Search This Blog
April Reviews Link-Up
May Reviews Link-Up
June Reviews Link-Up
July Reviews Link-Up
August Reviews Link-Up
September Reviews Link-Up
October Reviews Link-Up
November Reviews Link-Up
December Reviews Link-Up
2024 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California (3)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (1)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (1)
- North Carolina (1)
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (1)
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia (1)
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*
International:
- Australia (1)
- Canada (1)
- England (5)
- France (1)
- Ireland (1)
- Scotland (1)
- The Netherlands (1)
2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge
Friday, May 06, 2016
Novel's "Good Bones" Too Hard to Find
7:49 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
In the moment before Jaleel's father killed himself, he told the 12-year-old to run. Jaleel should have listened. Instead, he called 911, hoping it might be possible to save his mother at least. No such luck. Now, not only are both his parents dead by his father's hand, but Jaleel is being accused of killing them. As a black boy in central Texas with no money and no family, he's also got no chance. Even in the early 1980s, racism is rampant in Peartree County. Sent to a juvenile holding facility, a shell-shocked Jaleel knows his life is over.
When Jaleel gets the chance to escape, he takes it. Ending up in North Hollywood, he rebuilds his life. As long as he keeps to himself, he's able to attend high school, play baseball, and get a real shot at an Ivy League education.
Then, he meets a wealthy white girl.
Although 15-year-old Alexandra Baten lives not far from Jaleel, her posh Toluca Lake neighborhood might as well be the moon for all the resemblance it bears to Jaleel's part of town. Still, when Alex meets Jaleel, she's fascinated. He's a smart guy, bright and funny. She's never met anyone like him. Knowing her socialite mother will freak if she finds out Alex is hanging around a black boy from the wrong part of town, Alex tells no one about Jaleel.
Jaleel figures befriending Alex will lead to trouble, but he has no idea just how much when she asks him to do her an innocent favor ...
Once Upon A Lie by Michael French has lots of the elements I usually dig in a book—family drama, racial tension, a star-crossed love story, etc. At its heart, it's a story about rising above injustice, another theme I'm usually keen on. I think the novel has good bones; it's just that they're tough to find, hidden as they are by layers of overwritten prose, purposeless detail, and meandering tangents. At 401 pages, the saga is about 200 pages too long. The tale starts with a bang (literally), sags, picks up in the middle with a misplaced climax, then limps to a disappointing finish. Because the characters in Once Upon A Lie are such a whiny, self-absorbed bunch, it's tough to care about any of them for that length of time. Overall, for me, this novel was a long, dull slog. A pity, because in the hands of a diligent editor it could have been whittled down into a tight, impacting story about triumph over racism and prejudice. As is, it's too long, too unfocused, too preachy. And depressing to boot. I finished it because I had committed to do so; otherwise, I wouldn't have bothered.
As often is the case, I appear to be in the minority on this one. Once Upon A Lie gets rave reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads. You can read even more opinions by visiting these stops on the book's blog tour:
Monday, May 2nd: 5 Minutes for Books
Tuesday, May 3rd: Books a la Mode – guest post
Wednesday, May 4th: Reading Cove Book Club
Friday, May 6th: Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books
Monday, May 9th: Hoser’s Blook
Wednesday, May 11th: Lavish Bookshelf
Thursday, May 12th: Thoughts on This ‘n That
Monday, May 16th: Patricia’s Wisdom
Wednesday, May 18th: Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews
(Readalikes: Hm, nothing really comes to mind. You?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for strong language, violence, sexual content, and brief mention of illegal drug use
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Once Upon A Lie from the generous folks at Terra Nova Books via those at TLC Book Tours. Thank you!
4 comments:
Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.
P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)
Reading
Listening
Followin' with Bloglovin'
-
Time Travel Thursday6 hours ago
-
THE ROMANOV BRIDES Blog Tour9 hours ago
-
American Zion9 hours ago
-
-
Digging Up Trouble by Kitt Crowe10 hours ago
-
-
Love on Camera14 hours ago
-
-
-
-
The Highgate Cemetery Murder by Irina Shapiro18 hours ago
-
Mistimed Meal: A Review of Vampire Fly18 hours ago
-
The Silver Swan: Benjamin Black23 hours ago
-
-
-
-
Thank you1 day ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
One in the Chamber by Robin Peguero2 days ago
-
Top 5 Tuesday ~ Female Authors2 days ago
-
What's up?2 days ago
-
-
-
-
-
Review: Beartown1 week ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?5 months ago
-
6/25/23 Extra Ezra9 months ago
-
-
-
Sundays with Sam – The Sunday Post11 months ago
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ▼ 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)
Ew, not good. Whiny characters and 200 pages too long. Not good at all.
ReplyDeleteSorry this one wasn't as good as it could have been; the premise was intriguing, but I don't enjoy slogging through meandering prose either. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts on this book for the tour.
ReplyDeleteRight here was just what I have been needing the past week for a good read. Fast paced and never a dull moment. Easy to follow story line with amazing characters. Not sure if I want to classify it as a thriller or a mystery... But either way I loved this book!
ReplyDeleteKar@College Reine Marie