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Wide Open
Wide Open by Deborah Coates is the first book in a series of "startlingly original" ( Booklist ) contemporary fantasy novels set against the sweeping prairies and desolate byways of the American Midwest, creating "a rural backwater where the normal and paranormal seamlessly merge." ( Publishers Weekly ) When Sergeant Hallie Michaels comes back to South Dakota from Afghanistan on ten days' compassionate leave, her sister Dell's ghost is waiting at the airport to greet her. The sheriff says that Dell's death was suicide, but Hallie doesn't believe it. Something happened or Dell's ghost wouldn't still be hanging around. Friends and family, mourning Dell's loss, think Hallie's letting her grief interfere with her judgment. The one person who seems willing to listen is the deputy sheriff, Boyd Davies, who shows up everywhere and helps when he doesn't have to. As Hallie asks more questions, she attracts new ghosts, women who disappeared without a trace. Soon, someone's trying to beat her up, burn down her father's ranch, and stop her investigation. Hallie's going to need Boyd, her friends, and all the ghosts she can find to defeat an enemy who has an unimaginable ancient power at his command. Wide Open has been nominated for the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel, appeared on Locus Magazine 's Recommended Reading List for first novels, and was chosen as a Tor.com Reviewer's Choice Pick for Favorite Book of the year. The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction claimed that it is "one of the best first novels I've read in a long time" and Library Journal agrees that "fans of urban fantasies should enjoy the kick-ass [heroine]."
304 pages, Hardcover
First published March 13, 2012
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1437 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Coates
22 books70 followersI grew up on a farm in western New York. I currently live in central Iowa. I work in IT by day and train dogs and write books by night. I live with a Rottweiler, a German Pinscher and a lot of books.
I am a fan of flyover country, wide open spaces, weather, books, working dogs, gutsy heroines and steadfast heroes.
My first novel, Wide Open, was published by Tor on March 13, 2012. My second novel Deep Down is out March 5, 2013.
I am a fan of flyover country, wide open spaces, weather, books, working dogs, gutsy heroines and steadfast heroes.
My first novel, Wide Open, was published by Tor on March 13, 2012. My second novel Deep Down is out March 5, 2013.
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April 4, 2013
Deborah Coates debut novel Wide Open is written with a spare elegant style, uncomplicated, purposeful prose much like her protagonist Hallie Michaels. Its a story about the intersection of life and death, power and sacrifice, self realization and stubbornness. Its a modern fantasy, a mystery and a ghost story. Its very good.
Hallie has returned to South Dakota on a 10 day leave from her army posting in Afghanistan because her sister Dell has died in what seems to be a one person car accident. Knowing the woman, Hallie does not accept the official version and starts investigating. It soon becomes clear that there are odd doings at a local wind turbine research facility run by a man Dell and Hallie knew in high school, Martin Weber and invested in by Pete, a local bad boy.
Meanwhile, Hallie has to come to grips with the odd circumstances of her own life. While in Afghanistan, just a few short weeks ago, her Humvee was blown up and Hallie was dead for several minutes. Since then, she can see ghosts. They ride with her, and although they do not talk they give her clues. We soon find that if Hallie solves the mystery of the ghost's presence in her life, it will leave.
As Hallie counts down the days to her return to active duty, she starts to understand her new found abilities and soon comes under increasing pressure from Pete and Martin Weber.
Weber has harnessed the power of lighting and weather to do his bidding but the source of his power is old fashioned dark magic and unwilling sacrifices and its up to Hallie and her new found and barely learned powers and her increasing ability to tap into the ghosts to stop him.
Hallie has returned to South Dakota on a 10 day leave from her army posting in Afghanistan because her sister Dell has died in what seems to be a one person car accident. Knowing the woman, Hallie does not accept the official version and starts investigating. It soon becomes clear that there are odd doings at a local wind turbine research facility run by a man Dell and Hallie knew in high school, Martin Weber and invested in by Pete, a local bad boy.
Meanwhile, Hallie has to come to grips with the odd circumstances of her own life. While in Afghanistan, just a few short weeks ago, her Humvee was blown up and Hallie was dead for several minutes. Since then, she can see ghosts. They ride with her, and although they do not talk they give her clues. We soon find that if Hallie solves the mystery of the ghost's presence in her life, it will leave.
As Hallie counts down the days to her return to active duty, she starts to understand her new found abilities and soon comes under increasing pressure from Pete and Martin Weber.
Weber has harnessed the power of lighting and weather to do his bidding but the source of his power is old fashioned dark magic and unwilling sacrifices and its up to Hallie and her new found and barely learned powers and her increasing ability to tap into the ghosts to stop him.
March 13, 2012
Hallie Michaels, a soldier in Afghanistan, is sent home to Prairie City, South Dakota, for ten days of compassionate leave when her sister Dell dies in a car accident. Rumor has it Dell committed suicide, but Hallie doesn’t buy it. And since her own recent brush with death in the war, Hallie can see ghosts, including Dell’s. Hallie is determined to find out why Dell really died and enable her sister to find peace — and she’s only got ten days to do it.
Hallie is a fantastic protagonist: sympathetic yet flawed, honorable but full of jagged edges. She is thrust back into the civilian world at the beginning of Wide Open and finds that she’s just not used to it anymore. Her temper burns a little too hot. She is annoyed when friends do things that would be foolish in the war zone, such as when her friend Brett moves too slowly. She’s not sure she remembers, anymore, how to navigate the rituals of small-town small talk. Deborah Coates uses lots of little touches like this to bring Hallie to life in three dimensions.
Prairie City is as complex as the woman returning to it. I had a few reservations going into Wide Open; I was worried it would turn out to be one of the “cute quaint small town” books where a heroine returns to her hometown and realizes that it’s perfect and all other ways of life are miserable by comparison. That’s simply not a genre that does much for me. But that’s not what Coates does. Prairie City has its good points and its flaws, like any real place; it’s this balance that makes it feel like a real place. There’s a lot of human warmth in Prairie City (though it’s often hidden under a layer of stoicism), the place has a desolate beauty, and it’s easy to see why someone could love living there. At the same time, it can be oppressive. It’s a place where everyone has history with everyone else, and all the baggage that comes with that; and you don’t get the friendliest of reactions if you question the company that’s bringing in the jobs.
As for the paranormal elements, Hallie soon learns that her ghosts aren’t the only weirdness in town. Dell’s death is connected to a sinister figure who’s using the supernatural for his own ends. The extent of the villain’s powers is sometimes hazy, which can be both good and bad. Sometimes I found myself wondering why he wasn’t doing anything worse to stop Hallie than what he was actually doing (which, granted, was pretty bad already). But at other times he’d turn out to have more power than I thought, which made for great scares; there’s one in particular that made me say “Oh, holy crap” aloud because it was something much bigger than I’d thought he was capable of. And an explanation does emerge, later, for why Hallie is not attacked more directly by these powers.
One more thing about the ghosts: there’s one ghost in Wide Open who has nothing to do with the mystery of Dell’s death, but who is intimately involved in my very favorite scene of the book. It brought me to tears. It concerns one of Hallie’s fellow soldiers, who died in Afghanistan and left behind a grieving fiancée. The scene where Hallie deals with his plight is simply wonderful.
There’s a touch of romance in Wide Open, but it does not overwhelm the other aspects of the plot. Hallie’s suitor is another layered character; his love of order stems from a deep-seated fear of chaos. Both characters are prickly and so it’s a slow courtship, but a realistic one devoid of “insta-love” annoyances.
Wide Open’s plot is self-contained and is satisfactorily wrapped up by the end, but the very last scene opens the door for further stories. Deborah Coates has impressed me with this first novel, and I will definitely be on the lookout for more.
Hallie is a fantastic protagonist: sympathetic yet flawed, honorable but full of jagged edges. She is thrust back into the civilian world at the beginning of Wide Open and finds that she’s just not used to it anymore. Her temper burns a little too hot. She is annoyed when friends do things that would be foolish in the war zone, such as when her friend Brett moves too slowly. She’s not sure she remembers, anymore, how to navigate the rituals of small-town small talk. Deborah Coates uses lots of little touches like this to bring Hallie to life in three dimensions.
Prairie City is as complex as the woman returning to it. I had a few reservations going into Wide Open; I was worried it would turn out to be one of the “cute quaint small town” books where a heroine returns to her hometown and realizes that it’s perfect and all other ways of life are miserable by comparison. That’s simply not a genre that does much for me. But that’s not what Coates does. Prairie City has its good points and its flaws, like any real place; it’s this balance that makes it feel like a real place. There’s a lot of human warmth in Prairie City (though it’s often hidden under a layer of stoicism), the place has a desolate beauty, and it’s easy to see why someone could love living there. At the same time, it can be oppressive. It’s a place where everyone has history with everyone else, and all the baggage that comes with that; and you don’t get the friendliest of reactions if you question the company that’s bringing in the jobs.
As for the paranormal elements, Hallie soon learns that her ghosts aren’t the only weirdness in town. Dell’s death is connected to a sinister figure who’s using the supernatural for his own ends. The extent of the villain’s powers is sometimes hazy, which can be both good and bad. Sometimes I found myself wondering why he wasn’t doing anything worse to stop Hallie than what he was actually doing (which, granted, was pretty bad already). But at other times he’d turn out to have more power than I thought, which made for great scares; there’s one in particular that made me say “Oh, holy crap” aloud because it was something much bigger than I’d thought he was capable of. And an explanation does emerge, later, for why Hallie is not attacked more directly by these powers.
One more thing about the ghosts: there’s one ghost in Wide Open who has nothing to do with the mystery of Dell’s death, but who is intimately involved in my very favorite scene of the book. It brought me to tears. It concerns one of Hallie’s fellow soldiers, who died in Afghanistan and left behind a grieving fiancée. The scene where Hallie deals with his plight is simply wonderful.
There’s a touch of romance in Wide Open, but it does not overwhelm the other aspects of the plot. Hallie’s suitor is another layered character; his love of order stems from a deep-seated fear of chaos. Both characters are prickly and so it’s a slow courtship, but a realistic one devoid of “insta-love” annoyances.
Wide Open’s plot is self-contained and is satisfactorily wrapped up by the end, but the very last scene opens the door for further stories. Deborah Coates has impressed me with this first novel, and I will definitely be on the lookout for more.
March 17, 2012
*** Originally posted to: Bookish Blog
Wide Open is a compelling, character-driven mystery with a splash of supernatural that will have you hooked from page one with its evocative and flavorful prose, hot South Dakota atmosphere, and brilliantly complex characters. With her excellent storytelling, Deborah Coates smoothly weaves ghosts, secrets, and magic into a heart pounding tale of one woman's quest to uncover the mystery behind her sister's death. Deeply moving and bone chilling, it's a book that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
The plot line centers around Hallie Michaels, a soldier in Afghanistan, who arrives in Rapid City on a ten day compassionate leave to attend her sister's funeral. Hallie's sister, Dell, wrecked her car up on a tree. There was no one else around. The local police called it a suicide, but Hallie knows better. She's convinced that her sister would never have taken her own life. Something else must have happened, and Hallie is determined to find out what. And she only has 10 days to do that. Not only is her time extremely limited, she's also haunted by ghosts - of her sister, of a fellow soldier/friend from Afghanistan, and a local woman who disappeared without a trace. Hallie soon learns that there's something disturbing going on in the seemingly peaceful town of Rapid City, and she is the only one who can discover the truth.
I had a wonderful time reading Wide Open. I felt entirely consumed by this book, and the feeling was simply wonderful. First of all, I really loved Deborah's expressive and powerful writing style. It was both beautiful and creepy. Abundant in details, vibrant descriptions, atmospheric scenes and settings. The author really did a fabulous job fleshing out the lead protagonist of this story. Hallie is certainly not a character that you will fall in love with instantly, but rather one that will grow on you over time. She's one tough cookie on the outside, yet sensitive and emotionally fragile girl on the inside. Short tempered, with the penchant for swear words, she never backs down from a fight. She's not a person that cries in a difficult situation. More like someone who gets crazy-pissed. For Hallie, anger is an antidote for pain. She's angry at the army for sending her to Afghanistan. At herself for dying and coming back. At the ghosts for being dead. There are layers upon layers of character building, and the result is simply phenomenal. Hallie is one of the most complex MCs I've ever met in literature. I can't say that I enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes, but it was definitely a very interesting and heart breaking experience. I felt her pain and I saw how lost, broken and confused she was. How often do you come across a book that makes you feel all that?
Deborah Coates is a writer of rare intensity. The world she created is mesmerizing, exciting, thrilling and often very scary. I loved exploring it. It was a fascinating journey that I will never forget. The story itself isn't overly complicated, it's the way it is told that really makes you fall in love with it. There are many plot developments that I failed to predict. Many surprises and twist. And I just love a book that keeps me guessing to the end and holds my attention all the way through. Wide Open did all that and more. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and can't wait to see where the author will take us in her next book.
Wide Open is a compelling, character-driven mystery with a splash of supernatural that will have you hooked from page one with its evocative and flavorful prose, hot South Dakota atmosphere, and brilliantly complex characters. With her excellent storytelling, Deborah Coates smoothly weaves ghosts, secrets, and magic into a heart pounding tale of one woman's quest to uncover the mystery behind her sister's death. Deeply moving and bone chilling, it's a book that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
The plot line centers around Hallie Michaels, a soldier in Afghanistan, who arrives in Rapid City on a ten day compassionate leave to attend her sister's funeral. Hallie's sister, Dell, wrecked her car up on a tree. There was no one else around. The local police called it a suicide, but Hallie knows better. She's convinced that her sister would never have taken her own life. Something else must have happened, and Hallie is determined to find out what. And she only has 10 days to do that. Not only is her time extremely limited, she's also haunted by ghosts - of her sister, of a fellow soldier/friend from Afghanistan, and a local woman who disappeared without a trace. Hallie soon learns that there's something disturbing going on in the seemingly peaceful town of Rapid City, and she is the only one who can discover the truth.
I had a wonderful time reading Wide Open. I felt entirely consumed by this book, and the feeling was simply wonderful. First of all, I really loved Deborah's expressive and powerful writing style. It was both beautiful and creepy. Abundant in details, vibrant descriptions, atmospheric scenes and settings. The author really did a fabulous job fleshing out the lead protagonist of this story. Hallie is certainly not a character that you will fall in love with instantly, but rather one that will grow on you over time. She's one tough cookie on the outside, yet sensitive and emotionally fragile girl on the inside. Short tempered, with the penchant for swear words, she never backs down from a fight. She's not a person that cries in a difficult situation. More like someone who gets crazy-pissed. For Hallie, anger is an antidote for pain. She's angry at the army for sending her to Afghanistan. At herself for dying and coming back. At the ghosts for being dead. There are layers upon layers of character building, and the result is simply phenomenal. Hallie is one of the most complex MCs I've ever met in literature. I can't say that I enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes, but it was definitely a very interesting and heart breaking experience. I felt her pain and I saw how lost, broken and confused she was. How often do you come across a book that makes you feel all that?
Deborah Coates is a writer of rare intensity. The world she created is mesmerizing, exciting, thrilling and often very scary. I loved exploring it. It was a fascinating journey that I will never forget. The story itself isn't overly complicated, it's the way it is told that really makes you fall in love with it. There are many plot developments that I failed to predict. Many surprises and twist. And I just love a book that keeps me guessing to the end and holds my attention all the way through. Wide Open did all that and more. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and can't wait to see where the author will take us in her next book.
March 19, 2012
As it happens -- just so this is all out in the open and everything -- Deb and I have the same agent, and I’ve met Deb a couple of times, and hey! She’s a dog person! She actually owns a GERMAN PINSCHER. You know nobody just stumbles into owning a German Pinscher. You have to be a real dog person to even know they exist.
Naturally I wanted to love her book!
Whew! Because I did. WIDE OPEN’s being marketed as an urban fantasy — well, contemporary, because it sure isn’t urban — or a paranormal, and of course that’s no surprise because paranormal is so hot hot hot right now, but this one really isn’t very paranormal-ish. The romance is not central enough and it’s not woman-with-psychic-powers-meets-super-hottie anyway. Instead, the main character, Hallie, is recently bereaved (her sister has just died), grieving, angry, and pretty well hair-triggered — I liked her very much. And the romantic lead? He gets called “The Boy Deputy” by everyone in town because he’s so baby-faced. (Hilarious!)
And my favorite secondary character? Hallie’s father. Talk about the strong silent type, emphasis on the silent. I mean, here’s a line I just loved:
. . . while women organized the kitchen or the laundry or feed for the horses and men walked across the fields, looking for her father so they could lean against fences and never say a word.
Isn’t that great? I love the relationship between Hallie and her dad — I really look forward to seeing that subtle relationship develop in the next book (this one’s self contained but there will be at least two more).
And the setting! I’m SUCH a sucker for setting! South Dakota! Who sets a book in Big Sky country? I mean, other than westerns, and they’re not contemporary. LOVED the setting. Deb caught it just so well, it’s a real You Are There setting. Excellent dialogue, too, which I really admire. Deb really captured the clumsy stumbling dialogue that really happens in charged, intense situations. Like here, where Hallie calls a dead man’s fiancee to tell her about his death, and the fiancee says:
“He was the only guy I ever dated,” she said. “Because I’m not — No one ever — I’m not pretty,” she stated flatly. “It was a blind date that first time. My cousin fixed us up. And it was so embarrassing and kind of awful, but he was sweet about it, you know? I didn’t thnk he’d call, but he did — the next day even. And I liked him. I — he was the best guy. But I never knew, I couldn’t ask him, because why? Why would he go out with me? I don’t understand.”
I just loved that scene. It’s not an important scene, but it works really really well. And that’s typical.
So the identity of the bad guy is obvious and the bad guy himself is pretty ho-hum, for me anyway, but it’s the rest of the story which makes this book.
So I wouldn’t recommend this one to my mother, because one cuss word and she’s done with a book, you have no idea, but if that doesn’t bother you the way it does her, then hey! Ghosts, South Dakota, excellent characters, great dialogue, good solid writing — if that sounds like you, you might keep an eye out for this one.
March 12, 2012
You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/03/...
I love discovering new authors, and I especially love it when I discover one that will go on my autobuy. You know the feeling I’m talking about, where in the first few pages you know you’re really gonna like a book? That’s how I felt with Wide Open. Wide Open is Hallie Michaels’ story, and right away, you know you’re in for something unique. It begins when Hallie returns to South Dakota from Afghanistan to attend her sister Dell’s funeral. To hear the town tell it, Dell committed suicide, but Hallie knows better, and is determined to get to the bottom of it. With the help of her childhood friend, and Boyd, a sheriff’s deputy that has the same suspicions as Hallie, she’ll have to navigate some unusual, and possibly life threatening territory to find out the truth of her sister’s death. And there’s a storm coming…
Right away, the author plops you right down into the near stifling atmosphere of (rather stormy) small town South Dakota, and doesn’t let up on you. Hallie is a little more than normal, since she “died” in Afghanistan, was revived, and can now see ghosts on a near constant basis. One of them is Dell. The author manages to make the ghosts creepy and haunting without making them scary, and they’re not malicious, but they do want something of Hallie. She’s got 10 days to figure out what happened to her sister, and as it turns out, other women in the area that have gone missing. It may have something to do with Uku-Weber, and it’s founder Martin Weber, but Hallie’s not quite sure what. The company seemingly gets raves from the community, with its creation of new jobs and research into harnessing wind energy, but there’s something more diabolical going on, something involving magic, and possibly murder.
There are plenty of supernatural components in Wide Open for readers of fantasy, but the real magic lies in the characters. Hallie is moody and brittle much of the time, but we see her soften over the course of the novel, especially when it comes to Boyd. He’s determined to help Hallie, and she’s determined to push him away, and the almost-romance is actually kind of sweet (and it leaves plenty of good stuff for a next novel, maybe? Hopefully?) The writer’s staccato writing style served the story well, and her grasp on small town life is fascinating, plus there’s murder, magic, fire, and ghosts. How can you go wrong with that? Wide Open was a quick read for me, but that’s because I really didn’t want to put it down for long, and is a great debut fantasy. I have my fingers crossed for more Hallie and Boyd, but I’d be happy with anything from Deborah Coates. I urge you to give this one a try!
I love discovering new authors, and I especially love it when I discover one that will go on my autobuy. You know the feeling I’m talking about, where in the first few pages you know you’re really gonna like a book? That’s how I felt with Wide Open. Wide Open is Hallie Michaels’ story, and right away, you know you’re in for something unique. It begins when Hallie returns to South Dakota from Afghanistan to attend her sister Dell’s funeral. To hear the town tell it, Dell committed suicide, but Hallie knows better, and is determined to get to the bottom of it. With the help of her childhood friend, and Boyd, a sheriff’s deputy that has the same suspicions as Hallie, she’ll have to navigate some unusual, and possibly life threatening territory to find out the truth of her sister’s death. And there’s a storm coming…
Right away, the author plops you right down into the near stifling atmosphere of (rather stormy) small town South Dakota, and doesn’t let up on you. Hallie is a little more than normal, since she “died” in Afghanistan, was revived, and can now see ghosts on a near constant basis. One of them is Dell. The author manages to make the ghosts creepy and haunting without making them scary, and they’re not malicious, but they do want something of Hallie. She’s got 10 days to figure out what happened to her sister, and as it turns out, other women in the area that have gone missing. It may have something to do with Uku-Weber, and it’s founder Martin Weber, but Hallie’s not quite sure what. The company seemingly gets raves from the community, with its creation of new jobs and research into harnessing wind energy, but there’s something more diabolical going on, something involving magic, and possibly murder.
There are plenty of supernatural components in Wide Open for readers of fantasy, but the real magic lies in the characters. Hallie is moody and brittle much of the time, but we see her soften over the course of the novel, especially when it comes to Boyd. He’s determined to help Hallie, and she’s determined to push him away, and the almost-romance is actually kind of sweet (and it leaves plenty of good stuff for a next novel, maybe? Hopefully?) The writer’s staccato writing style served the story well, and her grasp on small town life is fascinating, plus there’s murder, magic, fire, and ghosts. How can you go wrong with that? Wide Open was a quick read for me, but that’s because I really didn’t want to put it down for long, and is a great debut fantasy. I have my fingers crossed for more Hallie and Boyd, but I’d be happy with anything from Deborah Coates. I urge you to give this one a try!
October 28, 2015
There were aspects of this book that I liked, like how tough, uncompromising and at times unrelational the heroine, Hallie could be and how that all made sense given where she had come from. He back-story was one of the few really thought out parts of a story that read as written in a hurried way.
For starters, while it passed the Bechdel test (a named female at times conversed with a named female not about men) it almost seemed to be trying to hurriedly get that qualification over with so it could return to the real point of the story which was quite a tedious romance with a baby-faced (but in fact the correct cliche "bit older" than the heroine) boy scout mensch. Boyd was too good to be true and a bit sickening, he kept turning up all the time and Hallie's irritation with him was (surprise, surprise) tinged with desire...but at least he never crossed boundaries or forced himself on her.
The actual physical reality of the romance in the story was fairly light, reverse cliche (she suddenly out of nowhere grabs him) and even that main story was underdeveloped as was the paranormal aspect of the story. The ghosts were excellent and had more going for them than most of the living characters but the bad guy's vague connection to a naughty granny seemed like lazy vagueness rather than the intriguing enigma we were possible meant to take it as.
The ending left an awful lot to be desired.
If you like romance and don;t mind a paranormal element then this at least has a genuinely strong heroine and a genuinely respectful while capable hero. It's a light and easy read, a good plot which is only frustrating in what seemed like unrealised potential; in how much better the same concept could have been with a slight departure from the determined political neutrality of the book and the light fluffiness that made the grit and toughness unconvincing within the story.
I didn't hate it, I would consider giving this author another chance to mildly entertain me.
For starters, while it passed the Bechdel test (a named female at times conversed with a named female not about men) it almost seemed to be trying to hurriedly get that qualification over with so it could return to the real point of the story which was quite a tedious romance with a baby-faced (but in fact the correct cliche "bit older" than the heroine) boy scout mensch. Boyd was too good to be true and a bit sickening, he kept turning up all the time and Hallie's irritation with him was (surprise, surprise) tinged with desire...but at least he never crossed boundaries or forced himself on her.
The actual physical reality of the romance in the story was fairly light, reverse cliche (she suddenly out of nowhere grabs him) and even that main story was underdeveloped as was the paranormal aspect of the story. The ghosts were excellent and had more going for them than most of the living characters but the bad guy's vague connection to a naughty granny seemed like lazy vagueness rather than the intriguing enigma we were possible meant to take it as.
The ending left an awful lot to be desired.
If you like romance and don;t mind a paranormal element then this at least has a genuinely strong heroine and a genuinely respectful while capable hero. It's a light and easy read, a good plot which is only frustrating in what seemed like unrealised potential; in how much better the same concept could have been with a slight departure from the determined political neutrality of the book and the light fluffiness that made the grit and toughness unconvincing within the story.
I didn't hate it, I would consider giving this author another chance to mildly entertain me.
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June 30, 2013I enjoyed this book! Really loved the main character, Hallie, and how I-fought-in-Afghanistan kick-ass she is.
March 17, 2012
When I was invited to participate in the blog tour for Deborah Coates’ debut WIDE OPEN, I didn’t know what to expect. I hadn’t heard much (anything) about this book before I received the synopsis in my email. Well, it called to me and told me, “Read this book!” The plot, the setting, the ideas – the synopsis is really good in so many ways. I heartily accepted Tor’s offer and received my copy of WIDE OPEN and dove in.
WIDE OPEN is the story of young soldier Hallie, a South Dakota native who has come home on bereavement leave after the death of her sister Dell. The police think Dell committed suicide, but Hallie disagrees. The fact that she sees her sister’s ghost – among others – just makes her that much more desperate to investigate what really happened to her sister. What she finds out is something that involves ancient powers, disappearances, and a company with sinister intentions. Along with sheriff’s deputy Boyd, Hallie ends up being the only person who can stop things before they hurt more people.
I admit, I am somewhat conflicted about this story. I think the biggest problem I had was with the main character, Hallie. She was almost insufferable. Not only is she rude and brash to the people in her life, but she keeps everyone – including the reader – away, keeping her arms crossed and her mind closed. Likewise, I think the characterization in the story was somewhat off, comprising multiple characters that seemed only like a semblance of a person. Even Boyd seemed slightly off. But Hallie was by far the worst character, and the one that almost prevented me from getting into the story.
But the story… The plot is great, the setting is amazing, and the author’s vivid description of the South Dakota prairies is thrilling. I might want to vacation there now! Mount Rushmore, that place they mentioned in Jurassic Park… Even though there were some clunky sentences that could use refinement (trust me, Deborah Coates has a great future ahead of her with her writing style), the book’s prose was tight and clean. The contemporary setting with family drama mixed with mystery and fantastical elements was such a wonderful change from the explicitly paranormal or explicitly contemporary. Being used to having one or the other, never both, I really enjoyed the way Coates’ mixed them into a compelling story.
Once you get past a slow build and unraveling of the story, the ending is thrilling and worth the wait. WIDE OPEN is not a novel for everyone, but if you can get into the story and past the prickly character, this is definitely a novel full of intrigue and excitement that you’ll want to pick up.
VERDICT: Although beleaguered by a nasty protagonist, WIDE OPEN is a book with great writing, unique setting, and wonderful details. Check this one out!
WIDE OPEN is the story of young soldier Hallie, a South Dakota native who has come home on bereavement leave after the death of her sister Dell. The police think Dell committed suicide, but Hallie disagrees. The fact that she sees her sister’s ghost – among others – just makes her that much more desperate to investigate what really happened to her sister. What she finds out is something that involves ancient powers, disappearances, and a company with sinister intentions. Along with sheriff’s deputy Boyd, Hallie ends up being the only person who can stop things before they hurt more people.
I admit, I am somewhat conflicted about this story. I think the biggest problem I had was with the main character, Hallie. She was almost insufferable. Not only is she rude and brash to the people in her life, but she keeps everyone – including the reader – away, keeping her arms crossed and her mind closed. Likewise, I think the characterization in the story was somewhat off, comprising multiple characters that seemed only like a semblance of a person. Even Boyd seemed slightly off. But Hallie was by far the worst character, and the one that almost prevented me from getting into the story.
But the story… The plot is great, the setting is amazing, and the author’s vivid description of the South Dakota prairies is thrilling. I might want to vacation there now! Mount Rushmore, that place they mentioned in Jurassic Park… Even though there were some clunky sentences that could use refinement (trust me, Deborah Coates has a great future ahead of her with her writing style), the book’s prose was tight and clean. The contemporary setting with family drama mixed with mystery and fantastical elements was such a wonderful change from the explicitly paranormal or explicitly contemporary. Being used to having one or the other, never both, I really enjoyed the way Coates’ mixed them into a compelling story.
Once you get past a slow build and unraveling of the story, the ending is thrilling and worth the wait. WIDE OPEN is not a novel for everyone, but if you can get into the story and past the prickly character, this is definitely a novel full of intrigue and excitement that you’ll want to pick up.
VERDICT: Although beleaguered by a nasty protagonist, WIDE OPEN is a book with great writing, unique setting, and wonderful details. Check this one out!
February 28, 2015
Hmmm. So this is one of those books that I was enjoying well enough one day, but when I picked it up the next, it no longer worked for me.
I liked some of it. I liked the premise of the series. I liked the genuine good guy love interest. But I got tired of all the awkward dialogue. It's deliberately awkward, but I got tired of all the stumbling over words and failing to say important things.
And while I liked that the supernatural premise of the series isn't quite explained, I didn't like that plot remained fairly unexplained, too. I wanted more concrete details.
I liked some of it. I liked the premise of the series. I liked the genuine good guy love interest. But I got tired of all the awkward dialogue. It's deliberately awkward, but I got tired of all the stumbling over words and failing to say important things.
And while I liked that the supernatural premise of the series isn't quite explained, I didn't like that plot remained fairly unexplained, too. I wanted more concrete details.
June 22, 2023
I decided to take Robin Hobb's approach to rating books, where if someone may feel bad about rating a book 2 stars. Truthfully there really is nothing to feel sorry about after all 2 is better 1. This was only my second urban fantasy in my lifetime and the first having been nearly a decade ago. I think to categorize this as urban fantasy is very light, many things were not explained well and I chalk that up to perhaps things not being researched well, if I had been given more background information on the mythology that was touched on I would have had a much better time and been more gracious with my rating and review...especially considering I'm a huge mythology buff. My next point (and I don't believe this to be nitpicky) is the over use of hyphens....good lord I rolled my eyes so much I think my left eye actually hurts now. Also how the majority of characters would begin a sentence or a run off sentence with a certain expletive that begins with S (I understand you can swear on here but I choose to remain classy). In closing I am unsure about continuing....who am I kidding we all know I most likely will. Perhaps I need to go live in the world of classics for a bit; I've been feeling adrift lately in my reading. Until next time, thank you for reading.
April 11, 2024
really solid book. very fast paced and interesting setting and characters, though with more than a couple of unwanted and semi-graphic sexual advances on the main character.
book bingo 2024: small town, first in a series, dreams
book bingo 2024: small town, first in a series, dreams
May 17, 2020
I found the content quite different and interesting from others. However, some of the reasons of why certain things happened didn't make any sense to me.
August 13, 2015
I got this book a while ago on an Amazon Kindle deal, and I thought from the description and the other positive reviews that I would really like it. I tried, but while it had a few nice aspects, overall it did not engage me.
I did like the setting as South Dakota is not a standard setting for a paranormal book so that was refreshing. Also the main character doesn't know/ believe in magic and the supernatural so the reader and the main character are discovering the rules of the world together. It has a nice contemporary setting with the main character being a soldier in Afghanistan.
Now for the things I didn't like and the *****spoilers******. Some of these are minor and would have been overlooked if they hadn't all added up. ********SPOILERS*********
Hallie has started seeing ghosts just before the beginning of the book when she "died" in Afghanistan and wasn't breathing for 7 minutes after a war injury. Generally, not breathing for 7 minutes involves some serious trauma that lands you in the hospital for a while or on military medical leave, but apparently in this case they revived her and put her back on duty immediately as she only gets leave when her sister Dell dies back home in South Dakota. No one in South Dakota knows that Hallie has had a near death experience.
War zones are not exactly as isolated as they used to be. I am sure some soldiers on missions are out of touch for some time, but most soldiers these days Facebook and Skype like the rest of us so it is a bit surprising if Dell had been trying to get in touch with Hallie, that she had failed. Particularly, if Hallie had just had a medical emergency herself.
Most of the characters in the book other than Hallie and Boyd are completely flat, and I didn't feel that they were that well developed. The reader is supposed to have empathy with Hallie about the loss of her sister, but we learn so little about her sister or their relationship until almost the end of the book that I had trouble caring. The father felt like a necessary game piece that was just placed in the book at strategic points to justify that Hallie had a base of operations. Hallie is just angry and cranky for the whole book which can be a part of grief, but it gets wearing on the reader.
My biggest complaint though was that I felt that the first 70% of the book almost nothing happened. There was a lot of driving around the open prairie on dirt and paved roads. There was a lot of Boyd wanting to say something, but not being able to or getting interrupted. There was almost going to breakfast, but never making it. A bartender almost said something helpful. I kept feeling like, "Oh, something is about to happen! But no." Even when something did happen like a fire or finding a body, Hallie would arrive, observe the event, and almost immediately wander off to sulk in the house or drive around the prairie some more.
Then when things finally start happening, I didn't feel like it made much sense. From the first part of the book I thought the reader would learn the rules of the supernatural world as Hallie did, but I still don't know the rules or the motivations of the villain other than "power." Hallie takes to hating the villain and threatening him midway through the book, but other than a few rumors, she didn't seem to have any evidence that he was behind everything. The villain uses symbols and blood to create weather and fire is all I got out of that, which is really vague for a world building novel. Hallie defeats him either with some power of her own combined with ghosts or just ghosts, I am not sure. These are uncommunicative ghosts that mostly hover and are cold for 90% of the book, but somehow manage to very rarely convey some small bit of knowledge and then WHAM defeat the villain in the end? Really?
I felt the book had potential, but it just didn't develop into anything I wanted to keep reading. I managed to slog all the way through, but I won't be picking up the sequel.
I did like the setting as South Dakota is not a standard setting for a paranormal book so that was refreshing. Also the main character doesn't know/ believe in magic and the supernatural so the reader and the main character are discovering the rules of the world together. It has a nice contemporary setting with the main character being a soldier in Afghanistan.
Now for the things I didn't like and the *****spoilers******. Some of these are minor and would have been overlooked if they hadn't all added up. ********SPOILERS*********
Hallie has started seeing ghosts just before the beginning of the book when she "died" in Afghanistan and wasn't breathing for 7 minutes after a war injury. Generally, not breathing for 7 minutes involves some serious trauma that lands you in the hospital for a while or on military medical leave, but apparently in this case they revived her and put her back on duty immediately as she only gets leave when her sister Dell dies back home in South Dakota. No one in South Dakota knows that Hallie has had a near death experience.
War zones are not exactly as isolated as they used to be. I am sure some soldiers on missions are out of touch for some time, but most soldiers these days Facebook and Skype like the rest of us so it is a bit surprising if Dell had been trying to get in touch with Hallie, that she had failed. Particularly, if Hallie had just had a medical emergency herself.
Most of the characters in the book other than Hallie and Boyd are completely flat, and I didn't feel that they were that well developed. The reader is supposed to have empathy with Hallie about the loss of her sister, but we learn so little about her sister or their relationship until almost the end of the book that I had trouble caring. The father felt like a necessary game piece that was just placed in the book at strategic points to justify that Hallie had a base of operations. Hallie is just angry and cranky for the whole book which can be a part of grief, but it gets wearing on the reader.
My biggest complaint though was that I felt that the first 70% of the book almost nothing happened. There was a lot of driving around the open prairie on dirt and paved roads. There was a lot of Boyd wanting to say something, but not being able to or getting interrupted. There was almost going to breakfast, but never making it. A bartender almost said something helpful. I kept feeling like, "Oh, something is about to happen! But no." Even when something did happen like a fire or finding a body, Hallie would arrive, observe the event, and almost immediately wander off to sulk in the house or drive around the prairie some more.
Then when things finally start happening, I didn't feel like it made much sense. From the first part of the book I thought the reader would learn the rules of the supernatural world as Hallie did, but I still don't know the rules or the motivations of the villain other than "power." Hallie takes to hating the villain and threatening him midway through the book, but other than a few rumors, she didn't seem to have any evidence that he was behind everything. The villain uses symbols and blood to create weather and fire is all I got out of that, which is really vague for a world building novel. Hallie defeats him either with some power of her own combined with ghosts or just ghosts, I am not sure. These are uncommunicative ghosts that mostly hover and are cold for 90% of the book, but somehow manage to very rarely convey some small bit of knowledge and then WHAM defeat the villain in the end? Really?
I felt the book had potential, but it just didn't develop into anything I wanted to keep reading. I managed to slog all the way through, but I won't be picking up the sequel.
August 6, 2013
Book Reports
Since her own brush with Death in Afghanistan fairly recently, Hallie sees ghosts. While home on temporary leave for the purported suicide of her sister Dell, she now sees her too. Only no one really believes it was suicide.
And so the mystery begins.
------
The cover is attractive, but, though it looks like a stormy night with a huge tree front and center, the book is about storms and lightning and murder in South Dakota. I'm not absolutely sure, but it seems to me that South Dakota is more about prairie grass than trees, which makes the cover not suitable, or at the very least, misleading.
Problems: Yes, punctuation is wrongly placed in many places, run on sentences prolific in the last half of the book. (Though I've noticed that trend in almost all mainstream books published in the last several years.)
[written while reading was in progress] 34 times-- that's how many times the protagonist's name "Hallie" is mentioned in the first FIVE pages! That's too many-- I'm hoping the author begins referring to her by other means soon. :/
I decided to keep track. By the 11th pg (pg 21), this is starting to slow down a little, 62 times by pg 21. .. 2 more pgs, 11 more "Hallies". It's beginning to look like 10 mentions for every 2 pages. By the end of Chap. 5, there are 173. Page 96 example "He saw Hallie immediately, an expression on her face that Hallie couldn't read." On page 196-- "... a half barrier between him and Hallie. Hallie sneered at him." A more complex sentence structure would be less choppy to read, and would still make clear that Hallie was involved, keeping the constant mentioning of her name to a minimum. The entire book of 293 pgs of print had "Hallie" mentioned 1275 times. That's 8.7 times for every two pages. (No, I don't usually count things like this in a book. This was the first, and hopefully, only time. I just found myself VERY distracted over far too many "Hallies".)
About characterization: I really didn't care a bit about the plight of any one of them. I don't need a "likeable protagonist", but keeping a reader reading is important. The only one I was even remotely interested in was Boyd, probably because he made me think of the guy agent in the witness protection tv show, In Plain Sight.
Originality: the idea is loosely similar to the Odd Thomas books by Koontz, though Gaiman came closer with HIS Odd series about a boy who talks with ghosts too and is even named the same. I guess the theme of "ghost talker" is becoming popular. Still, it seems wrong to me, unoriginal.
The book shows promise. Properly edited, it would have been a shorter book; but it would have been better. There's obviously a second book planned; but, if it's as roughly written as this one, and not better edited, I won't be reading it.
Since her own brush with Death in Afghanistan fairly recently, Hallie sees ghosts. While home on temporary leave for the purported suicide of her sister Dell, she now sees her too. Only no one really believes it was suicide.
And so the mystery begins.
------
The cover is attractive, but, though it looks like a stormy night with a huge tree front and center, the book is about storms and lightning and murder in South Dakota. I'm not absolutely sure, but it seems to me that South Dakota is more about prairie grass than trees, which makes the cover not suitable, or at the very least, misleading.
Problems: Yes, punctuation is wrongly placed in many places, run on sentences prolific in the last half of the book. (Though I've noticed that trend in almost all mainstream books published in the last several years.)
[written while reading was in progress] 34 times-- that's how many times the protagonist's name "Hallie" is mentioned in the first FIVE pages! That's too many-- I'm hoping the author begins referring to her by other means soon. :/
I decided to keep track. By the 11th pg (pg 21), this is starting to slow down a little, 62 times by pg 21. .. 2 more pgs, 11 more "Hallies". It's beginning to look like 10 mentions for every 2 pages. By the end of Chap. 5, there are 173. Page 96 example "He saw Hallie immediately, an expression on her face that Hallie couldn't read." On page 196-- "... a half barrier between him and Hallie. Hallie sneered at him." A more complex sentence structure would be less choppy to read, and would still make clear that Hallie was involved, keeping the constant mentioning of her name to a minimum. The entire book of 293 pgs of print had "Hallie" mentioned 1275 times. That's 8.7 times for every two pages. (No, I don't usually count things like this in a book. This was the first, and hopefully, only time. I just found myself VERY distracted over far too many "Hallies".)
About characterization: I really didn't care a bit about the plight of any one of them. I don't need a "likeable protagonist", but keeping a reader reading is important. The only one I was even remotely interested in was Boyd, probably because he made me think of the guy agent in the witness protection tv show, In Plain Sight.
Originality: the idea is loosely similar to the Odd Thomas books by Koontz, though Gaiman came closer with HIS Odd series about a boy who talks with ghosts too and is even named the same. I guess the theme of "ghost talker" is becoming popular. Still, it seems wrong to me, unoriginal.
The book shows promise. Properly edited, it would have been a shorter book; but it would have been better. There's obviously a second book planned; but, if it's as roughly written as this one, and not better edited, I won't be reading it.
June 3, 2013
Props to Tor for publishing something so far out of the box. Wide Open is urban fantasy... but not really. It's also a mystery... but not really. Partly literary... but not really. I'm not much of a UF or mystery reader, so props to the author as well for keeping me staring at the words on my glowing cell phone screen in bed, long after I should have been asleep.
I think, at its core, Wide Open is a traditional ghost story. Actually, it reminded me of a kind of adult version of the ghost stories I used to read when I was a kid... the genre exists in children's fiction, but not in adult, I think. I enjoyed returning to that sort of vaguely creepy-eerie milieu.
I also liked the stiff-upper-lip heroine, who obviously resembled her dad in so many ways. I felt like I shared a lot of similarities with her and could relate really well. When Boyd, the obvious love interest, made his first appearance, I rolled my eyes - but as the story progressed I really enjoyed how Coates handled their relationship. I think the first scene made me fear that it would be insta-love - kind of like "No I hate you but I can't resist you!" But it turned out not to be like that at all. Boyd was complex and hard to read and Hallie never swooned or anything silly like that.
Editorial quibble: There's a lot of repetition in the narrative - the kind that goes, Hallie didn't know this. Didn't know that. Didn't want to know whatever. Etc. A little is fine, but it went overboard at points and got a bit tiresome.
My other point of frustration was with the ghosts and Hallie's reactions to them, specifically her sister's. The ghosts are described as sort of gray and ethereal, and when they touch Hallie they feel cold. They spend a lot of time staring at random things, and do not often do anything that Hallie can really interpret. I liked this sort of ambiguity, but that was as far as Hallie went with her sister. I kept thinking that if the ghostly form of my dead sister were following me around, I'd spend a heck of a lot more time attempting to communicate with her, or at least reacting to the sight of her presence. Maybe have some sort of breakdown moment where Hallie screams at her in frustration? But none of that happened... Dell was just hanging around; uncomfortable, yes, but never really a huge deal or much remarked upon. That struck me as weird throughout the story.
Overall, I enjoyed this ghostly yarn enough to whiz right through it, and I found the oddity of its non-genre-ness to be refreshing and unique. There's a sequel, Deep Down, which I will likely be loading onto my Kindle very soon.
I think, at its core, Wide Open is a traditional ghost story. Actually, it reminded me of a kind of adult version of the ghost stories I used to read when I was a kid... the genre exists in children's fiction, but not in adult, I think. I enjoyed returning to that sort of vaguely creepy-eerie milieu.
I also liked the stiff-upper-lip heroine, who obviously resembled her dad in so many ways. I felt like I shared a lot of similarities with her and could relate really well. When Boyd, the obvious love interest, made his first appearance, I rolled my eyes - but as the story progressed I really enjoyed how Coates handled their relationship. I think the first scene made me fear that it would be insta-love - kind of like "No I hate you but I can't resist you!" But it turned out not to be like that at all. Boyd was complex and hard to read and Hallie never swooned or anything silly like that.
Editorial quibble: There's a lot of repetition in the narrative - the kind that goes, Hallie didn't know this. Didn't know that. Didn't want to know whatever. Etc. A little is fine, but it went overboard at points and got a bit tiresome.
My other point of frustration was with the ghosts and Hallie's reactions to them, specifically her sister's. The ghosts are described as sort of gray and ethereal, and when they touch Hallie they feel cold. They spend a lot of time staring at random things, and do not often do anything that Hallie can really interpret. I liked this sort of ambiguity, but that was as far as Hallie went with her sister. I kept thinking that if the ghostly form of my dead sister were following me around, I'd spend a heck of a lot more time attempting to communicate with her, or at least reacting to the sight of her presence. Maybe have some sort of breakdown moment where Hallie screams at her in frustration? But none of that happened... Dell was just hanging around; uncomfortable, yes, but never really a huge deal or much remarked upon. That struck me as weird throughout the story.
Overall, I enjoyed this ghostly yarn enough to whiz right through it, and I found the oddity of its non-genre-ness to be refreshing and unique. There's a sequel, Deep Down, which I will likely be loading onto my Kindle very soon.
March 13, 2012
A very imaginative chiller thriller combining some pretty cool elements--ghosts, the starkness of the prairie, the dynamics of small-town life, weather anomalies--for a spooky, fast-paced mystery. There's a hot cop, too :) The story clips along at a fast pace and features quite a few characters, all of which seem to either be hiding something or avoiding Hallie as she searches for answers in her sister's mysterious death. Only she seems to be the only person who thinks it's mysterious; everyone else accepts the explanation that she killed herself, and everyone seems to have connections to the new environmental company that's sprung up in Hallie's absence, Uku-Weber. Hallie quickly figures out that something is not right in her home town and that something is going on at Uku-Weber. Not only does she have a pile of ghosts haunting her and a couple of angry Uku-Weber guys stalking her, but the weather is acting crazy too. With everyone strangely apathetic to the circumstances, Hallie has no one to confide her suspicions to--no one except Boyd, the handsome deputy who desperately wants to help her but seems to have secrets of his own. Can Hallie lower her guard and accept his help in finding the truth before it's too late?
This was a quick, suspenseful read, but there were a few issues that kept me from enjoying the story to the fullest. I had a hard time connecting with Hallie. She's very abrasive and she holds everyone at arm's length--even the reader. I couldn't really understand why she acted the way she did, and I never felt like I got to know her. So it made it difficult to really root for her when I wanted to slap her at least once in every scene. I also thought the writing style was a bit rough--lots of stops and starts and em-dashes and half-realized thoughts. In a way it matches the subject matter and fits Hallie's personality, but it also made for some choppy reading. But this story is refreshingly different from anything else I've read lately, and I loved the wide open prairie setting. It created a perfect backdrop and really helped bring the story to life.
This was a quick, suspenseful read, but there were a few issues that kept me from enjoying the story to the fullest. I had a hard time connecting with Hallie. She's very abrasive and she holds everyone at arm's length--even the reader. I couldn't really understand why she acted the way she did, and I never felt like I got to know her. So it made it difficult to really root for her when I wanted to slap her at least once in every scene. I also thought the writing style was a bit rough--lots of stops and starts and em-dashes and half-realized thoughts. In a way it matches the subject matter and fits Hallie's personality, but it also made for some choppy reading. But this story is refreshingly different from anything else I've read lately, and I loved the wide open prairie setting. It created a perfect backdrop and really helped bring the story to life.
January 3, 2013
By the clearest definition of the word, Hallie Michaels is a soldier. She’s tough, she’s blunt and she prefers action to words. In Wide Open, she’s also home on a ten day leave to mourn the death of her sister, Dell. From Afghanistan, she’s brought more than war wounds and the violent memories of her seven minute death. Also tagging along is the ghost of her friend and fellow soldier and when she leaves the tarmac, she discovers that Dell’s ghost has joined the fray. It’s a ghostly group that only expands as the mysteries of the plot are revealed.
Dell was murdered and Hallie is determined to spend her ten day leave discovering who is responsible.
But there are obstacles in her way. Namely, the sheriff, Boyd, and her hometown friends who are convinced that Dell killed herself by wrapping her car around a tree. Hallie’s not buying it and she uses all her cunning, all the skills she’s acquired in the military to investigate her sister’s death and do it during her very brief leave.
The further she investigates Dell’s life prior to her death, the more secrets, lies and mysteries unfold. To complicate matters is her growing bond with Boyd and the odd weather patterns that seem to strike at will, damaging and killing with prejudice.
One could say that Hallie is an idealized feminist paradigm of what a female heroine can manage if given the room to stretch and grown. But Coates hasn’t written anything like that cliche. She’s crafted a story about a hero, a soldier, a fighter who happens to be female.
She has woven an intricate plot held together by characters that are dynamic and conflicts that are not easy to determine. Wide Open exhibits Coates’ heavily detailed research and personal experience that gives readers a story with not only heart, but gut.
Equal parts thriller and mystery with a unique supernatural bent, Wide Open will have readers clamoring for a re-read and with itchy fingers eager to get their hands on the next installment.
Highly recommended
Dell was murdered and Hallie is determined to spend her ten day leave discovering who is responsible.
But there are obstacles in her way. Namely, the sheriff, Boyd, and her hometown friends who are convinced that Dell killed herself by wrapping her car around a tree. Hallie’s not buying it and she uses all her cunning, all the skills she’s acquired in the military to investigate her sister’s death and do it during her very brief leave.
The further she investigates Dell’s life prior to her death, the more secrets, lies and mysteries unfold. To complicate matters is her growing bond with Boyd and the odd weather patterns that seem to strike at will, damaging and killing with prejudice.
One could say that Hallie is an idealized feminist paradigm of what a female heroine can manage if given the room to stretch and grown. But Coates hasn’t written anything like that cliche. She’s crafted a story about a hero, a soldier, a fighter who happens to be female.
She has woven an intricate plot held together by characters that are dynamic and conflicts that are not easy to determine. Wide Open exhibits Coates’ heavily detailed research and personal experience that gives readers a story with not only heart, but gut.
Equal parts thriller and mystery with a unique supernatural bent, Wide Open will have readers clamoring for a re-read and with itchy fingers eager to get their hands on the next installment.
Highly recommended
April 21, 2012
Hallie Michaels is home from Afghanistan, but not for a good reason. She has been given ten days compassionate leave to come home to bury her sister, Dell. She arrives home full of grief and straight from the war zone where she was recently involved in a firefight that left her dead for seven minutes. Hallie was brought back to life, but you can't say it didn't affect her. She can now see and feel ghosts, and her combat friend and Dell both go with her everywhere.
Hallie doesn't understand anything, it seems. She doesn't understand why or how Dell died, and there seems to be controversy about it at the sheriff's office. Some people are saying that Dell committed suicide and Hallie knows that can't be true. She doesn't understand why there are a series of mysterious fires in the area; fires that seem intentional and focused like arson but are started by lightning. She doesn't understand how a man she dated a few times before entering the military is now the head of a new company that is employing more and more people in the area, but none of the employees can describe exactly what the company does. She can't understand whether she likes or dislikes the new deputy in town, Boyd, who seems a part of it all. Most of all, she can't understand why so many women in the area have gone missing in the last few years while she has been away.
Deborah Coates has written a knock-your-socks-off story in this debut novel. It is hard to characterize, as there are elements of feminism, of magic, of life on the ranches and farms of South Dakota. Coates has created one of the strongest heroines imaginable in Hallie, a women who has seen a lot and is not ready to roll over and give in to despair. It has crime and fantasy, all the elements mixed into a glorious tale that grabs the reader by the throat and won't let go. The story builds to a gripping finale, one that leaves the reader gasping. This book is recommended for both mystery and fantasy readers.
Hallie doesn't understand anything, it seems. She doesn't understand why or how Dell died, and there seems to be controversy about it at the sheriff's office. Some people are saying that Dell committed suicide and Hallie knows that can't be true. She doesn't understand why there are a series of mysterious fires in the area; fires that seem intentional and focused like arson but are started by lightning. She doesn't understand how a man she dated a few times before entering the military is now the head of a new company that is employing more and more people in the area, but none of the employees can describe exactly what the company does. She can't understand whether she likes or dislikes the new deputy in town, Boyd, who seems a part of it all. Most of all, she can't understand why so many women in the area have gone missing in the last few years while she has been away.
Deborah Coates has written a knock-your-socks-off story in this debut novel. It is hard to characterize, as there are elements of feminism, of magic, of life on the ranches and farms of South Dakota. Coates has created one of the strongest heroines imaginable in Hallie, a women who has seen a lot and is not ready to roll over and give in to despair. It has crime and fantasy, all the elements mixed into a glorious tale that grabs the reader by the throat and won't let go. The story builds to a gripping finale, one that leaves the reader gasping. This book is recommended for both mystery and fantasy readers.
October 11, 2021
Hallie is a young soldier on leave from her unit in Afghanistan due to her sister's murder. She has erected major walls around her heart because of her experiences and has a huge chip on her shoulder. Her biggest issue was her apparent death for 7 minutes, while on duty, which has gifted her with the ability to see ghosts upon her return to the land of the living. Her sister, Dell's, death ruled an apparent suicide, Hallie goes through the motions of planning the funeral because her good 'ol boy father is too out of touch with his emotions to do it himself. Hallie, however, is unconvinced that her sister killed herself and suspects there was foul play. Her suspicions are confirmed when Dell's ghost appears with the unspoken message that Hallie must get to the bottom of what really happened. Hallie has only 7 days--the extent of her leave to do it.
This is where things fall apart. The story is mediocre and the plausibility of it unconvincing; the characters lack depth and are uninteresting and the romance between Hallie and Boyd contrived. Hallie is so damaged that you wonder why Boyd even bothers trying to muck through Hallie's BS. Boyd is unengaging and the entire story surrounding Dell's death completely unbelievable. Our author never takes the time to convincingly explain what was going on with this Ubu-Weber Company or how its owner has the ability to do the things he does. We aren't told who he is and why he is so evil. He is just the bad guy and we have to accept it. Grammatical errors and poorly constructed sentences seriously hinders the flow of this train wreck of a novel. Life is just too short for mediocre books.
There is even a few pages of the sequel to this book. Ugh! Read it, but was more of the same. Not worth my time. Run away from this one, folks.
This is where things fall apart. The story is mediocre and the plausibility of it unconvincing; the characters lack depth and are uninteresting and the romance between Hallie and Boyd contrived. Hallie is so damaged that you wonder why Boyd even bothers trying to muck through Hallie's BS. Boyd is unengaging and the entire story surrounding Dell's death completely unbelievable. Our author never takes the time to convincingly explain what was going on with this Ubu-Weber Company or how its owner has the ability to do the things he does. We aren't told who he is and why he is so evil. He is just the bad guy and we have to accept it. Grammatical errors and poorly constructed sentences seriously hinders the flow of this train wreck of a novel. Life is just too short for mediocre books.
There is even a few pages of the sequel to this book. Ugh! Read it, but was more of the same. Not worth my time. Run away from this one, folks.
March 13, 2012
Hallie Michaels sister has died. She returns to South Dakota on compassionate leave from the war in Afghanistan. She only has her leave to figure it out what may have happened and she's not exactly thrilled about seeing ghosts including that of her sister, Dell. She's sure that Dell has not committed suicide.
Hallie is a woman of action and very few words. She's angry and often acts without thinking, but her actions elicit responses that give her clues to what is going on. At times I found Hallie grating. By the end of the novel she seems to be opening a little. There are glimpses of something more than just anger in Hallie.
Boyd Davies, a local Sheriff's Deputy, offers a nice counterbalance to Hallie. Where Hallie would rush in swinging, Boyd would hold her back both to protect her and because he's a Deputy. He often knows that holding Hallie back is not going to happen, but he is there for her... if she'd accept the help. Hallie reluctantly teams up with Boyd to figure out what is going on. Boyd has his own secrets too, which may or may not help Hallie.
Hallie interacts with many of the people she grew up with and most of them are there for supporting roles. We certainly get glimpses of Hallie's life before she joined the Army. With few exceptions it does not seem that much has changed back home. Most of her friends and acquaintances are unaware of the magic swirling around them and the bad things that have been done.
The South Dakota setting makes a wonderful backdrop for Wide Open. Deborah Coates does a terrific job of creating the 'place' of the story. Wide Open is an enjoyable rural fantasy. I'm looking forward to reading more about Hallie and Boyd.
I give Wide Open 4 Qwills.
Hallie is a woman of action and very few words. She's angry and often acts without thinking, but her actions elicit responses that give her clues to what is going on. At times I found Hallie grating. By the end of the novel she seems to be opening a little. There are glimpses of something more than just anger in Hallie.
Boyd Davies, a local Sheriff's Deputy, offers a nice counterbalance to Hallie. Where Hallie would rush in swinging, Boyd would hold her back both to protect her and because he's a Deputy. He often knows that holding Hallie back is not going to happen, but he is there for her... if she'd accept the help. Hallie reluctantly teams up with Boyd to figure out what is going on. Boyd has his own secrets too, which may or may not help Hallie.
Hallie interacts with many of the people she grew up with and most of them are there for supporting roles. We certainly get glimpses of Hallie's life before she joined the Army. With few exceptions it does not seem that much has changed back home. Most of her friends and acquaintances are unaware of the magic swirling around them and the bad things that have been done.
The South Dakota setting makes a wonderful backdrop for Wide Open. Deborah Coates does a terrific job of creating the 'place' of the story. Wide Open is an enjoyable rural fantasy. I'm looking forward to reading more about Hallie and Boyd.
I give Wide Open 4 Qwills.
March 25, 2012
A tough, self-contained heroine, I was invested in Hallie and her mythology immediately. The ghosts that silently haunt her made for a believable and compelling story, but the unfolding conspiracy and villain (to steal a quote from one of the characters) "seem[ed] so.. unlikely."
With all the Urban Fantasy I enjoy I like to think that I’m pretty adept at suspending disbelief, but perhaps that skill makes it all the more jarring when I can’t. I loved Hallie. Her silent suffering and in-your-face willingness to fight was awesome and fit very well with a woman returning from war with a few psychic “extras”. The believability of Hallie’s part of the story made me all the more resistant to the conspiracy and magic that ultimately unfolded around the villain. I kept waiting for an answer that was as simple and realistic as Hallie’s own situation. Coates did a great job writing compelling characters of mixed motivation in every instance except the actual ring-leader (even local bad-boy Pete made a poignant almost-match for Hallie’s dead sister, despite his predilection for violence and hanging out with would-be rapists). While the critical failure of the villain lowered this book from 4 bats to 3, it by no means spoiled my enjoyment of the story overall.
Hallie Michaels brought to mind a scrappier version of her sister-in-arms, Bryn Davis, as well as the specter of Harper Connelly. Though I wasn’t won over by the main plot, Hallie herself was a pleasure to read and I'm definitely eager to revisit her, Boyd, and their supernatural, small town.
Sexual Content: Attempted rape, kissing.
With all the Urban Fantasy I enjoy I like to think that I’m pretty adept at suspending disbelief, but perhaps that skill makes it all the more jarring when I can’t. I loved Hallie. Her silent suffering and in-your-face willingness to fight was awesome and fit very well with a woman returning from war with a few psychic “extras”. The believability of Hallie’s part of the story made me all the more resistant to the conspiracy and magic that ultimately unfolded around the villain. I kept waiting for an answer that was as simple and realistic as Hallie’s own situation. Coates did a great job writing compelling characters of mixed motivation in every instance except the actual ring-leader (even local bad-boy Pete made a poignant almost-match for Hallie’s dead sister, despite his predilection for violence and hanging out with would-be rapists). While the critical failure of the villain lowered this book from 4 bats to 3, it by no means spoiled my enjoyment of the story overall.
Hallie Michaels brought to mind a scrappier version of her sister-in-arms, Bryn Davis, as well as the specter of Harper Connelly. Though I wasn’t won over by the main plot, Hallie herself was a pleasure to read and I'm definitely eager to revisit her, Boyd, and their supernatural, small town.
Sexual Content: Attempted rape, kissing.
June 4, 2013
Wide Open is definitely different from the normal read. Deborah Coates definitely has a way of holding her readers, leaving them yearning for more. This was a great change for me and I am incredibly eager to begin the second book in the series called Deep Down.
While being overseas and fighting in a war is hard enough, Sergeant Hallie Micheals is about to discover that her life is going to become that much more difficult. Receiving a phone call informing her of her sisters sudden death, she rushes off to her hometown.
Upon arrival with absolutely no calls from her father, preparing her for what is to come, she hears the cause of her sisters death. She knows the story can't be right, She knew her sister all to well for something like that to happen. And she makes it her top priority to find out the truth and what's really going on.
The mysteries that she uncovers leaves her that much more confused and desperate to find out what everyone is hiding. Being on a ten day leave makes it that much more challenging. If she ever reaches the truth of what's going on in this town and the real cause of her sister's death, will she even be able to do anything about it? Or will it be for nothing?
While being overseas and fighting in a war is hard enough, Sergeant Hallie Micheals is about to discover that her life is going to become that much more difficult. Receiving a phone call informing her of her sisters sudden death, she rushes off to her hometown.
Upon arrival with absolutely no calls from her father, preparing her for what is to come, she hears the cause of her sisters death. She knows the story can't be right, She knew her sister all to well for something like that to happen. And she makes it her top priority to find out the truth and what's really going on.
The mysteries that she uncovers leaves her that much more confused and desperate to find out what everyone is hiding. Being on a ten day leave makes it that much more challenging. If she ever reaches the truth of what's going on in this town and the real cause of her sister's death, will she even be able to do anything about it? Or will it be for nothing?
May 15, 2013
This book. THIS BOOK.
Hallie is on leave from the Army because her sister committed suicide. While in Afghanistan, she died for seven minutes, and now she can see ghosts. She's suffering from some PTSD, a lot of grief, and the belief that there is no way in hell that her sister would have killed herself. It sounds like a pretty typical setup for an urban fantasy novel - and it is - but the way this book is written rocked my face off. It was gloomy, moody, atmospheric, and just so deliciously dark. And Hallie is bad-friggin'-ass.
By the end of the book, she's tearing around with a shotgun, and I was all a-squirming with glee at her badassery. The actual conflict of the book was much better in the first 50%, when we didn't really know what was going on, but the heroine was so awesome in the final act that it made up for the reduced suspense at the end.
I also very much appreciated Deputy Hotness, who was a sezzy beta male to match Hallie's alpha badassness. He can iron my jeans anytime.
I already went and bought the sequel, but I'm not going to let myself start on it until I'm prepared to read for three hours solid. I couldn't put this one down once I started it. Flippin' awesome.
Hallie is on leave from the Army because her sister committed suicide. While in Afghanistan, she died for seven minutes, and now she can see ghosts. She's suffering from some PTSD, a lot of grief, and the belief that there is no way in hell that her sister would have killed herself. It sounds like a pretty typical setup for an urban fantasy novel - and it is - but the way this book is written rocked my face off. It was gloomy, moody, atmospheric, and just so deliciously dark. And Hallie is bad-friggin'-ass.
By the end of the book, she's tearing around with a shotgun, and I was all a-squirming with glee at her badassery. The actual conflict of the book was much better in the first 50%, when we didn't really know what was going on, but the heroine was so awesome in the final act that it made up for the reduced suspense at the end.
I also very much appreciated Deputy Hotness, who was a sezzy beta male to match Hallie's alpha badassness. He can iron my jeans anytime.
I already went and bought the sequel, but I'm not going to let myself start on it until I'm prepared to read for three hours solid. I couldn't put this one down once I started it. Flippin' awesome.
July 23, 2014
Not much of a title, but the book itself I found face-paced and intriguing. I feel like I've read a lot of "dead relative" stories lately, and very few of them have conveyed so accurately not the sorrow and weeping but the dullness and rage that (in my experience) accompany the loss of someone close to you. So kudos for that, and for showing the main character tackling her grief by stubbornly and angrily solving the mystery around her sister's death. If only everyone could be lucky enough to get that kind of closure.
Some readers may find the lack of detailed explanation for the supernatural goings-on frustrating, but I thought it was appropriate under the circumstances (and really, how much detail do you need? It's magic). My chief frustration was, for the first half of the book, all the conversations were elliptical to the point of obfuscation. "I need to--" "What?" "Never mind." WHAT? But it's a quick read, and the clues actually do start piling up after a while.
Some readers may find the lack of detailed explanation for the supernatural goings-on frustrating, but I thought it was appropriate under the circumstances (and really, how much detail do you need? It's magic). My chief frustration was, for the first half of the book, all the conversations were elliptical to the point of obfuscation. "I need to--" "What?" "Never mind." WHAT? But it's a quick read, and the clues actually do start piling up after a while.
July 3, 2016
Hallie Michaels is a soldier fighting in Afghanistan when she is sent home to South Dakota for 10 days of compassionate leave after the death of her sister, allegedly from suicide. Hallie is greeted at the airport by her sister's ghost, and soon Hallie begins learning of other young women who have just disappeared, and is joined by additional ghosts. With only 10 days to figure out what happened to her sister, and who all these other ghostly women are, Hallie is on a mission that may put her in as much danger as she faces on the battlefield.
This book has been classified as contemporary fantasy, and that seems a fitting label. The major characters are drawn believably, even as the challenges they face are in the supernatural realm. The story is well plotted, for the most part. I will be interested in seeing how the next in this series unfolds.
This book has been classified as contemporary fantasy, and that seems a fitting label. The major characters are drawn believably, even as the challenges they face are in the supernatural realm. The story is well plotted, for the most part. I will be interested in seeing how the next in this series unfolds.
March 10, 2012
Wide Open isn’t what you’d expect from an urban fantasy. While this is the first book in a series, it is nicely self-contained with no cliffhanger ending to annoy readers. Coates really brings South Dakota to life, and uses the plains as an important story telling instrument. Her writing is lyrical and incredibly atmospheric. If, occasionally, the characterization lacks or the dialogue is slightly stilted, it’s easily overlooked. Wide Open is an incredibly solid, fast paced book that is a welcome step away from typical. Coates is an author worth keeping an eye on.
Read my full review here:
http://bookwormblues.blogspot.com/201...
Read my full review here:
http://bookwormblues.blogspot.com/201...
August 15, 2013
This book is a knockout. Deborah Coates very cleverly depicts a heroine who is a no-nonsense sergeant in the army, and this give the book an air of hyper-reality. The appearance of the ghosts and the ensuing action are all the more terrifying in this plain-speaking, just-the-facts atmosphere.
April 17, 2017
One of the best aspects of fantasy fiction is that there are no limits on where it can go or what it can do. It can take you to another world or bring magic to the most mundane setting. Over the last several years urban fantasy has been huge; a trend that fuses the bustle of the city with wild magic that often features vampires, werewolves and witches. But Deborah Coates goes an entirely different route with her ghost story that takes us to the plains of South Dakota.
Sergeant Hallie Michaels is called home from duty in Afghanistan with the awful news that her sister Dell has been killed in a tragic accident. But when Hallie gets off the plane and sees Dell's ghost, she begins to suspect that circumstances are not as simple as everyone wants her to think they are.
As Hallie begins looking into the circumstances behind Dell's death, she's brushed off as being too grief-stricken to accept that there was no foul play involved-- the sheriff even going so far to suggest it's a suicide. But Dell's ghostly presence tells Hallie that something else is happening. and when the ghosts of more young women begin to appear, Hallie realizes that something big is going on in her little town.
As Hallie returns to her old haunts in search of answers, she finds an unexpected ally in Boyd Davies, the new deputy sheriff, who always seems to be there when she needs him. But Boyd is also a mystery: too perfectly good looking and tidy to a fault. He seems to help Hallie even as he tries to dissuade her from digging into Del's death-- which only fuels Hallie's determination to find the truth.
Wide Open
is an interesting book. It has a different pace; one that feels a bit rambling and takes a little time to get used to. And I didn't think I was into the book until I unexpectedly teared-up when Hallie calls the fiance of a young man who was killed in her unit in Afghanistan-- one whose ghost followed her back home.
That moment was a pivotal point for me in "Wide Open" because the only emotion displayed by Hallie up to this point was anger-- and it's still her dominant characteristic throughout. This humanizing moment adds a lot of depth to Hallie and gives us a window into a person who has seen too much and armored herself with a bitter emotional shell that doesn't come down except in moments of vulnerability; and those don't come often.
The supernatural elements of "Wide Open" are subtle for the most part. Rather than go for the more violent, harsh aspects that are featured so often in urban fantasy, Coates chooses to populate her story with ghosts that are generally passive, though determined to find closure to their unresolved issues. Hallie, having had her own brush with death, is the only one who can see the ghosts and it's a disquieting reminder of the war she expects to return to. Hallie's not the type to shy away from confrontation- and she does get into a scrape or two- but the story never veers into anything graphic, and I found that to be a nice change of pace.
Hallie is one of those characters I could never get a physical feel for as she isn't described in detail, but I felt I knew her nonetheless. Coates has a way of painting a picture of a personality and I could really relate to Hallie as she'd grit her teeth in impatience at a friend who would ramble on with pointless conversation or describe herself as "big-picture messy." The way she'd look for something to hit, something to stoke her anger to keep her fear at bay. Her low-key way of communicating with her equally-stubborn father. All of these things make Hallie seem real.
Unfortunately the rest of the characters don't quite have the fullness of personality that Hallie has. The villains of the story aren't given more than one or two characteristics, like a mean streak or an unusual ability to listen when someone speaks. The back-stories are outlined but not really filled in enough to give them proper motives and the ultimate goal of the main villain seems sketchy and unrealized. Boyd is probably given the most physical detail of any character, including Hallie, but his story isn't really addressed until toward the end of the book and is isn't quite enough to make him as well-rounded a romantic interest as he could have been. Dell is also a character I would have liked to have seen developed a little more. Who she was and what role she played in her own death are touched on but never described in detail and so it was hard to feel invested in caring in that part of the story beyond a superficial level.
The strength in "Wide Open" is in the mood Coates sets. Hallie drives the story with her angry disposition and her attempts to stifle her frustrations while dealing with family, friends and old enemies. Her journey is strange yet still recognizable because we've all had those moments of going back home and, no matter what our life experiences have been, feeling as if we're being shoved back into the same routine of our former lives. But in this story strange magic and ghostly apparitions are a stark reminder that Hallie's home has changed-- and not for the better.
"Wide Open" is slightly uneven in detail but rich in atmosphere. Hallie's character defines the personality of the book and it is a unique combination of anger, frustration, wistfulness, sadness and an abiding, if understated, love. I might have wished for more detail from the book, but it was certainly never lacking in mood and for that alone I really enjoyed it. "Wide Open" ends in its own open-ended fashion, leaving room for a sequel, and I sincerely hope I get the chance to spend some more time with Hallie.
Sergeant Hallie Michaels is called home from duty in Afghanistan with the awful news that her sister Dell has been killed in a tragic accident. But when Hallie gets off the plane and sees Dell's ghost, she begins to suspect that circumstances are not as simple as everyone wants her to think they are.
As Hallie begins looking into the circumstances behind Dell's death, she's brushed off as being too grief-stricken to accept that there was no foul play involved-- the sheriff even going so far to suggest it's a suicide. But Dell's ghostly presence tells Hallie that something else is happening. and when the ghosts of more young women begin to appear, Hallie realizes that something big is going on in her little town.
As Hallie returns to her old haunts in search of answers, she finds an unexpected ally in Boyd Davies, the new deputy sheriff, who always seems to be there when she needs him. But Boyd is also a mystery: too perfectly good looking and tidy to a fault. He seems to help Hallie even as he tries to dissuade her from digging into Del's death-- which only fuels Hallie's determination to find the truth.
Wide Open
is an interesting book. It has a different pace; one that feels a bit rambling and takes a little time to get used to. And I didn't think I was into the book until I unexpectedly teared-up when Hallie calls the fiance of a young man who was killed in her unit in Afghanistan-- one whose ghost followed her back home.
Hallie knew what she was supposed to say, not just what was expected, but what was true, but she hadn't ever said it. And now she was saying it for a ghost who couldn't say if for himself. Shit. She pressed the heel of her hand against her cheekbone just under her right eye, sucked in a breath, and said, "He loved you. He did. He told me that you read books all the time and he couldn't get over that-- how many books you read, that you talked about them like they were real-- the characters in them and the things they did. He told me before he met you, he only cared about math, that he didn't think anyone needed any of that other stuff-- English and other languages and history. He said you made him see the world. He told me he didn't even know he wanted someone until he met you."
Estelle was crying hard now. Hallie rubbed a finger over her eye. "Look," she said. "I'm sorry. I'm-- it was stupid to call. I shouldn't have--"
No! It's all right! It's--" She drew in a breath. "Thank you. Just for a minute, I could see him again, like he was here."
That moment was a pivotal point for me in "Wide Open" because the only emotion displayed by Hallie up to this point was anger-- and it's still her dominant characteristic throughout. This humanizing moment adds a lot of depth to Hallie and gives us a window into a person who has seen too much and armored herself with a bitter emotional shell that doesn't come down except in moments of vulnerability; and those don't come often.
The supernatural elements of "Wide Open" are subtle for the most part. Rather than go for the more violent, harsh aspects that are featured so often in urban fantasy, Coates chooses to populate her story with ghosts that are generally passive, though determined to find closure to their unresolved issues. Hallie, having had her own brush with death, is the only one who can see the ghosts and it's a disquieting reminder of the war she expects to return to. Hallie's not the type to shy away from confrontation- and she does get into a scrape or two- but the story never veers into anything graphic, and I found that to be a nice change of pace.
Hallie is one of those characters I could never get a physical feel for as she isn't described in detail, but I felt I knew her nonetheless. Coates has a way of painting a picture of a personality and I could really relate to Hallie as she'd grit her teeth in impatience at a friend who would ramble on with pointless conversation or describe herself as "big-picture messy." The way she'd look for something to hit, something to stoke her anger to keep her fear at bay. Her low-key way of communicating with her equally-stubborn father. All of these things make Hallie seem real.
Unfortunately the rest of the characters don't quite have the fullness of personality that Hallie has. The villains of the story aren't given more than one or two characteristics, like a mean streak or an unusual ability to listen when someone speaks. The back-stories are outlined but not really filled in enough to give them proper motives and the ultimate goal of the main villain seems sketchy and unrealized. Boyd is probably given the most physical detail of any character, including Hallie, but his story isn't really addressed until toward the end of the book and is isn't quite enough to make him as well-rounded a romantic interest as he could have been. Dell is also a character I would have liked to have seen developed a little more. Who she was and what role she played in her own death are touched on but never described in detail and so it was hard to feel invested in caring in that part of the story beyond a superficial level.
The strength in "Wide Open" is in the mood Coates sets. Hallie drives the story with her angry disposition and her attempts to stifle her frustrations while dealing with family, friends and old enemies. Her journey is strange yet still recognizable because we've all had those moments of going back home and, no matter what our life experiences have been, feeling as if we're being shoved back into the same routine of our former lives. But in this story strange magic and ghostly apparitions are a stark reminder that Hallie's home has changed-- and not for the better.
"Wide Open" is slightly uneven in detail but rich in atmosphere. Hallie's character defines the personality of the book and it is a unique combination of anger, frustration, wistfulness, sadness and an abiding, if understated, love. I might have wished for more detail from the book, but it was certainly never lacking in mood and for that alone I really enjoyed it. "Wide Open" ends in its own open-ended fashion, leaving room for a sequel, and I sincerely hope I get the chance to spend some more time with Hallie.
January 6, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. There's a nice mix of down-to-earth and supernatural.
Our heroine, Hallie, died for a few minutes while on tour in Afghanistan. Ever since then, she's been seeing ghosts. First, Eddie, who died in Afghanistan and has followed her around since; then, her sister Dell, who died in a car accident everyone is saying committed suicide. The ghosts don't speak to her...they just follow her around and stare at things they find interesting. Hallie knows Dell would never have killed herself, so she sets out to uncover the mystery of what actually happened. The more she uncovers, the less everything makes sense...
The plotline is interesting and the characters are well-developed. The ending was an interesting surprise; I suspected the villain from the start, but how it all actually worked surprised me.
Part of a series but can be read as a standalone.
Our heroine, Hallie, died for a few minutes while on tour in Afghanistan. Ever since then, she's been seeing ghosts. First, Eddie, who died in Afghanistan and has followed her around since; then, her sister Dell, who died in a car accident everyone is saying committed suicide. The ghosts don't speak to her...they just follow her around and stare at things they find interesting. Hallie knows Dell would never have killed herself, so she sets out to uncover the mystery of what actually happened. The more she uncovers, the less everything makes sense...
The plotline is interesting and the characters are well-developed. The ending was an interesting surprise; I suspected the villain from the start, but how it all actually worked surprised me.
Part of a series but can be read as a standalone.
July 31, 2018
Coates has written a fast-paced fantasy mystery with sweeping desolate landscapes, believable characters, and a little magic. I enjoyed the portrayal of the ghosts – they were driven by their own purposes, they were clearly otherworldly, they were not just “people dressed up as ghosts”. They were quite believable. The main character is also richly drawn, with her inner struggles and suspicions, and I really liked her, even when she was being a horse’s arse. My only small quibble with this book is that the source of evil is a little too fantastical for my liking; I prefer it when the magical elements lie just below the surface of reality, and are often difficult to differentiate. This is another case where the cover art doesn’t match the book, but I’ll forgive it, since the story was so good.
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