Bus Books to the Rescue

As one might have noticed, I've not really reviewed anything for over a year despite my post in September stating all that would change. Turns out 2014 wasn't a particularly good year for writing. As we're now well into 2015, it's time to get stuck in.

Having said that, I haven't actually read much so far this year as two women in my life are expecting new family members in the next few months, and I've committed to large stitching projects for them both. This takes up a great deal of my time, but I've found I can squeeze in a few chapters during each morning's bus commute and even sometimes on the way home. It's not ideal as it's difficult to really dive in, but, as is oft said, 'better than a poke in the eye'.

A good short-ish commute Bus Book ought to be interesting enough that the reader can tune out other passengers. Ideally the book would either have short chapters or contain a decent number of chapter breaks, and in my case, it shouldn't be a romance, too dark, too intense, and shouldn't be so funny that I annoy others with my laughing. Generally, when in doubt, I'll grab a mystery as they typically fit the brief. However, my last selection Hell or High Water promised these, but turned out to be quite different.

The catalyst is a mystery, but the story is far more complex. It delves into the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, race and gender relations in New Orleans, and family struggles. I quite enjoyed the author's ability to describe life for the inhabitants of pre and post Katrina New Orleans and how poor management of defences and subsequent resources led to prisoners of major crimes (i.e. murderers and sex offenders) being set free and never recaptured as they managed to find a way to live off-grid.

In using a strong, vocal, protagonist who tells-it-like-it-is, and who isn't afraid of confrontation, particularly in situations where there are flagrant inequalities, injustices, and a lack of fair play. The tension and frustration that the main character experiences are palpable to the reader. In this, Castro should be commended.

The problem, is that the novel is sold as a mystery, but truly it's a fiction with an underlying mystery that doesn't get much attention. While I did manage to correctly predict 'who done it', the ending was a surprise; one that I'm not completely on board with. As a result, all the wonderful work the author put in, and the investment the reader makes in the character and her story were completely undone by one short scene.

I'm not sure this book would suit everyone. It's a bit noir, a lot of description, and slow on mystery resolving. However, if the reader is into finding out more about deeper localised cultural issues and race relations then I'd recommend it. As for a Bus Book, it's okay, but I found I sometimes couldn't read it first thing in the morning, was a bit too dark for the start of a day.

Rating: 3 beignets out of 5