August 18, 2012

A funny and suspenseful book by Cornelia Read

Valley of AshesValley of Ashes by Cornelia Read
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Madeline Dare is a snarky, quick-whitted heroine; a personality made real through the skilled writing of Cornelia Read.

Madeline (aka "Bunny" as known by the selfish husband), has just moved to Boulder with her husband and is painfully in need of friends, while she skillfully juggles twins on the cusp of their first birthday. She's a darn-near perfect mother, but Read weaves in a bit of the failed homemaker misery without spoiling the awesome mom image. There are things that lurk beyond Madeline's periphery that turn an interesting and uproariously funny story into heart-stopping suspense. All is not as it seems in their small circle of new friends in Boulder. Can't say much else without spoilers, so will refrain from much more on the storyline.

Read writes this in first person point of view, bringing alive every thought in Madeline's head. As a writer, I particularly enjoyed her musings while she crafts articles for a small local paper. She also manages to skillfully blend what Madeline's husband is say and what she wishes he would say without disrupting the storyline. One thing to keep in mind, Madeline and friends are even more real with their use of foul language in dialog and narrative. I found it added to the hilarity and gravity of situations in the book, but sensitive souls may find it upsetting.

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1 comments:

Emily R. King said...

Sounds like a great read! I like first person POV a lot. Thanks for the rec!

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