
"The Rutherford Girl had been missing for eight days when Larry Ott returned home and found a monster waiting in his house."
[p. 1]
Teaser Synopsis:
In the late 1970s, Larry Ott and Silas "32" Jones were boyhood pals. Their worlds were as different as night and day: Larry, the child of lower-middle-class white parents, and Silas, the son of a poor, single black mother. Yet for a few months the boys stepped outside of their circumstances and shared a special bond. But then tragedy struck
My Thoughts:
- great story building..the author did a fantastic job of creating his characters and showing their growth throughout the story.
- This book has that "atmosphere" of the time and place. I could almost literally feel that hot, wet, humidity of Mississippi. His descriptive writing really shaped the visual in my mind of what the characters looked like, the small town, and the rural background.
- The creepy factor- this book has it. I was never really sure if I should go with my gut feeling in regards to a few characters or if I should go off in the direction that I felt the author was trying to take me.
- little bit of a mystery written cleverly between the pages and was the thread that ran throughout the story. I did figure it out pretty early on but it in no way interfered with my enjoyment of reading. Heck, I think it added to it because I couldn't wait to see what the response would be when a couple of characters have to confront a cold hard truth.
- The slang of the deep south- reading it at first felt a bit stilted, but after saying a few sentences out loud to myself to get the feel of the cadence, I started to get into the rhythm and those pages just started flying!
Recommend? Absolutely...this book takes the reader deep into the heart of the south and exposes you to human frailties, race relations, and how one misjudgment can affect a person's life in such a terrible and sad manner. Silas and Larry's story comes full circle in the end and brings them closer than they ever imagined.
P.S. I will now be using the word "MASH" instead of push. I like it...so mash those buttons and leave me a comment!! (mash is the word used in the south in place of push. Like mash the doorbell...crazy huh? I love it!
Rating: 8/10
Published: 2011Publisher: Harper Perennial
Pages: 272Genre: Southern Fiction on the dark side
ISBN: 9780060594671
Disclaimer:Thank you to TLC Book Tours for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel
© 2011, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.