
family's funeral home business, is walking home when his wife calls.
Raul's wife, Geneva, is devastated as she tries to reach him without
success.
The story deals with these three families and the aftermath an accident
that sets into motion a violent chain of events. Luther was the only
character I could even remotely care about. Hazzard is psychotic,
aggressively so, and quickly determines that he has nothing left to
lose, so it's time for him to take matters into his own hands. Raul is
just as bad - in his own way. He calls his wife's best friend, with whom
he is having an affair, and wants her support.
The story is simple and the main theme is the violence that will be
taking place due to the whiny psychotics who want to blame everyone else
for their problems and their actions. Obviously, I grew tired of them.
Handled differently, the story could have been a psychologically tense
thriller. However, this is more a laundry list of what happened next and
then and next...
Is it awful? No, but it wasn't very believable. There were to many
coincidences. Additionally is a lot of gratuitous violence. I had a hard
time finishing this one. The fact that I did is worth 2 stars.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy
of DarkFuse for review
purposes.
Beasts and Children by Amy Parker
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt: 2/2/16
eBook review copy; 320 pages
trade paperback ISBN-13: 9780544370135
http://www.amyeparker.com/
Beasts and Children by Amy Parker is a very highly
recommended heart-breaking short story collection.
All the stories in this collection are interconnected, with
characters reappearing and their stories continuing from one story
to the next, and following these characters from childhood to
adulthood. All of the stories also feature animals. Read together
these stories are complementary; the recurring characters of the
stories create the feeling of a novel since all the stories are
interrelated.
The writing is very good, descriptive and haunting, but the stories
can be dark and depressing, with children and animals firmly at the
mercy of selfish, obstinate, egocentric adults who are, quite
frankly, neglecting them through their disregard, inattention, and
carelessness. There are a couple times when I almost refused to
continue reading. For those with a tender heart toward children and
animals, this one might be too difficult to read to the end. In the
end, I was glad I finished this collection, but, oh my, there were
some tears and struggles to get there.
Table of Contents:
The White Elephant: It's 1967 and the last year sisters Cissy and
Carline Bowman have an unbroken family.
Rainy Season: Jill Foster and Maizie, her little sister, are the
daughters of diplomats in Chiang Mai. Disaster results occur when
Jill decides to leave the compound one night and Maizie follows.
The Balcony: Danny's mother pulls him out of school and they hit the
road with his dog Orla. She's following a man she's obsessed with.
Endangered Creatures: Jill and Maizie, who are in trouble with their
father over their adventure, visit a Thai orphanage with a woman and
her daughter.
Beasts and Children: Jerry's father tries to teach him to be tough
after his mother leaves them. (This story is almost too much to
bear.)
Catastrophic Molt: Cissy and Carline reflect on the year their
mother was dying from cancer.
The Corpse Diver: Jill and Jerry are married and struggling with a
needy woman who lives nearby. "When Piper was born, Jill got tired
and Jerry got religion."
Sunfish: Daniel (Danny; Cissy and Carline's cousin) has fallen in
love with Maizie.
A Neighborly Day for a Beauty: Maizie is deciding whether she wants
to continue with her pregnancy.
Grace: Carline's life may be changing when she meets a single
father.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy
of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for review
purposes.
The Unfinished World and Other Stories by Amber Sparks
Liveright Publishing: 1/25/16
eBook review copy; 240 pages
ISBN-13: 9781631490903
The Unfinished World and Other Stories by Amber Sparks is a very highly recommended collection of 19 short stories set in worlds that are slightly askew.
The writing is excellent. In descriptive, precise prose Sparks manages
to convey depth and meaning in the fable-like stories, many of which are
very brief. There is no overall theme to the collection, which makes
each imaginative selection a gem that stands alone. This quietly asks
the reader to consider and pondered each selection separately, on its
own merit. This is a strong collection and I appreciated and savored
each selection.
Contents:
The Janitor in Space: A woman who works as a janitor in space believes
there is there a right way to atone for the past, to rid yourself of
sorrow.
The Lizzie Borden Jazz Babies: Twins do everything together, until one takes a different course and the other wants revenge.
The Cemetery for Lost Faces: The life of Clarence and Louise, a brother
and sister whose parents tragically died. "It just goes to show, people
said later. It just goes to show how fairy
tales always stop too soon in the telling. Others said it was never a
fairy tale at all. Anyone could see that. They were all too lovely, too
obviously doomed. But the wisest said, that’s exactly what a fairy tale
is. The happily-ever-after is just a false front. It hides the hungry
darkness inside."
The Logic of the Loaded Heart: Questions to determine the value of
John's life. "If John is three, and John’s mother is six times his age,
how old was
John’s mother when John was conceived in the back of Al Neill’s pickup
truck after a Styx concert in Milwaukee? If John’s parents spend 100
times zero days being actual parents to John, how many days’ total is
that? Does your answer change if John’s mother sometimes bought him Mr
Pibb and lottery tickets when she stopped at the gas station on her way
home from work? Extra credit: Please calculate the probability that at
his mother’s current age, John will drop out of school and work in a
burger joint while playing lead guitar in a heavy metal band called The
Slaughterhouse Four."
Thirteen Ways of Destroying a Painting: A time traveler tries thirteen
different actions to prevent a painter from creating a specific work of
art.
Lancelot in the Lost Places of the World: "Lancelot has been summoned out of sleep to find a secret kingdom."
And the World Was Crowded with Things That Meant Love: A couple who met
in person only once exchange gifts of devotion over their lifetime.
Birds with Teeth: Marsh and Cope, who used to be friends, are rival
paleontologists. "It really began at Haddonfield, after he pointed out
Cope’s dreadful
mistake with the Elasmosaurus platyurus. The head is on the tail, he
told the team in private."
For These Humans Who Cannot Fly: A man's love for his wife inspires his
life's work, building death houses. "Every death is a love story. It’s
the goodbye part, but the love is
still there, wide as the world. When my wife died, I began to understand
this."
Take Your Daughter to the Slaughter: Father's take their daughters on a hunt to kill werewolves.
We Were Holy Once: The Benders are a family who travel the country with their daughter, Doctor Katie, who is a healer.
La Belle de Nuit, La Belle de Jour: There is mythical trouble for seven
brothers and their sister when a witch moves into the kingdom and
marries their father.
The Men and Women Like Him: Hugh is a Cleaner who has to stop time pirates from changing the course of history.
Things You Should Know About Cassandra Dee: Seven facts about Cassie, an
ugly girl who can see bad things that will happen in the future.
The Fires of Western Heaven: Reflections about the aftermath of war.
The Process of Human Decay: What happens after a man dies.
The Fever Librarian: "From the Eternal Library’s Official Employee Handbook: The brain of the
Fever Librarian should be made mostly of melancholy. The Fever Librarian
should wear black bile in the veins. The Fever Librarian should be an
unmarried woman with a soft, drowned heart, and a choleric disposition.
She should be pale and thin, with a look that hints at Perpetual Anguish
of the Soul. She should resemble someone’s grandmother, someone we have
known for ages in the abstract. Dependable. Invisible."
The Unfinished World: This titular novella follows the separate lives as
two future lover, Set and Inge, grow up and eventually meet in the
1920s.
The Sleepers: "Ancient dreams cling like crumbs to the mouths of the sleepers. They
mutter and twitch, chasing after phantom women, fragments of words,
half-drunk goblets of wine. This is what the sleepers find outside of
history: a weakness in repose for which there is no cure but dreaming."
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy
of Liveright Publishing for review
purposes.
The Poison Artist by Jonathan Moore
Houghton Mifflin: 1/26/16
eBook review copy; 288 pages
ISBN-13: 9780544520561
The Poison Artist by Jonathan Moore is a very highly recommended dark atmospheric mystery/psychological thriller.
Caleb Maddox has just had a fight with his girlfriend Bridget. She
threw a glass at him, which hit his forehead, cutting it open. It looks
like their relationship is over. Caleb left the house and is staying at a
hotel. After cleaning up, Caleb goes on a bender to mourn her
departure. He ends up at a bar called the House of Shields where he
meets a mysterious woman who is drinking absinthe. She totally captures
Caleb's interest and imagination. Even while he is drinking to excess
over the loss of Bridget, he is obsessed with the mystery woman and
seeks her out at various bars.
Amid Caleb's hard drinking, he hears from his friend, Henry Newcomb, a
medical examiner, who has a professional question. Caleb is a
toxicologist who also has an ongoing research study into pain and
tolerance levels. Apparently while Caleb has been drinking his sorrow
away, there is a serial killer loose. Several bodies of males have
washed up Henry has a few questions about the lab results they have
obtained and wants Caleb to test some of the samples. Caleb also has two
police detectives questioning him over a man who was at the House of
Shields the night he was there drinking.
The action flips back and forth between Caleb's excessive drinking and
obsession over the mystery woman and helping Henry with the murder
cases. There are a lot of unanswered questions in this moody, pensive
mystery. Really, most of the book will leave you feeling like it is set
in a dark, gloomy night, with everything hazy and vague - as if the
story is incomplete. And it is incomplete for almost the whole novel.
You won't learn what Caleb and Bridget fought about for most of the
book. While you question Caleb's inexplicable obsession and pursuit of
the mysterious woman, you won't actually know the real reason why until
the end.
The writing is sumptuous, both beautifully crafted and wonderfully
descriptive. This could leave some readers with the same dilemma I felt.
The quality of the writing kept me reading, but I was growing a bit
impatient with dearth of solid information presented. The clues to the
mystery are extremely slow in being revealed. The strength of Caleb's
obsession with and pursuit of the mystery woman seemed too intense for
simply seeing her after having a fight with a girlfriend that he says he
loves. And the fixation on drinking absinthe...
The ending is worth all the questions and doubts I had while reading The Poison Artist. I
even, briefly, considered setting the book aside because it seemed too
vague, but I'm glad I kept reading because the ending was incredible -
shocking, dismaying, and frightfully satisfying.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy
of Houghton Mifflin for review
purposes.
The Portable Veblen by Elizabeth Mckenzie
Penguin Publishing Group: 1/19/16
eBook review copy; 448 pages
ISBN-13: 9781594206856
The Portable Veblen by Elizabeth Mckenzie is a very highly
recommended novel about a young couple on the brink of marriage. It is a
quirky, humorous, unique novel that encompasses dysfunctional families
to personal professional goals to relationships to feelings about
squirrels.
Veblen Amundsen-Hovda has accepted the marriage proposal of her
boyfriend Paul Vreeland, a 34-year-old
neurologist. While the ring seems a little big and Paul doesn't
like squirrels the way Veblen does (she talks with them) they are both
determined to make this work even though they have only known each other
for three months. They still need to meet each other's families.
Veblen is named for Thorstein Veblen, an economist who coined the term
"conspicuous consumption," is a temp agency typist and an amateur
freelance translator of Norwegian, especially the works of her namesake.
Her mother is a hypochondriac and a narcissist. Her step father is a
nice guy, but is an enabler and panders to her mother. Her father is
institutionalized for mental illness. Veblen is a free spirit who loves
typing, talks to squirrels, and tries to gauge her reactions based on
what other people are saying or doing. She's fixed up a crumbling house
in Palo Alto by herself and made it her own. She admires Thorstein
Veblen and his beliefs.
Paul grew up with hippy parents who grew pot and had other people
traipsing in and out of the house/commune all the time - not to mention
the DEA watching the house. He always has felt his older brother
Justine, who is mentally disabled, was favored by their parents. He is
recruited by a large medical corporation with a Department of Defense
contract due to his invention of a device that could potentially
minimize brain trauma for those in combat situations. Paul is ambitious
and driven to succeed, so he accepts the position with its promise of
fame and fortune. ( (Admittedly, I wasn't a fan of Paul at the beginning
of the book, but quickly began to see his point of view.)
Now this young couple who have seemingly totally opposite views on
life, are trying to navigate the emotional, tense
meeting-of-the-parents, as well as their own misgivings over their
future. What would you do for love - of another or those in your family?
This is a wonderful, entertaining, extremely well written literary
gem. It is quirky, but replete with exquisitely descriptive passages.
Adding to the mix are the well-developed cast of characters and all of
their incongruous idiosyncrasies. Interspersed throughout the book are
these photos, that are both funny and endearing, placed to illustrate
something in the text as simple as a bag of ugly clothes for donation.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy
of Penguin Publishing Group for review
purposes.
What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan
HarperCollins: 12/01/15
eBook review copy, 496 pages
ISBN-13: 9780062413864
http://www.gillymacmillan.com/
What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan is a very highly recommended,
tense novel about the search for a missing eight-year-old boy and the
impact felt by the mother and the inspector on the case. This is a
winning debut novel. I stayed up way-past-my bedtime to finish this one,
folks, and it was worth it.
It's Sunday and, as they usually do, Rachel Jenner is taking a walk with
her son, Ben, and his dog, Skittles, in a Bristol Park. When Ben asks
to run ahead of his mom to the tree swing, Rachel hesitates, but
acquiesces because she knows she be right along a few minutes after him.
When she reaches the tree swing, there is no Ben or Skittles in sight,
so she naturally assumes they are hiding to surprises her. When
it becomes clear that Ben is not hiding and has simple vanished, Rachel begins
to frantically search for him and others in the park start to help her. The police
are called as well as Rachel's ex-husband and his new, very young wife.
The police investigation is lead by Detective Inspector
James “Jim” Clemo, who recommends DC Emma Zhang for the
Family Liaison Officer. Unknown to anyone else, Emma is also his
girlfriend. When Rachel is given a statement to read, she veers off the
script which signals the start of the media bias against her. The personal attacks against Rachel are relentless and stress her out even more. Suspects are found and ruled out and secrets are revealed during the search for Ben and the taut investigation.
Macmillian alternates the narrative between Rachel's search for Ben and
the police investigation with transcripts of DI Clemo's
post-investigation department-ordered counseling sessions after the case
was closed. Clearly this amps up the suspense because we know that
something went wrong with the search. Clemo is suffering from insomnia,
depression, and panic attacks.
This is a very well written, outstanding, engaging debut novel. The
format of the novel combined with the pacing of the narrative helps
create a real sense of urgency and escalates the tension felt when
reading. There are several suspects and they all seem plausible. It's no
wonder that I stayed up too late to find out what happened when I was
close to the end of this exceptional novel.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy
of HarperCollins for review
purposes.
