An Extraordinary Literary Debut
592018
Terry Quillen was my editor during the time she worked for Tennessee's largest and most influential newspaper. I was an occasional guest columnist.  I was the writer in this relationship. That was until I read Terry's debut novel this week.  My friend was either holding back on me, or by leaving a newspaper she found her true voice--that of a master storyteller.

I marveled at the consistent quality of description of a by-gone era, the depth of characters, the grasp of history, the steady movement of the story to a stunning ending, and just the wonderful craft of language.

The story takes place at a time before I was born, and certainly before I moved to Nashville, but when reading this book I WAS THERE in Bon Ton. I could see the setting and the characters. I could hear them because I was in the room with them. I also got in their heads and understood what they were thinking and feeling.  In fact, I tried to stop some of them but they would not listen to me.

It was late on a week night when I started reading the book. I was going to read just the opening chapter before bedtime. When I finished reading the 3rd chapter I resisted the urge to send Terry a midnight text which would read, "I obviously knew you could write but I had no idea you could write like THIS."

This is such a good story, such a well-written novel, that Terry and I must have coffee soon because my friend has some serious explaining to do.
4596225
This is, without a doubt, an amazing debut novel. It is a modern day morality tale, which sees people's lives change significantly, when they come upon a veritable treasure trove of money. The change is not necessarily for the better, as the reader will discover.
 The plot revolves around two, small town brothers, Hank and Jacob Mitchell, who, along with Jacob's friend, Lou, inadvertently come upon a downed plane that is buried in the snow, deep in the woods of a rural area. In that plane is a dead pilot, along with four million dollars in cold, hard cash. All three of them could sure use the money. The question is, what are they going to do about it?
 They come up with what they think is a simple plan. They will take the money and just wait and see, not spending it, until the coast seems clear. From the moment they make this decision, life is never the same for any of them. Hank, taking charge of the money for safekeeping, begins to undergo a change that is seemingly uncharacteristic of one who is outwardly so respectable, rational, and benign of countenance.
 As the issue of the money begins to divide the three accomplices, greed and betrayal bubble to the surface, to culminate in a series of chilling, cold blooded murders. Meanwhile, Hank, manipulated by his Ma Barker of a wife, Sarah, begins a personal downward spiral, succumbing to an evil so profound, that it will leave the reader open mouthed.
 What happens to them all makes for an amazingly powerful and riveting story of psychological suspense. Written in clean, spare prose, this well crafted novel is a riveting page turner that grips the reader from the inception, holding the reader in its thrall until its climactic conclusion. The ending serves to show the reader that what goes around, does, indeed, come around.
257657
A dazzling debut, Snow Island follows the dual stories of Alice Daggett and George Tibbits in a small isolated island populated by quahoggers and eccentrics during the Second World War. Towler weaves the two plot lines intricately, at the same time subtly relaying the nuances of the island's inhabitants through gossip and tales.
Sixteen-year old Alice Daggett, haunted by the tragic death of her father six years prior and the overbearing presence of her mother Evelyn, never quite fits into the strict societal rules of the small gossiping town. Her awkwardness as she becomes aware of her own sexuality-her fear of not understanding her role as a woman and her fear of her inability to fulfill it-is beautifully told. Snow Island also unravels the unique story of George Tibbits, a recluse in his forties, who returns to the island each year in order to gain some closure regarding the death of the two women who raised him.
Snow Island is an evocative work with characters carefully chosen and crafted. Moving and luminous, it breaks the clichs of war novels. The characters and their stories resonate and linger long after the last page.
402908
One of the most extraordinary things about Dead Camp is the fact that it is Sean Kerr's debut novel! It reads likes it's been written by an author with many many books under his belt. The language, the intricacies of the plot and the depth of the characters are the mark of a fine novelist. It is quite simply one of the best debut novels I've read.

Sean has created a world within a world. A world populated by vampires, angels, demons, and even the devil himself. It is a world were humanity and life on earth exist in a precarious balance. Where good and evil battle for power in the shadows, and the outcome of that battle may well determine the fate of mankind.

There is a suprising amount of humour in Sean's storytelling. His MC's can be arrogant, petulant and even sassy. There are extremes of good and evil but also areas of grey which make the characters all the more interesting.

Dead Camp is the first in a series of four books. Having read this one I intend to immediately one click the second. I know I'll be waiting impatiently for the third and final books and I can't wait to see where Sean takes us on this unforgettable journey!
2910790
This is an incredible debut from an Australian author.

I cannot recommend this work highly enough to lovers of fantasy. Queendom of the Seven Lakes will delight readers with intricate worldbuilding that cleverly interweaves contemporary questions of gender, politics and power throughout a narrative that is otherwise set in an old fantasy world. Sophisticated character development, witty repartee and fast pacing characterise Endactorr's first work, and the author is to be commended for achieving a balance between fantasy and realism to ultimately create a thought-provoking yet easily followed story that is different enough to be interesting, yet familiar enough to appeal to a wide audience.

Following the journey of Elen-ai, an assassin, and Prince Gidyon, a precocious prince whose naivety sometimes gets the better of him, we are shown the seven families and the various lands under their command. I was kept guessing as to the true nature and identity of the assailant who threatened Queen Latana and Prince Gidyon, and the secrets of each of the powerful families give any of them sufficient political motive to plot his downfall.

All in all, I am eager for the sequel.
2362104
Walsh's debut is a powerful one.  While the reader is drawn to the strangeness of the carnival, there are real issues on the table--primarily the nature of love, both romantic and familial.  That said, there is no sentimentality to these stories.  The "magic" of love is never trite or easy, but rather as complex and difficult as readers understand it truly to be. And while the collection is populated with freaks and oddities, even the strangest characters are familiar and sympathetic, and the townspeople of Fluker--the "regular" people--are revealed to be just as complicated as the lion tamers and bearded women.  In a sense, each group longs to be like the other, and this fact is often heartbreaking.

Aside from the strength of the stories, the collection is also technically intriguing.  Many of the stories experiment with narration and point of view in fresh ways.  What seems to be a disconnected third person narrator will suddenly step on stage to announce their involvement in the drama.  And much is made of the distance between some of these shocking events and the subsequent telling about them.

And in the end, there are these unforgettable and often very funny characters.  The musical and bat-like Phin Boys.  Darby, the newly clean-shaven Bearded Lady. And my favorite, Tall Paul, a man perpetually on stilts, whose height seems to give him real perspective about Fluker's and the carnival's condition. This is a debut that really seems to be examining just what is possible for both these characters, and the writer.
2312703
Neil Connelly's debut novel is a work of great strength and power. Although the protagonist is a young adult, the narrative speaks across generations to readers of all ages. First-rate storytelling coupled with an important message make for an instant classic. I look forward to reading more from this talented author.
1534794
I purchased this book, in part, because it has the distinction of being the first book published by authonomy, the new digital imprint of HarperCollins. Being an on-and-off-again active member of the imprint's online community, I was interested to see how this novel stacked up. I'm happy to announce, I think the publisher couldn't have picked a better debut novel.

The story is about a couple who are given the task of preparing the husband's deceased grandmother's home for sale. The husband precedes his wife so he can work on his next mystery novel. She finishes out the last few weeks at her job with a water management company and then joins him.

As soon as the wife, Vivian, steps off the plane, the author begins to create a subtle feeling of tension. Vivian doesn't recognize her husband and walks right by him. Shortly after they arrive, she discovers that a young girl was recently found dead in the woods behind the house.

The story is told in Vivian's point of view, and we watch as her woman's intuition drives her to question her relationships, both old and new. But it isn't only her intuition that has unsettled her. Vivian is an artist; she notices things that other people might not. She pays attention to detail. As the dirt road in front of the house is being paved and the black asphalt comes closer and closer to the house, so the tension builds.

This is a story about relationships, about how perception (or perspective, in art) changes what we see, and ultimate feel, about someone. It is beautifully written. The author manages to create an evocative atmosphere by both the rhythm of her sentences and her words.

I would love to go into greater detail, but I don't want to include spoilers.

The only criticism I might have is that I found it hard to picture the layout of the house, and it took me out of the story at times, but only briefly. Having said this, it could very well be the fault of the reader and not the writer!

A comparison has been made between Mary Vensel White and Anne Tyler, and I agree with this assessment. It would not surprise me if Vensel White became an award-winning author one day.

This was a delight to read.

I hope to have a more detail review posted on Booksquawk.com soon.
217760
I'm a sucker for a good literary tale and find that we don't get nearly enough of them out of this generation of writers.  This debut novel from author Michael James is a noted exception to this, as I found it to be both engaging and brilliant.  "Magpie" is the story of Ben, who lives in Saskatoon and sees little that is bright and beautiful in his world, as magpies are apt to do.  His mother committed suicide, his father is an alcoholic and his older brother has died.  Determined to exact revenge on a local drug dealer, the moral dilemmas begin and the story is quite emotional.  Pulled along by a strong character, with real situations and some vivid imagery, I found this to be a very enjoyable read and can't wait to see what this talented writer has in store for us next.  Well done.
2969079
A remarkable debut novel. A classic trope of the genre, a good man and former safecracker gets forced back into his past criminal life, is turned on its head when the book takes us to modern day Shanghai, where the author currently lives. Once Brendan Lavin ends up in China, the writing goes beyond genre fiction and becomes a literary crime novel. Insight into the culture crush that is Shanghai and, by extension, China as a whole is clear and well-written.  The current state of Shanghai itself becomes an allegory for the struggles between past and present that Brendan experiences. Brendan's deep love for and loyalty to his family sets up an utterly surprising and equally inevitable climax. I highly recommend this deeply satisfying read. Look forward to more by this author.
4233604
Driven by a strong narrative that is both caustically witty and sweetly ironic, "The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc" is a fine debut novel.  Its author, Loraine Despres, relying on her own upbringing in small-town Louisiana, seldom misses an opportunity for her protagonist, Sissy LeBlanc, to outrage the stultifyingly repressive atmosphere of Gentry, a community stewing in Southern heat and hypocrisy.  Sissy's journey toward self-realization leaves enough destruction in its wake to satisfy readers who savor strong women characters who confront their demons and find the courage to grab life when opportunity presents itself.
The Sissy LeBlanc readers first encounter is awash in a loveless marriage, silently suffocating while living with her truly egregious husband Peewee.  A proverbial long-lost love reappears and kindles passion and turmoil; through her relationship with Parker Davidson, Sissy emerges from a self-imposed exile from life.  Sissy's internal monologues, often peppered with numerous adages from a never-written but often quoted "Southern Belle's Handbook," assist her in coming to grips with the need to make decisions and live by their consequences.  Living in the pre-feminist 1950s South, Sissy has precious few resources on which to depend as she fashions an imagined new life.
Despite the rich possibilities inherent in a novel which treats sexual repression and the impact of corrupt patriarchy, Loraine Despres comes close to, but does not achieve, the creation of fully-believable characters.  Several characters evolve stereotypically, becoming mere foils to Sissy LeBlanc.  Peewee, her husband, could have been given much more humanity.  Even though Despres allows us to feel sympathy for him as a result of his loutish father, Bourreee, Peewee never transcends his porcine-like presence in the novel.  Despres could have created a masterful work had she given her characters more, rather than less, humanity.  The author needs to realize that her protagonist could have prevailed over far more formidable foes than the unidimensional antagnoists who populate Gentry.
Equally grating are the excessive references to the aforementioned "Southern Belle's Handbook."  While facilitating understanding of both the narrative of the novel and the development of Sissy's character when placed at the beginning of each chapter, Despres bogs down her writing when Sissy debates as to what number each rule was or should be.  What could have been a delightful addition to the novel has a tendency to be an annoying contrivance.
These complaints, however, truly do not interfere with the readers's enjoyment of "Scandalous Summer."  Containing the gripping force of strong melodrama and featuring the tenacious struggle of a strong protagonist to realize her hopes for personal freedom and true love, the novel is not pretentious or predictable.  Loraine Despres' debut reveals an author who knows how to tell a story and entertain her audience.
2294303
Spill Simmer Falter Wither is the debut novel by Irish author Sara Baume and what an impressive debut it is! She uses language to convey images in ways that are both beautiful and surprising.  We know for example the name of the narrator is Ray only because he says it is the same word as for sun beams, as for winged and boneless sharks. Ray is 57 and a lonely man, seen as strange by others, feared and mistrusted. On the surface, he seems slow, odd, unintelligent but, in his own head, he sees the world in intimate detail. His father, who has always seemed at best, indifferent to him, has died, leaving him a house and little else.

One day, he spots a sign in a shop window looking for Compassionate & Tolerant people to adopt abused dogs. Looking for a ratter, Ray adopts One Eye, a terrier who lost one of his eyes to a badger and who is as ostracized, as mistrustful and as lonely as Ray.  The man at the kennel warns Ray that the dog is a vicious little bugger but he soon becomes a source of joy for Ray, his companion, his only friend, and the you to whom Ray tells his story. But when One Eyes hatred for other dogs causes him to attack a Shih Tzu, Ray abandons his home and village and he takes One Eye on a trip across the country in his old car.

But don't look for any happy endings here. This is not one of those uplifting stories where somehow man saves dog and then dog saves man and, through their mutual heroics, they win the love and respect of the other villagers who have hitherto vilified them. Despite the strong bond forged between these two lonely souls, the world does not become a friendlier, safer place for the pair. This is a much more honest story, lyrical in its prose, occasionally humorous, wise, and heartrending. This is the kind of book that will make you smile and break your heart and stay with you long after the last goodbye.
3364423
A brilliant little debut novel.
A graduate student at Cambridge (the anonymous narrator) is doing a dissertation on the fictitious writer Paul Michel and his relationship to the renown philosopher Foucault. In the course of the dissertation he travels to France in an attempt to try and locate Michel, who had suddenly stopped writing and disappeared (Michel had been institutionalized for insanity). Michel had had a lifelong obsession with Foucault. And now the doctoral student goes above and beyond mere academic interest to find out what happened to him.

This novel has a mysterious, cryptic quality with psychological twists and turns. Even though there is a scholarly aspect to Duncker's writing, she doesn't burden the reader with overly bookish theory and erudition, but allows the story to speak for itself, while avoiding obvious clichs She is also clever and skillful at characterization; exacting, defined and to the point.

The character driven plot is well constructed, but the initial set up, I felt, was a little too longwinded, (first 30 pages). On the other hand, the prose was excellent, which made the initial, slightly rambling journey, worthwhile.

Much of the story is about the written word and the main theme is the relationship between reader and writer  something rarely thought about or discussed. Other themes are love, passion, sexuality, devotion, madness, obsession, loyalty, history and art.

Even though Foucault is in the title, (suggesting philosophy may be on the horizon) there is nothing ostentatious or heavily academic about this novel. It is an easy read, unlike so much of the  philosophical work out there. Duncker has created a page turner.
My faith in high-quality,  literary fiction has been restored.
1678729
A friend gifted me with this book and I wasn't sure what to expect since I knew this was the author's first novel.  Wow!  What a debut!  The book is classified as "historic fiction" which is a genre I normally wouldn't care much about - but Anna's Boys turned out to be a page-turning great read, filled with characters who had me emotionally invested in their lives from the outset.

Bill Pezza is a writer who understands the notion that the political is always personal, and therein lies the power of this novel. Pezza, who is also apparently a high school history teacher, doesn't drag us into a political treatise on why the United States entered the Vietnam conflict, or try to analyze its dark course; instead, he uses this controversial war and simply (albeit dramatically) examines the very personal ways it impacted the lives of seven young friends and the people who loved them.

The way Pezza crafted this compelling tale brings to mind the 60s slogan "Think globally, act locally."  The global spectrum of the war is the catalyst for what happens to the boys, but their individual stories, and how they played out in a working-class community, are what drive the book.  Thankfully, the author avoids the trap of being preachy or persuading readers to take a pro or anti-war stance. We see and experience the war through the eyes of the young men who are all significantly affected, but end up taking very unique journeys during those tumultuous years. Friendship is their enduring bond, and Pezza does a beautiful job revealing the connections too powerful for even a divisive war to destroy.
4679905
THE ORACLE OF STAMBOUL is a truly delightful debut that centers on a unique Jewish child with unusual talents. This is a book about a child prodigy, someone whose intellectual capacity is unprecedented at a young age, yet whose abilities never place her outside the realm of credibility for skeptics. This is a story about espionage and covert activities that may lead to the decline of the Ottoman Empire, with a setting in the late 1800s that is both luxurious and diverse (albeit unstable). Somewhere here, eight-year-old Eleonora Cohen travels far from home with her father toward the destination of Stamboul, where Yakob intends to sell his wares. There he relates to associates' perceptions about his daughter's astounding genius. The trip leads to some fateful but unfortunate circumstances, placing Eleonora's future at risk and leading her toward a direct position of power over the future of the Empire.

Eleonora's story begins with her birth on an auspicious day where many "signs" arise for anyone who might be watching these sorts of things. Hordes of birds --- purple-feathered hoopoes --- fix their gaze on the home of the Cohens, alighting on the rooftop just as Eleonora's mother labors to bring her new daughter into the world. Pink and healthy, the baby survives, but her mother dies of blood loss during the labor. After Mrs. Cohen's death, Eleonora's infancy and early childhood are spent in the company of her aunt Ruxandra and father Yakob. Yakob Cohen is a successful and devoted father, a refined carpet merchant whose business is in marketing expensive rugs to prosperous families throughout the Empire. As such, he travels frequently and often leaves Eleonora under the strict tutelage of her fearful aunt.

Ruxandra and Yakob discover quickly that Eleonora is different from other children. At eight, her memory is near perfect, and she demonstrates advanced logic and the ability to process complex information. This puts her far ahead of her tender age. Out of fear of becoming a target for persecution (most especially by those who target Jews), Ruxandra attempts to contain the girl's advancing knowledge and force her to conceal her abilities. It becomes evident, however, that the child's intellect is so much a part of her that there is no way they can hope to hide it.

Yakob tutors Eleonora himself until one day when he leaves on a trip and his daughter stows away on the freighter he has boarded. She reveals herself in time, though Yakob is uncomfortable with exposing her to the outside world. Yet he gives her the rare opportunity to see the wonderful sights of the city of Stamboul, introducing her to many strange and generous people. The trip, however, leads to events both wonderful and tragic, and Eleonora never sees her family home again.

THE ORACLE OF STAMBOUL is one of those debuts that defies the norm, being a first creation that is astoundingly good, so much so that I wonder how on earth any author without a great deal of professional writing experience is capable of creating it. Most debuts are enjoyable but not great, yet this one kept my attention entirely and made me want to reread it straight away. I would think most readers will be enchanted by this unusual story about a sweet and naive little girl whose difficult choices lead to unpredictable consequences, and I'll be watching closely for future books by Michael David Lukas.

  --- Reviewed by Melanie Smith
3314882
Keija Parssinen's captivating debut novel, The Ruins of Us, explores the universal themes of love, betrayal, and resiliency set against the backdrop of modern Saudi Arabian culture.

American-born Rosalie Al-Baylani lives a comfortable life in Saudi Arabia. She loves her husband, adores her children, and has grown accustomed to being a wife and a mother in the country she has been fascinated with since she was a girl. But Rosalie's life is shattered when she learns that her husband of 25 years, the wealthy and powerful Saudi, Abdullah Al-Baylani, has taken a second wife and kept it secret from her for the past two years.

A heavy curtain of heartbreak, bitterness, and isolation falls over the Al-Baylani family as they struggle to make sense of their new reality. Taking a second wife is a man's legal right in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but Rosalie always thought her Abdullah far too modern and far too devoted to do such a thing. While Rosalie is incapacitated from grief, and Abdullah from denial, the couple's 16 year old son, Faisal, seeks comfort in a Muslim fundamentalist group with controversial, even violent, ideologies.

This gripping story follows Rosalie as she struggles with fear, country, and conscience to make the heart-wrenching choices that will determine her fate and that of her family.

Parssinen, who grew up as a third generation expatriate in Saudi Arabia, deftly reveals the intricate, and at times messy, emotional lives of her characters, while providing an education on the culture and mores of contemporary Saudi life. Her rich, evocative prose is part love-letter to the land where she was born, and part critical study of its complexities. At the hands of Parssinen's skillful exposition, the reader becomes intimately acquainted with the character's most profound and visceral desires, particularly in the case of Rosalie, Faisal, and the finely-drawn Dan. However, as the story rises to its harrowing climax - and readers turn pages faster and faster -they might just find that, much like the characters themselves, they are unsure of what they want to happen next.

There is so much to love about this book. There is the intriguing story, the graceful language, the authentically flawed characters - but one fact stands out among the rest: the only thing black and white about this novel is the ink and paper upon which it's printed. You will find yourself thinking about The Ruins of Us long after you put it down. So be sure to pick it up.
1312177
Engrossing debut novel with an unusual heroine, very original. This is a murder mystery with a clearly troubled young woman protagonist who, together with her psychic gifts and traumatic background, manages to emerge from the pages as a truly sympathetic character. We are taken along with her on her turbulent re-integration into a community who fear and loathe her together with a family who have disowned her. The action and prose are beautifully written and we feel Aeron's pain throughout the book. However, is she all she seems? Read it and see, I'm eagerly awaiting the second book!