Tuesday, July 17, 2012

What Dies in Summer, by Tom Wright

This book had the same creepy balance of humor and suspense as To Kill a Mockingbird.  The kids, Biscuit and L.A., are sheltering with their grandmother from the dangers of Biscuit's brutal stepfather and L.A. abusive father during a summer when three young girls are found mutilated and strangled.  Their observations are funny and their actions often brave in spite of the violence of their lives.  Biscuit is haunted by ghosts and guilt for the people he couldn't save, and L.A.'s future is uncertain in light of what she had to do to survive.  Gram, Mrs. Kepler, and Sheriff Don were my favorite adults.

1 comment:

  1. Sometimes it's hard to read a novel written entirely in the first person, but Biscuit is so likeable and the path of his thoughts as he tries to understand the people and situations around him written so well that you just want to hang around him. I loved his voice. However, most of the characters fitted into either good or evil slots, with not a lot of shading in between. Still, good read.

    Cathy

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