This is the debut novel by this author. I had to remind myself of this after I finished, because her work is polished and flows well.
The setting of the novel is more rural than rural Missouri, in the Ozarks. We first meet Lucy Dane, the seventeen year old protagonist, as she is dealing with the disappearance, and then death of a friend (Cheri). Soon, however, we find that this isn't the first time Lucy has had a significant disappearance in her life: her mother vanished when she was too young to remember it. Lila Dane never returned. Lucy stumbles across something that compels her to try and figure out what happened to Cheri, and along the way begins to pry open the past about her mother.
McHugh does a great job of introducing us to the key characters and their personalities. I felt as though I could see into their souls, to the good and bad of each. Part of the reason for this was the writing from different points of view. While we spend the most time in Lucy's head, Lila and others also have their chance to show us what they see. Sometimes I find this annoying in a novel, but I welcomed it in The Weight of Blood. When I saw the names at the beginning of the chapters, I thought, "ooh, now I get to find out what they think about the situation."
Once I started reading, I didn't want to put it down. The action is realistic, and while there is some graphic violence, none is gratuitous. The plot moves at a steady pace, picking up at the climax, as it should. There's no wasted space in this book, no embellishments or unnecessary characters.
I would definitely read any future works by this author.
Reviewed by: Lorien Goodale
No comments:
Post a Comment