Started: June 17
Finished: June 23
Notes: My other half rarely suggests a book for me to read, mainly because we have vastly differing tastes in reading material. That being said, she has never lead me astray, so whenever she suggest a book, I generally hop on it and get to reading. This is one of those books. From reading the back cover copy, it's about a 11-year-old boy who goes on a cross-country quest with his family to find his older brother who is wanted for murder and is on the run from the law. Sounds intriguing to me.
Mini review: For the most part, I didn't care for it. The first hundred pages I found completely frustrating as every other paragraph seemed to be a flashback, and most of the flashbacks didn't seem to have much to do with the overall story (though some did, as revealed much later). The middle part of this novel I actually enjoyed. Then the ending I found ... trite ... though admittedly unexpected. And while I would not say this novel was written badly, I did find the descriptions for some of the scenes confusing, leaving me trying to figure out what was going on. Still, this was a touching tale, and despite its literary leanings is still at its heart a speculative novel (not something I expected going in, which isn't a bad thing). Those who enjoy Christian or spiritual fiction might enjoy this one, and those elements of the story I found interesting. I would also like to add there is a strong Western motif to this novel, and it is rather fortunate I recently read Riders of the Purple Sage because if I had not I would have been lost concerning a few minor points; there is a sub plot that actually kind of revolves around Riders of the Purple Sage, and this touch I found interesting especially as I had just read this Zane Grey novel.
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