This is my half of a Co-Review with fellow Goodreader OJ. You can check out his thoughts on our ~ ~ ~ 5 Edge-of-my-seat Stars
This is my half of a Co-Review with fellow Goodreader OJ. You can check out his thoughts on our and see if we both agree.
INITIAL THOUGHTS
I was devoured by this book. Chewed up, spit out, and regurgitated. Beginning with a frantic run for survival, continuing with a head spinning, psychological thriller, settling into a completely quirky frontier Peyton Place, and culminating with an intense mountainside clash. All this while exploring heady subjects of self-worth, bigotry, and racism. Wow!
This hair-raising, action-packed read is far from the lazy, historical drama that I was expecting. I couldn’t put it down. It got into my psyche and won’t let go. What a terrific, unexpected treat. Definitely one of my best reads of the year.
CHARACTERS
John Chapman � A gentle soul in a harsh environment forced to find his core of steel to survive. John’s visible development through this book is striking.
Daniel McQuay � This gruff, brutal frontiersman had me on-edge with every encounter. He slowly devolves into a calculating terror that the reader will never forget.
Palmer � A young man ahead of his time. His ideas and beliefs feel so familiar, but are at the same time completely out of place. I connected with him immediately.
Gwennie � My favorite character. A half-breed woman who lives life on her own terms. Her intelligence, integrity, and fortitude were uplifting and authentic.
STORY
Two men alone in the frozen wilderness must survive the harsh environment inside and outside of a remote frontier cabin. To survive they will need to learn to trust each other, but when one of the men is always on a hair-trigger there is rarely a moment to let your guard down. Bit by bit small cracks in this tenuous relationship develop. Secrets, deceptions, and hints of atrocities all add up to a feeling of impending ruin.
A chance for escape leads to a new life. A fresh start. But nosey townspeople with plans of their own don’t allow much room for John to be John. They are a ridiculous mix of characters that come as unexpected levity and a reprieve from the anxiety-driven first half of this book. But don’t let your guard down.
Action-packed and heart-pounding right up until the end.
WRITING
The ability to cause simultaneous heart-pounding anxiety and delirium-driven laughter is talent. This frozen wilderness, two men in a cabin story could have easily been boring and slow. Instead these months on end of winter isolation have edge-of-your-seat intensity with near constant events taking place.
Michael Jensen manages to include big, deep topics like racism, homophobia, and rape well within the context of the story. It felt both historically accurate and necessary to the over-arching plot, not just stuck-in pandering to enrich the story. Excellent.
I highly recommend this psychological thriller.
**I would like to thank the author, Michael Jensen for providing me with an advance copy for review.
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