My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
The story was a look at a young man’s life, complicated because of the lies he and his family lived by. Secrets were uncovered, and new webs were woven by the people nearby to take their place.
There are aspects of a thriller, of good guys and bad guys and guns and pursuit. But even more than a thriller, this was a personal tale– How does one person escape the web he was born into, particularly if he uses the tools of his upbringing to stage his escape.
The characters were (mostly) complex, likable and interesting. Anton (the main character) in particular, of course, but I also really liked Elena (Anton’s love interest, not to be confused with his wife, who really doesn’t enter into the story much). Elena’s one major deception (doing business with Anton) draws her into his web, and she has to deal with the consequences, and then the ramifications of those events.
I was intrigued by Anton’s family. Anton’s parents were interesting as exactly that– Anton’s parents. They weren’t so interesting or well-defined themselves, but that fit the story. Anton’s cousin Aria was another story. She’s fascinating, and I can’t decide if she her character was too simple, or too complex!
The book is beautifully put together– the pieces fit with one another, the words tie the characters, the setting, and the plot without getting in the way.
This would make a great book club book, with discussion of the ins and outs of the plot; of the nature of deception, of which actions were justified.
I received this book for review from Unbridled Books as part of a blog tour. Thank you for the opportunity to participate.
