Dystopian YA but what a concept -- the government "Corp" is hooking citizens on musical tracks to keep them under thumb, cha...moreI really loved this book.
Dystopian YA but what a concept -- the government "Corp" is hooking citizens on musical tracks to keep them under thumb, characters that name themselves, and a writing style that pairs a strong male YA voice with prose that itself is lyrical.
The book was waiting in my mail last night and I finished it this afternoon. Couldn't put it down. Anthem's a delicious lead character. Flawed, tragic, but willing to do whatever he has to do to protect his twin siblings. There were a few directions Anthem went that I figured would go up to a certain point but no further -- I was wrong. Emma Trevayne took Anthem past those points, keeping me riveted to the page.
I was fortunate enough to have participated in an ARC tour and read Linda’s sophomore novel in a matter...more5 out of 5 Pickles to Quick Fix by Linda Grimes
I was fortunate enough to have participated in an ARC tour and read Linda’s sophomore novel in a matter of hours. From the first page, I was laughing out loud. Main character Ciel Halligan and her circle of protectors are back for another job – as auror adaptors – one of the most unique premises I’ve ever read. In Linda’s world, auror adaptors can assume the identity of anyone they touch. Anyone human, that is.
On this particular job, Billy, one of Ciel’s protectors and one of the two men vying for her attention, has his little sister along for a day at the zoo, where Ciel is pretending to be a woman hoping for a board appointment. Everything’s going fine until young Molly touches an orangatan and spontaneously adapts to it.
Which isn’t supposed to be possible.
That’s as much plot as I’ll reveal and it’s not spoiling the story – it’s back cover copy. The story proceeds in Ciel’s first person point of view in usually clever and frequently funny turns of phrase while she and Billy try to fix Molly’s problem. In addition to Molly’s spontaneous adapting, Ciel tries to handle her brothers, her mother’s annual Come as You Aren’t party, a certain CIA agent she’s been crushing on since her teens, her evolving feelings for Billy, and an attempted murder or two. There are enough twists and turns to keep even the best armchair detective guessing.
But you know what really got me?
The romance.
Okay, I admit it, I’m a total sap for love. This story has the most tender love scene I’ve ever read. It was face-fanning hot, heart-achingly sweet, and side-splitting funny all at the same time. I give it 5 out of 5 pickles. Why pickles, you’re probably asking? And you think you know, don’t you? Pervs. You’re wrong. Remember the tender part in that love scene I told you about? Pickles. *sighs*
Read Quick Fix this August. You won't be disappointed! (less)
I'm biased; I love every word Jeff puts out. I've read his Cates series, I read his zine and his blog and no one has ever been able to make me physica...moreI'm biased; I love every word Jeff puts out. I've read his Cates series, I read his zine and his blog and no one has ever been able to make me physically react to a story the way he can. Jeff's writing is visceral -- he makes me feel, see, hear, taste, even smell what's going on in his books and Trickster is no exception.
I bought it Saturday, read it Sunday and like the main character in the Cates series, Lem and Mags are anti-heroes with a Lennie-and-George relationship; two guys just trying to survive in their society, which happens to coexist with ours. I loved the premise -- all magic comes with a price: blood. How much are you willing to pay? I get the feeling Jeff saw some vampire movie or another and said to himself -- "You want blood? I'll give you blood." And came up with this premise. I adored the magical hierarchy and where Lem and Mags fit into it but more importantly, how much higher up they'd be if only they were willing to bleed others for the power boost. Jeff does an incredible job showing us the politics of mages - backstabbing, double-crossing, and rationalizing positions -- and when Lem finally reverses his own code of honor, you just can't hate him for it even though, as Jeff reminds us often, Lem and Mags "are not good people."
This is a dark, raw story but under all the grit, there's hope. I can't wait for the next book.
At first glance, this sounds like your typical romance novel – hot not-so-rich girl manages to crack through the tough veneer of the hot, oh-so-rich g...moreAt first glance, this sounds like your typical romance novel – hot not-so-rich girl manages to crack through the tough veneer of the hot, oh-so-rich guy. But a few pages in, you’ll find Jessica Lemmon’s debut novel, Tempting the Billioniare, isn’t typical at all. Hero Shane August is hot and rich, but he’s not the kind of tough, cold, aggressive alpha male that tends to define the genre. Instead, he’s a big ol’ softie who bakes his own cookies, leaves a month’s rent as a tip for a breakfast bill, and has strong ties to his relatives despite a pretty horrible family tragedy.
I was in love with Shane by the second chapter.
Crickitt Day, the hot, not-so-rich girl who snares Shane’s heart, is sexy without knowing it. She’s a sweet girl dumped by her ex-husband and trying to find her confidence again and Shane comes to the rescue by offering her a job.
There’s just one problem – his pesky uncontrollable attraction to her. And that’s really the only typical part of this story – it is a romance, after all, so has to fit the genre. What I loved most about Jessica’s characters is that Shane has a soft side he is totally not afraid to expose. Is there anything sexier? I wasn’t all that fond of Crickitt’s name but once I got sucked into the story, I found that it just sort of fits her. One of my favorite things is the liberal sprinkling of humor throughout the story, little one-liners that made me chuckle and let me catch my breath after so much sexual tension. “Moron, party of one” or “his hormones lined up to do the conga” and this one, so subtle but potent. “a smile… that had her thankful for the sturdiness of the door frame.”
The flirting is delicious and the conflicts that keep them apart are real and believable without being melodramatic. There’s also a compelling side plot that left me wanting more. Overall, I’d give this story 4 out of 5 chocolate chip cookies, especially if Shane bakes them himself.
1 In an ironic twist of fate, I bought this book while at the Huntington Book Revue waiting for my own book launch party to start. My son handed it to...more1 In an ironic twist of fate, I bought this book while at the Huntington Book Revue waiting for my own book launch party to start. My son handed it to me and I started leafing through pages, giggling at some of the text… a great way to manage those public speaking nerves.
2 Written entirely in “God-speak” – as my son calls the biblical notations and frequent use of Thou, verily, and forsaketh, The Last Testament manages to be both irreverent and hilarious at the same time. Probably no big deal for God the circle whose center is everywhere and circumference is nowhere, but it sure impressed the hell out of me so I tried to emulate the Lord My God and write my review the same way :)
3 In the Prologue alone, which I read while trying not to wet my pants before I spoke to my own fans for the first time, God – pardon me – I mean, The Lord our God, King of the Universe – describes a fruitful meeting with His agent with these words:
Thy previous books have sold an impressive six billion copies;
They form the basis of three great religions, and five crappy ones.
4 I was hooked! Er, hooketh.
5 I bought the book, took it home, read it and yes, had to change my clothes at least three times because I did verily wet my pants from laughing. I kiddeth thee not. God covers everything from the first couple, Adam and Steve, all the way to armegeddon. Yea, verily, the end of the world really is set for next month. *shrug* But it’s not WHAT God covers, it’s the way He covers it. God, as it turns out, has an unholy sense of humor.
6 Who kneweth?
7 In this ‘telleth all’ God apologizes for the potato famine; He was mad at them.
8 The potatoes, not the Irish.
9 My favorite part of the book? God explains, in His own words, why there is such a lengthy gap in the recorded history of man: He has been overseeing another universe. Hasty to point out He never sought out this relationship and that He was totally happy with ours, nevertheless, the Lord our God, King of THIS Universe, succumbed to a Great Moment of Weakness:
“I Banged it.
And then the whole thing kind of exploded from there; and that is how it all got started.
This thing with the other universe, I mean.”
10 *sigheth* He claims that other universe means nothing to Him but does He agree to stop overseeing it? Smite it? No.
11 As you read this book, you’ll come to one certain conclusion – God is nuts.
12 But nuts in a Pure and Holy way, of course.
13 This book, written by the supremely witty and smart David Javerbaum, an 11-time Emmy Award winner for his work on The Daily Show, revisits everything you learned in Sunday School and pretty much flips it the bird. Yes, I’m certain many people will be offended by this book.
14 If you’re one of them, don’t read it.
15 If you’re not one of them, buy it now. Immediately. It’s quite honestly the funniest thing you may read before the world ends – an end marked by various signs of the apocalypse including electing Sarah Palin as the president of the United States and Facebook recording its 666,666,666th member.
Don’t take my word for it. See what my fellow Book Hungry club members have to say about The Last Testament. Here’s Abby’s. And here’s Karla’s.
Religion and faith are so often taboo-topics. Would you find this book funny or blasphemous? Would you read this book? Why or why not? (less)
Read WHISPERS IN AUTUMN over the weekend and thought it was amazing. It's like a little bit Hunger Games, The Matrix, and Divergent all rolled up into...moreRead WHISPERS IN AUTUMN over the weekend and thought it was amazing. It's like a little bit Hunger Games, The Matrix, and Divergent all rolled up into one outstanding tale. My favorite parts? The way Trisha Leigh used scent to lead her readers exactly where she wants them. (grins) Her deft imagery had me smelling Lucas while I was reading. In fact, I smelled pine today (air freshener) and immediately, my brain shot right back to this character. I'm pretty sure I'll remember Lucas every time I smell winter from now on. That's an impressive piece of writing right there and it gets so much better.
Althea is such a compelling character. My heart just broke for her in learning she leaps from season to season and has never had a summer, never known her real parents. In another example of language mastery, Trisha Leigh refers to all of Althea's parents as "Mr. and Mrs. ---" rather than Mom or Dad, a subtle yet potent glimpse into Althea's lonely and disconnected existence. Words do not exist for the things Althea experiences like 'tears' and that made me cry my own for her.
It may not have as much action as Divergent, but the story is so exquisitely written that you'll find yourself immediately drawn into Althea's world, dying to know WHY her world is the way it is, why she's so alone. There's plenty of action after Althea's autumn mom 'breaks' (nope, not telling you why that's in quotes; you'll have to read it) that kept me up well past bed time, still reading.
Another of my favorite parts? "Banana balls." Makes me laugh every time.
I finished Steve Ulfelder's second Conway Sax title, The Whole Lie, over the weekend and have to tell you, it was even better than the first and that...moreI finished Steve Ulfelder's second Conway Sax title, The Whole Lie, over the weekend and have to tell you, it was even better than the first and that one was nominated for an Edgar Award.
I'm a sucker for complex flawed characters and they don't come more complex and flawed than Conway. A former race car driver and now a mechanic, Conway is a recovering alcoholic and drug addict who isn't just emotionally scarred, he's damn near crippled. But Ulfelder is a master of the slow reveal... we don't know Conway's whole story, just pieces of it. That fits right in with Conway's character - he's a big burly enforcer-type guy who lets his actions speak for him. Despite his size and past misdeeds, he does still find some things downright scary. It's how he responds and reacts to his fears that makes him such a compelling character.
Beyond the inner workings of Sax's troubled mind, Steve Ulfelder weaves an intriguing plot out of what I expected to be a typical political staple - two competing candidates who will stoop as low as it takes to win their election.
I was wrong.
Ulfelder's plot wasn't typical at all. Oh, it started off with the blackmail and the backstabbing you'd expect during an election, but it quickly dove deeper and had me gasping for air at times. It all starts when Savannah Kane, a blast from Conway's past, struts into his brand-new, ink-is-still-wet-on-the-papers garage. Imagine this -- As I'm reading this scene, I'm yelling at Conway in my head - "WTF is wrong with you?? You're clean and sober. Things are going well with the new garage and with Charlene (Conway's love interest who bankrolled the garage operation) and you're almost happy. KICK HER CURVY ASS OUT, MAN!"
But Conway can't do that. If you read Purgatory Chasm, you know all about the Barnburners, the after -the-AA-meeting group who frequently requests Conway's personal brand of help (see description above, `big burly enforcer-type'). That Charlene doesn't want him to help Savvy does not matter. That he knows Savvy's motives does not matter. All that matters is she's a Barnburner in trouble and that's enough for him. Even as I was shaking my head and calling Conway an idiot for taking on Savvy, I have to admire that kind of loyalty.
Without revealing spoilers, Ulfelder shoves Conway through a hell of a wringer - both emotionally and physically - and takes us along for the ride. Conway's old-news relationship with Savvy is slowly revealed, along with great big chunks of Conway's soul. Yeah, it's one hell of a ride.
I hit the last page and had to go back and read the climax all over again because it was that good.(less)
OMG, you guys, this book! *hugs it* This is among the most unique premises I've ever read. Elliot is a Third-Timer -- a soul who's died three times no...moreOMG, you guys, this book! *hugs it* This is among the most unique premises I've ever read. Elliot is a Third-Timer -- a soul who's died three times now and ends up at the Obmil, a sort of limbo where they must figure out the lessons learned and the lessons still to be experienced. The characters are all special and tortured and -- and just gripping, each in a different way, and each critical to Elliot's examination of her life/lives.
There's a love triangle but it's not what it seems at first. There's a best-friends break-up that's also not what it seems. And one character even goes to hell.
Kimberly's deft writing just about took me to my knees when I read why Trevor is so hateful toward Elliot. And Oliver! I don't think there's a character who's ever been written that I wished I could hug more than him. The story is often confusing because we're in it from Elliot's point of view and her death is anything but predictable. We learn as she does. It made me question everything, but Kimberly expertly connected all my dots in ways that left me feeling optimistic and hopeful by the achingly beautiful ending.
I'd pre-ordered this book and it arrived one day in January.
I finished it that same day.
Un-put-downable.
But I write this review with mixed emotions...moreI'd pre-ordered this book and it arrived one day in January.
I finished it that same day.
Un-put-downable.
But I write this review with mixed emotions. Was the book good? Absolutely.
So what's the problem, you may ask.
It's over! *cries*
I am so emotionally invested in these characters, I now feel like the insane relative everyone hopes won't find out about the party you're hosting. I feel left out – excluded – and damn it, SAD that I won't be part of their lives ever again.
The third and final book in the Fifty Shades of Gray trilogy, Fifty Shades Freed opens with Christian and Ana on their honeymoon. I will be honest: this book does not have the intensity that Book 2, Fifty Shades Darker had, what with Christian's exes and helicopter crashes and sexy costume parties. What it DOES have is intimacy. The final story is an extremely intimate look at two very flawed people committed to making their relationship stick. Ana is usually a mature twenty-two year old woman but at times, her immaturity flares and I absolutely love it! There's a scene when she throws something at Christian's head and my eyes popped. It reminds me that she is in well over head at times and makes me love her even more. Christian is only twenty-eight, a fact easily overlooked given his obscene wealth and power and his vast sexual experience. He, too, struggles with immaturity but it's in how each helps the other overcome those insecurities that I found most endearing about this book in the series.
*grins* Okay, I KNOW you're all wondering about the love scenes. In Book 1, Fifty Shades of Gray, Ana is stunned to learn Christian is a Dominant but nevertheless agrees to be his submissive and we readers are treated to an enticing look into a BDSM lifestyle when Christian shows Ana his Red Room of Pain. In Book 2, we discover that Ana adores Christian's 'kinky fuckery' and wonder, how can it get better than this?
Oh, it does.
In Book 3, our now-married couple has vanilla sex, punishment sex, kinky fuckery sex. Sex on boats, sex on planes, sex in showers, sex in cars – there is even one scene where Ana uses their safe word. Without revealing spoilers, all this sexing causes a crisis for Christian – one that he mismanages in the way guaranteed to hurt Ana the most. Old ghosts come back to pile on the angst and it was bittersweet for me, watching how our heroes find their ways back to each other.
I just didn't want it to end.
But, as Christian would say, "All good things, Ms. Blount…" (less)
I bought this book knowing nothing about it except for what Misty herself had posted on her blog... and what others were tweeting about it. After post...moreI bought this book knowing nothing about it except for what Misty herself had posted on her blog... and what others were tweeting about it. After posting several chapters, she decided to self-publish and I rushed to buy it.
I got hooked at the first chapter. All those tweets were right - this is a uniquely compelling story.
Teen Nalena Maxwell has a tough life. Her mother is nuts and her dad is totally out of the picture. Because her mother hoards paper, everyone at school calls her The Waste. The paper is EVERYWHERE. Nalena has even learned to eat meals balanced on her lap because every inch of their home holds her mother's stories.
The problem is, they're never finished. And no matter how hard Nalena begs, her mother has never finished a single one and worse, refuses to tell Nalena why.
The story begins with typical teenage angsty issues - Mom's an embarrassment, nobody likes her, etc., etc., until Garrett starts showing up at the library where Nalena well - hides. Lucky for her, as it turns out. Nalena is injured and requires protection. From Garrett. Fasten your seatbelts!
This story is beautifully written with an almost lyrical quality. The characters are so compelling and by the end, you'll BEG for book 2.
I bought and downloaded HERE yesterday, so I could read something while pedaling the elliptical in the gym. I'd heard incredible things about this sto...moreI bought and downloaded HERE yesterday, so I could read something while pedaling the elliptical in the gym. I'd heard incredible things about this story and adored Twenty-Eight and Half Wishes, so figured this was a good bet.
Damn it, I was right. I shouldn't have done it! I have revisions on my own novel to finish by January! I have another manuscript to finish by deadline! I don't have time to read good books!
I am sooooo glad I did.
I started Here during my lunch hour and finished it last night. It's a beautifully written story not at all like anything else I've read. Denise is a master at capturing interpersonal conflict and main character, Julia, is up to her armpits in that. Still recovering from the car crash that killed her best friend, Julia is an outcast at school, all but estranged from her father (who I wanted to reach into the book and strangle, by the way), misunderstood by her mother, and antagonized by her little sister. My heart ached for this girl from the first chapter.
As the story unfolds, you not only learn the depths of Julia's despair, but you suffer them right along with her. I was moved to tears several times while reading. When Julia meets Evan, the top of the popularity food chain, I expected things to get better for her.
I was wrong.
Evan is a deliciously flawed character and I can't tell you why without revealing spoilers but trust me - he is what he seems on the surface - a man deeply and truly in love. Denise skillfully introduced questions in my mind that made me wonder and guess what nefarious intentions Evan was hiding. OMG, suffice to tell you Denise had me going down an entirely wrong path and when the truth was revealed, it had be gasping and clutching my Kindle tighter, afraid it would disappear before I could read more. Just when I was convinced Evan and Julia were made to be together, Denise introduces Reece and now I'm torn!
**spoiler alert** My pre-ordered copy of FIFTY SHADES DARKER, book 2 in the trilogy by EL James, arrived yesterday and I read it as soon as I got it u...more**spoiler alert** My pre-ordered copy of FIFTY SHADES DARKER, book 2 in the trilogy by EL James, arrived yesterday and I read it as soon as I got it unwrapped.
If you're not familiar with the trilogy, see my review of Book 1, FIFTY SHADES OF GREY. Be warned, Book 1 spoilers follow. Book 2 picks up right where book 1 ended, with new grad Anastasia Steele broken-hearted over her split with sexy tycoon Christian Grey, a man whose dark sexual practices both intrigue and horrify Ana.
James' story is packed with emotional impact as we 'watch' like voyeurs while the relationship between Ana and Christian transforms from a kinky contractual arrangement to a full-blown love affair. And voyeurs we are as James takes us away from the BDSM lifestyle Christian prefers because Ana, innocent and trusting, wants 'more'.
I am a huge fan of this story after reading it under its original title, Master of the Universe. James is a masterful story-teller, an artist who paints scenes with so much life, I am certain I could walk onto a set reproduction of Christian's apartment and immediately locate his Red Room of Pain, as Ana calls it. Erotic though this story is, the explicit sex scenes are so deeply part of her characters, I never had the sense I was reading porn. Rather, I was treated to rich glimpses inside deeply flawed characters given the chance for redemption. I wasn't happy with where Book 1 ended but Book 2 more than satisfied my needs. (winks)
COUNTY LINE, by Oregon-based Bill Cameron, is a thrill ride of a mystery, the fourth featuring cool cop, Thomas “Skin” Kadash. In this story, Skin is...moreCOUNTY LINE, by Oregon-based Bill Cameron, is a thrill ride of a mystery, the fourth featuring cool cop, Thomas “Skin” Kadash. In this story, Skin is now retired and just coming off a grueling recovery following a gunshot wound sustained in DAY ONE. The story sucks you in from the first scene with Skin driving home to Portland after spending a month recuperating in a cell-phone dead zone, wondering why the hell he still hasn’t heard from Ruby Jane Whittaker. Ruby Jane, owner of Uncommon Cup (of coffee), has recently – to Skin’s surprise – crossed from friend to love… but she doesn’t know that yet. Or, maybe she does. Skin’s a bit spotty on the whole situation.
Upon learning that Ruby Jane up and left her chain of coffee shops two weeks earlier and hasn’t checked in since, Skin literally drops everything to find her, his ex-cop gut telling him she’s in trouble. What follows is a series of action-packed scenes made more remarkable by the details Cameron chooses to spotlight… the light from a cell phone is a ‘splash of acid in my eyes’ and a trip to the grocery store made memorable by a woman snacking from ‘an open bag of Purina Beggin’ Strips’. The vivid details Cameron weaves in using an economy of words plopped me smack in the middle of the story. I smelled the dead bodies, I felt characters’ pain, and I tasted chicken pot pie from Cartopia.
You think I’m exaggerating? Read it yourself. You’ll agree.
Skin enlists help from a character first introduced in LOST DOG, Peter McKrall, Ruby Jane’s previous love interest. Skin’s and Peter’s partnership is an uneasy one that takes them through several states, hot on Ruby Jane’s trail. Cameron tells the story from Skin’s first-person, present tense point of view and then switches to a third person, past tense POV to show us what happened to Ruby Jane between 1988 and 1989 that has her so spooked in the present. It sounds confusing but it’s not. Strap in and enjoy the ride.
A writer I know doesn’t think male writers can write convincing female characters and vice versa. Cameron shoots holes through that theory. Ruby Jane’s story is deftly told and by the time Cameron returns me to Skin’s POV, I breathed a sigh of relief because I wasn’t sure I could handle any more angst.
COUNTY LINE was a truly fun read. The plot had enough Lombard Street-esque twists and turns to get me feverishly shuffling back pages to figure out how I missed the big reveal at the end. If that’s not enough to convince you to rush right out and buy it, consider this: COUNTY LINE is the fourth Skin Kadash story but you don’t need to read books 1 through 3 first to enjoy it.
I waited anxiously for this book to be released. I'd already read it under its previous incarnation (Master of the Universe), which was actually fan f...moreI waited anxiously for this book to be released. I'd already read it under its previous incarnation (Master of the Universe), which was actually fan fiction for a popular love story. If you have not read MOTU, I won't divulge details because I think you should have the chance to know and love these characters in their own right.
James is a gifted story teller, managing to weave palpable sexual tension into a story that is simultaneously sweet and dark. Deliciously flawed characters stay with you long after you close the cover. Christian Grey is - by his own admission - fifty shades of fucked up. To young college grad Anastasia Steele, he is Adonis and she is quickly enthralled, unable to see his flaws until well after she's fallen for him.
Conflict buzzes in every scene. He's rich; she feels cheap when he lavishes gifts on her. He's bossy; she refuses to submit. She wants hearts and flowers; he wants only her body. One of the best scenes in the entire story is when Christian invites Ana to his playroom and she asks, "You want to play on your Xbox?" He opens the door to what Ana dubs the Red Room of Pain.
This is Ana's first hint that all is not what it seems under the cool Grey exterior.
She embarks on a journey of sexual discovery with Grey as her guide. Make no mistake, this book is hard-core erotica but the BDSM scenes are balanced with gorgeous writing that evokes powerful emotions.
My only complaint is where EL James chose to end it. Fifty Shades of Grey ends at what was actually the mid-point of Master of the Universe, so we can look forward to a second book soon. (I HOPE!)
Steve Ulfelder’s PURGATORY CHASM is a mystery that grabs you with this opening line: “There are drunken assholes and assholes who are drunks.”
Former...moreSteve Ulfelder’s PURGATORY CHASM is a mystery that grabs you with this opening line: “There are drunken assholes and assholes who are drunks.”
Former NASCAR driver and mechanic Conway Sax is a recovering alcoholic, drug addict, and parolee whose unwavering loyalty to his fellow Barnburners (AA group) – even when they’re assholes who are drunk - sucks him into retrieving a Mercedes from a local garage where it’s been held for months with no explanation.
Yeah, I questioned the wisdom of getting involved, too. So does Conway. Everyone knows all is not as it seems but Conway does not back off a promise made to a fellow Barnburner… even when that promise gets him knocked unconscious, almost drowned, and – when a body turns up – suspected of murder. This, right there, is what makes Conway a compelling character, that unwavering loyalty despite the consequences and pain. Conway’s a real man’s man. He’s not a touchy-feely, let’s-talk guy but underneath all the tool-swinging, Ulfelder masterfully shows his pain through all that’s left unsaid. Conway’s also funny. There’s a scene with a Sharpie that had me laughing out loud.
Things get even more complicated for Conway when his dad shows up. Dad’s a drunk, too, but more like the asshole-who’s-a-drunk sort. Father-and-child relationships hit me particularly hard because my relationship with own dad is shaky at best and has been this way for about twenty years now, despite my best efforts to change it. Like Conway, when my dad showed up out of the blue and moved in with me for several months, I thought about the past and the pain, but could not turn my back. Unlike my dad, Conway’s dad has all kinds of problems related to decades of alcohol abuse. In the final scene, when Ulfelder reveals the meaning of Purgatory Chasm (the place), I understood Conway’s – and my own - loyalty on a deeper level and closed the book with a feeling of “Ah.”
Added 1/19/12: Congratulations to Steve Ulfelder and Purgatory Chasm for its Edgar Award nomination! (less)
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