The stimulating question of the week for all you RAVALA folks (and many of you should feel comfortable commenting) is:
What is the best “debut novel” you’ve read this year? And- - what comments do you have about it? For example, my favorite was “Mudbound” by Hillary Jordan. It is a truly compelling story of the dynamics within and between two very different Southern families after the end of WWII. The character development is fantastic as is the strong sense of place.
It's always great to hear about and share a work by a never before published author so share away!!
Susan C.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
I'm still reading this one, but don't think I'll be disappointed. It's Broken for You by Stephanie Kallos. The protagonist is an elderly, reclusive woman who has just discovered she has a brain tumor. Refusing treatment, and doing something totally unexpected, she takes in a boarder to her Seattle mansion. Fate, redemption, and hope are the themes. Similarities to Atwood, Picoult and Alice Hoffman, according to some reviewers.
Without a doubt, my favorite debut novel is Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen. It's charming and funny and talks about the insecurities we all share. She's got another one out now, The Sugar Queen which is just as good and her third expected out next spring. I can't wait!!
On my list of books "to read" is one called "The Killer's Wife" by Bill Floyd. It's the story of a woman who realizes that her husband is a serial killer. She and her young son start a new life elsewhere, but the father of one of the victims tracks her down. Her son's life is threatened when a copycat killer is revealed. My 19 year old daughter really recommends this book, so it might be worth trying. Reviews on it are mixed.
Another debut novel that I did like is April in Paris by Michael Wallner. It is about a German soldier in World War II who is assigned to be a translator of "confessions" obtained from French prisoners who have been tortured. To escape this job, he dresses in civilian clothes in the evening and blends in with the citizens of Paris. He meets a young French woman and falls in love with her, but she is a member of the Resistance. A "doomed" love story. Both books are fiction--escape reading.
I'm still in the middle of this book - but WOW!! The GARGOYLE, by Andrew Davidson. Hard to believe this is his first novel. The writing is unbelievable. It's thrilling, scary, and disturbing at the same time. The story flashes back to the 1300's when a "mentally" disturbed woman is introduced. The main character is re-evaluating his life after a horrific burn accident. Don't put this on HOLD until I finish it!!!
Post a Comment