When we meet Colby Ledbetter, he is not doing well. He hasn't worked in a year and he has stopped looking for work because there doesn't seem to be any jobs out there that actually want to employ him. He is the stay at home dad to Niko and Maisie, two year old twins, and has depression that has led him to abuse alcohol and substances, often taking more pills then prescribed with alcohol (which he has started drinking in the morning). When tragedy strikes (early in the novel -first chapter actually), Colby finds himself staring down a three year prison sentence, where the vast majority of the book takes place. I read This Much is True many years ago and thought it was ok so I picked this one up.
There were several things that were familiar in this - Dr. Patel, the plight of the Native Americans and prison systems played major roles. I was captivated by some aspects of this book - the tragedy and some parts of the prison sentence had me unable to put the book down and look away. Colby's relationship with Emily, his wife, was as much an important character as the prison system, the tragedy itself and
Colby and Lamb did a good job in crafting the relationship in a way that was realistic given the circumstances. The book itself is a quick read, which is a good thing for me. I don't like to feel like I'm walking in wet sand or in a swamp when I read.
Having said that, I felt like there were a lot of predictable tropes in this novel - many of which I found myself thinking "this? you couldn't come up with something better than this?" It was predictable in this manner. I also didn't like how it ended and also felt empty as a result, not fulfilled, which is what a good book will leave me feeling. I didn't feel a connection to any of the characters, although that could be because I simply couldn't relate to any of the experiences that they were having.
Generally entertaining if you don't have high expectations but don't add to your library.
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