261 Chapters later. The pace of this book took me longer than most books that I read / listen to. Over 14 hours later… I found it to be compelling and engaging to witness the evolution of these small town characters over the course of a lifetime. Very powerful. ( )

DNF at 35%. Not a fan of this one. It’s my own fault that I went into this expecting a thriller, when in reality this is much closer to literary fiction. But I also didn’t care for the writing and structure. The too-short chapters moving at a too-slow pace.

Was going to try to stick it out but I can’t anymore. It’s so depressing and I’m so bored. Not for me. ( )

I’ve seen almost entirely 5-star reviews for this book, and for the first 300 pages, I wondered how that could be true. I wasn’t bored, but I wasn’t fully invested either. In the second half, five moments completely elevated the story for me, and I now see how essential the slow build in the beginning was. These were so impactful that my heart was swelling, I was tearing up, gasping, and yelling. It’s a long book, and while not intergenerational, it felt like I lived through multiple lifetimes, repeatedly experiencing love and loss. It reminded me of Demon Copperhead, with its scrappy protagonist trying to navigate a tough world while coming of age. The plot was occasionally hard to follow over short chapters, although everything eventually came together in a way that made sense. I complained about the pacing in the first half, but in retrospect, it was necessary. This story is about love, trust, and doing what’s right in a world that often makes it hard. If you haven’t already read this, I need you to! This is undoubtedly one of the best books of the year for me. ( )

At just over 600 pages and 261 chapters, this is for readers who enjoy a big book that blends genres: literary thriller plus crime fiction plus love story plus coming-of-age tale.

The book spans a quarter of a century. It opens in 1975 in Monta Clare in the Ozark mountains of Missouri. Saint Brown and Joseph Macauley are young teenagers. Saint is a talented pianist and aspiring beekeeper living with her grandmother; Joseph (nicknamed Patch because of the patch he wears over his missing eye) is bullied and lonely and has become a petty thief. The two become inseparable best friends. One day, after coming to the aid of a young girl, Patch goes missing. After a time, people fear he is dead, but Saint never gives up searching for him. When Patch does return, he is irrevocably changed. Saint wants to pick up their friendship, but Patch is fixated on Grace, a girl who shared his trauma and helped him survive. But is she even real? As years pass, Patch does not give up searching for Grace, and Saint does not give up trying to help her friend.

The plot is complex with the stories of various characters added, all of which come together in the end. There are certainly unexpected twists and turns, though looking back, there are subtle clues. Why, for instance, does Saint take note of the book a mother buys her son? Some coincidences irked me, especially in the later chapters. And the reader has to suspend some disbelief: a totally untrained artist dazzles the art world so much that his paintings sell for phenomenal prices and a bank robber escapes so easily so many times.

The book also offers detailed character studies. Saint and Patch are layered; both have strong principles as well as vulnerabilities and flaws. They feel like real people whom I will remember like friends I have made over time. Despite the dark tone, there are moments of levity, many of them provided by Sammy.

I loved the writing style. The author excels at interesting turns of phrase and imagery: “the sun dipped and cannoned color across the ocean” and “a great oak held bronze sky in its trusses” and “Right then mammatus clouds sagged like pockets of rainfall, the framing sky detonated like it could no longer hold blue” and “The window was tall and narrow like a letterbox flipped on its side” and “The road sliced [the everglades] without mercy, a blight on natural wonder.”

Several themes are developed: childhood trauma inevitably shapes adult lives, influencing decisions, choices and relationships; kindness and loyalty will be rewarded; and “sometimes things survive despite the harshest of odds” and “sometimes, against the longest of odds, hope wins out.”

In many ways, this is an unconventional book which may not appeal to everyone. Though not perfect, it provided me with a reading experience that will stay with me for some time.

Note: Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) or substack (https://doreenyakabuski.substack.com/) for over 1,100 of my book reviews. ( )

Unforgettable novel that had me feeling all the emotions and kept me mesmerized until the end.

There’s a million things I let go while living inside the pages of this book. I am not sure how to describe how it affected me, except that even when I was trying to get stuff done, I kept wanting to return to the story. The characters were so alive and I just wanted to know them and to exist in their space.

Things I loved about this book:

The characters were all so well developed and intriguing with many different layers, desires, and motivations. I fell in love with Patch and Saint and so many others.

The setting, mostly small town Missouri, called me me because it's home. Although Monta Clare is a fictional town, it definitely describes a lot of rural areas in this state.

The plot was a combination of thriller and epic love story about an unlikely one-eyed boy who becomes a local hero and ultimately loses himself. There's the faithful friend who follows him through a life spent searching for something and someone always out of reach. A serial killer hunting girls who eludes the police and can't be caught. Lost people, with good hearts, who don't always do the right thing, but really want to. Heartache plus regrets but always a deep and abiding affection and trust. And hope.

The writing. I loved the style and the way the author paints his world with imagery and color. I could picture everything so clearly. This would make a great movie or television show with the right cast and director.

I was lucky enough to be able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book. The narrator did an excellent job of voicing the characters and his dramatic flair added much to my overall enjoyment of this book.

Definitely recommend. ( )