Update: Due to be released in paperback on September 23, 2014 with new cover! 
[simpleazon-image align=”left” asin=”B00BXKY6VA” locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51N3ExPJfxL._SL160_.jpg” width=”106″][simpleazon-link asin=”B00BXKY6VA” locale=”us”]The Banks of Certain Rivers[/simpleazon-link] by Jon Harrison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was surprised by the depth, the tension, and the complexity of this novel. It starts off with a business trip, but somehow the author creates a sense of impending tragedy. There is water imagery everywhere that reflects a family drowning in lies and stressful circumstances. I was absorbed in this story from start to finish. I felt invested in the fates of these characters. Great writing. Well-developed characters. Surprising plot twists. I definitely recommend the read to anyone who enjoys family dramas with a bit of intrigue. Be aware that the book does contain some foul language and sexual situations.
Favorite words:
gentrification – the process of renewal and rebuilding accompanying the influx of middle-class or affluent people into deteriorating areas that often displaces poorer residents
palliative – moderates the intensity, alleviates the symptoms
autodidact – a self-taught person
eponymous – of, relating to, or being the person or thing for whom or which something is named
quotidian – occurring every day
caromed – to strike and rebound
Favorite quotes which also happen to be great discussion points:
“Just what does it mean to be alive, anyway?”
“There are things we make ourselves forget. What is memory anyway? Is it an indelible record, unimpeachable, frozen in some synaptic arrangement and stored away for some moment it might be needed in the future? Or is it subject to editing and revision, something plastic that our brains can shape into another form we can handle, something less toxic than the original, something less able to poison us?”
In accordance with FTC guidelines, please note that I received a free review copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Related links:
More book information: http://www.harrisonpages.com/
Author’s twitter handle: @harrisonpages
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17665375-the-banks-of-certain-rivers