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Crooked River
Full of emotion and suspense, Crooked River is an inventive and atmospheric story about family and friendship, good and evil, secrets and lies, grief and forgiveness
Where should I start? With Mom's funeral? Or a week earlier on the Fourth of July, the day she died? Or should I skip all that stuff and get straight to the part where Ollie and I just wanted to go swimming and pretend our lives were ordinary again, but when we got down to the river we found another dead woman instead?
Still grieving over the sudden death of their mother, fifteen-year-old Sam McAlister and her ten-year-old sister, Ollie, move from the comforts of Eugene to rural Oregon to live in a meadow in a teepee under the stars with Bear, their reclusive beekeeper father. But soon after they arrive in Terrebone, a young woman is found dead floating in Crooked River and the police arrest their eccentric father for the murder.
He is not evil. I am not good.
We are the same: broken and put back together again.
Sam knows that Bear is not a killer, even though the evidence points to his guilt—including information that she and Ollie have uncovered. Filled with remorse and refusing to accept that her father could have hurt anyone, Sam embarks on a desperate hunt to save him and keep her damaged family together. They had mysteriously lost Bear once before and Sam is terrified they will lose him again. Only this time they won't ever get him back. She needs Ollie to help her, but Ollie has not spoken a word since their mother's death.
I see things no one else does.
I see them there and wish I didn't. I want to tell and I can't.
Ollie, too, knows that Bear is innocent. The Shimmering have told her so. One followed her home from her mom's funeral and continues to hover, a spectrum of colors—pink and rose red, sky blue and honey gold. Now another, coiled and hissing, is following Sam. Both spirits warn Ollie: the real killer is out there, waiting. Somehow, she must warn her sister. But Ollie worries that if she tries to speak—even to write—the Shimmering will slip inside her, take control, and never leave.
Sam and Ollie must find the truth quickly—a search that will lead them to unexpected secrets and terrible lies—because the danger is closer to them than either girl knows.
Told in Sam's and Ollie's vibrant voices, Crooked River is a family story, a coming-of-age story, a ghost story, and a psychological mystery as haunting as the best Southern gothic fiction that will touch your heart and grip you until the final page.
Where should I start? With Mom's funeral? Or a week earlier on the Fourth of July, the day she died? Or should I skip all that stuff and get straight to the part where Ollie and I just wanted to go swimming and pretend our lives were ordinary again, but when we got down to the river we found another dead woman instead?
Still grieving over the sudden death of their mother, fifteen-year-old Sam McAlister and her ten-year-old sister, Ollie, move from the comforts of Eugene to rural Oregon to live in a meadow in a teepee under the stars with Bear, their reclusive beekeeper father. But soon after they arrive in Terrebone, a young woman is found dead floating in Crooked River and the police arrest their eccentric father for the murder.
He is not evil. I am not good.
We are the same: broken and put back together again.
Sam knows that Bear is not a killer, even though the evidence points to his guilt—including information that she and Ollie have uncovered. Filled with remorse and refusing to accept that her father could have hurt anyone, Sam embarks on a desperate hunt to save him and keep her damaged family together. They had mysteriously lost Bear once before and Sam is terrified they will lose him again. Only this time they won't ever get him back. She needs Ollie to help her, but Ollie has not spoken a word since their mother's death.
I see things no one else does.
I see them there and wish I didn't. I want to tell and I can't.
Ollie, too, knows that Bear is innocent. The Shimmering have told her so. One followed her home from her mom's funeral and continues to hover, a spectrum of colors—pink and rose red, sky blue and honey gold. Now another, coiled and hissing, is following Sam. Both spirits warn Ollie: the real killer is out there, waiting. Somehow, she must warn her sister. But Ollie worries that if she tries to speak—even to write—the Shimmering will slip inside her, take control, and never leave.
Sam and Ollie must find the truth quickly—a search that will lead them to unexpected secrets and terrible lies—because the danger is closer to them than either girl knows.
Told in Sam's and Ollie's vibrant voices, Crooked River is a family story, a coming-of-age story, a ghost story, and a psychological mystery as haunting as the best Southern gothic fiction that will touch your heart and grip you until the final page.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published October 14, 2014
77 people are currently reading
2752 people want to read
About the author
Valerie Geary
11 books87 followersValerie Geary is the author of four books, including the Brett Buchanan Mystery Series and Crooked River, her debut and a finalist for the Oregon Book Award. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and a rescue dog named Charlie Waffles.
Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube to find out what she’s reading. Or sign up for her monthly newsletter to receive discounts, free books, and a behind-the-scenes look at her writing and hiking life: www.valeriegeary.com
Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube to find out what she’s reading. Or sign up for her monthly newsletter to receive discounts, free books, and a behind-the-scenes look at her writing and hiking life: www.valeriegeary.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 276 reviews
February 29, 2024
Fifteen-year-old Sam McAlister and her ten-year-old sister, Ollie, have had a crap summer. On the Fourth of July their mother died of a heart attack in Eugene, Oregon. They are staying now with their father, whom they call “Bear.” He has been living for some time in a teepee on a piece of rented land outside the thriving metropolis of Terrebonne, OR, doing odd jobs, raising bees, and mostly keeping to himself. Normally they would have spent only August with their dad, but now it is looking like a more permanent arrangement, if, that is, their mother’s parents can be persuaded that he is up to the task. And just when it looked like it couldn’t get any worse…
The missing father has been a literary trope for quite some time, in adult as well as in YA literature. The one that jumps up for me is Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time. While Sam’s father did not vanish while working on a tesseract, and is not actually gone here, at least until he is arrested, he had been largely absent from his children’s lives for many years. Now, in the face of the calamitous loss of their mother, the girls must contend with the possible loss of their father too. There is probably a message here about the need for both the urban (mom) and the natural (mountain man father). Sam is called upon to utilize both her city and country skills to try to save Bear, and in fact engages in a very Campbellian quest to find out who he really is. She must find her inner strength and overcome, or fail before, some very real-world perils in attempting to bring back the knowledge gained in her quest, and put it to use, as she comes of age. But if you want to see her as just getting in touch with her inner Nancy Drew, that works too.
Valerie Geary – from her Facebook pages
The cast includes a kindly elderly couple on whose land Bear had been living, suitable grandparent sorts. There is a young man of diverse intentions. Sam feels drawn to him. Ollie sees him more truly than her sister does. A somewhat reasonable sheriff offers a glint of understanding; a somewhat peculiar artist looking to make a comeback is both sad and scary; his wife is not the most welcoming of shop-keepers; and a local cleric may be up to no good. At core this is a mystery. Who killed the floater and why? And why was Bear living in a teepee on rented land? Why had he abandoned his family years earlier? Sam is certain that Bear is innocent and sets out to prove it. Even Ollie take some dodgy risks trying to find out the truths at play here, but this is no children‘s story.
ART DIRECTION
Every novel incorporates a palette, colors, furnishings, places and/or images that help illuminate elements of the characters, set a mood, pull us through the story with externals that cast light on themes and the characters themselves. In Crooked River, trees are a part of the landscape, serving both to remind us that the setting is rural, and marking some significant locations as well. Bees figure large here. Bear is a bee-keeper. We get to see him as a good daddy taking care of the bees and training Sam to do the same. A bit of bee mythology is noted that might inform events. One bee leads to a clue. A hive comes into play.
Sam is both an engaging sort and bloody infuriating for all the planning-challenged adolescent choices she makes. You may find yourself shrieking “Schmuck” at the character as I did, but hey, teenager. They are expected to make some bad choices. I was not entirely persuaded about Bear’s decision to live where and how he did and thought some of his decisions were a bit adolescent as well, however well-intentioned. So there is a bit of credibility straining going on. But if you are willing to accept a young girl seeing ghosts, I suppose you give up the right to grouse about less obvious stretches.
SUM
Despite the above, Crooked River is not only a fine example of a classical literary approach, it is a serious page-turner. Sam is a good kid, a character we can admire as well as chastise. You will care about her, and her much-beset younger sib, and will keep turning those pages to see where Crooked River will take them, and you, next. There are plenty of bends here and the water is choppy. But it is a journey well worth taking. Straight business.
Review first posted - 6/27/14
Publication date – 10/14/14 - hardcover - 7/21/15 - trade paper
This review has also been posted at Cootsreviews.com
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to the author’s personal, Twitter, Google + and FB pages
An article on writing Geary wrote for Writer’s Digest, 7 Things I’ve Learned So Far
We found the woman floating facedown in an eddy where the Crooked River made a slow bend north, just a stone skip away from the best swimming hole this side of anywhere. Her emerald-green blouse was torn half open and her dark, pleated skirt was bunched around her waist, revealing skin puckered and gray, legs bloated and bruised. Her hair writhed like black snakes in the current.Bear, the odd outsider, is, of course, suspected, arrested, and it looks like he will be successfully railroaded, but Sam has faith in her father. Her sister has something more.
I see things no one else does.Ollie calls the ghosts she sees The Shimmering. It would be too easy if Ollie could simply report what the ghosts only she sees clue her in on. But Ollie has not spoken since her mother passed several weeks ago. And of course there is a full dose of the Cassandra Syndrome at play, as even when Ollie is able to communicate, no one believes her.
I see them there and wish I didn’t. I want to tell and can’t.
The missing father has been a literary trope for quite some time, in adult as well as in YA literature. The one that jumps up for me is Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time. While Sam’s father did not vanish while working on a tesseract, and is not actually gone here, at least until he is arrested, he had been largely absent from his children’s lives for many years. Now, in the face of the calamitous loss of their mother, the girls must contend with the possible loss of their father too. There is probably a message here about the need for both the urban (mom) and the natural (mountain man father). Sam is called upon to utilize both her city and country skills to try to save Bear, and in fact engages in a very Campbellian quest to find out who he really is. She must find her inner strength and overcome, or fail before, some very real-world perils in attempting to bring back the knowledge gained in her quest, and put it to use, as she comes of age. But if you want to see her as just getting in touch with her inner Nancy Drew, that works too.
Valerie Geary – from her Facebook pages
The cast includes a kindly elderly couple on whose land Bear had been living, suitable grandparent sorts. There is a young man of diverse intentions. Sam feels drawn to him. Ollie sees him more truly than her sister does. A somewhat reasonable sheriff offers a glint of understanding; a somewhat peculiar artist looking to make a comeback is both sad and scary; his wife is not the most welcoming of shop-keepers; and a local cleric may be up to no good. At core this is a mystery. Who killed the floater and why? And why was Bear living in a teepee on rented land? Why had he abandoned his family years earlier? Sam is certain that Bear is innocent and sets out to prove it. Even Ollie take some dodgy risks trying to find out the truths at play here, but this is no children‘s story.
ART DIRECTION
Every novel incorporates a palette, colors, furnishings, places and/or images that help illuminate elements of the characters, set a mood, pull us through the story with externals that cast light on themes and the characters themselves. In Crooked River, trees are a part of the landscape, serving both to remind us that the setting is rural, and marking some significant locations as well. Bees figure large here. Bear is a bee-keeper. We get to see him as a good daddy taking care of the bees and training Sam to do the same. A bit of bee mythology is noted that might inform events. One bee leads to a clue. A hive comes into play.
Did you know that the ancient Egyptians thought bees were messengers sent from the sun god Ra? The Greeks, though, now they believed bees were souls of the dead come back to keep the rest of us company.When Ollie sees ghosts they appear in a sparkly aspect. This fireworks-like image appears not only with ghosts but in some other places as well.
As far back as I can remember I’ve seen them. In dim light, they seem almost solid. In bright light, barely visible. If I touch them, it’s ice and fire, energy burning. They are glints and specks, here and then gone. Shimmering. Like heat rising off pavement.GRIPES
Sam is both an engaging sort and bloody infuriating for all the planning-challenged adolescent choices she makes. You may find yourself shrieking “Schmuck” at the character as I did, but hey, teenager. They are expected to make some bad choices. I was not entirely persuaded about Bear’s decision to live where and how he did and thought some of his decisions were a bit adolescent as well, however well-intentioned. So there is a bit of credibility straining going on. But if you are willing to accept a young girl seeing ghosts, I suppose you give up the right to grouse about less obvious stretches.
SUM
Despite the above, Crooked River is not only a fine example of a classical literary approach, it is a serious page-turner. Sam is a good kid, a character we can admire as well as chastise. You will care about her, and her much-beset younger sib, and will keep turning those pages to see where Crooked River will take them, and you, next. There are plenty of bends here and the water is choppy. But it is a journey well worth taking. Straight business.
Review first posted - 6/27/14
Publication date – 10/14/14 - hardcover - 7/21/15 - trade paper
This review has also been posted at Cootsreviews.com
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to the author’s personal, Twitter, Google + and FB pages
An article on writing Geary wrote for Writer’s Digest, 7 Things I’ve Learned So Far
October 23, 2019
this is a coming-of-age family story/mystery novel with ghosts and family seeeeecrets.
and for some reason, i am having a really hard time writing a review for it. i have been sitting on it for months, trying to come up with something useful to say, and coming up empty every time.
it's about a fifteen-year-old girl named sam and her younger sister ollie who go stay with their estranged(ish) father after the death of their mother. bear, their father, lives off the grid in a teepee in the middle of a meadow, where he raises bees.
bees???
bees.
shortly after the girls arrive, the body of a woman is found floating in the crooked river, and bear becomes an easy suspect for the crime, given his proximity, eccentricities, and some physical and anecdotal evidence. sam and ollie both know that their father is innocent; sam because of her confidence in her father's goodheartedness, and ollie because the ghosties tell her so. ollie has not spoken since her mother's death, but she has always seen spirits, or "the shimmering," and although she can't say what she knows, she and her sister become baby-sleuths, trying to clear their father's name and also uncover the truth about why he left them to go live in his isolated teepee to begin with.
it is more successful as a family story than as a mystery. the girls themselves are sweet and determined, and brimming with the confidence of youth, despite their unusual and potentially scarring upbringing. the discoveries they make about their father's past are interesting and fairly unexpected, although the resulting abandonment of his family seems perhaps a little extreme.
the process of the amateur murder investigation is fun and engaging, but its resolution is a little weak. while, technically, it is fair play because it incorporates things that happened previously in the text, it also suffers from a
so if you go into this expecting to get more of a light-paranormal family drama than a gripping mystery thriller, you should find it satisfying, if a little uneven in its execution.
but beware the bees...
come to my blog!
and for some reason, i am having a really hard time writing a review for it. i have been sitting on it for months, trying to come up with something useful to say, and coming up empty every time.
it's about a fifteen-year-old girl named sam and her younger sister ollie who go stay with their estranged(ish) father after the death of their mother. bear, their father, lives off the grid in a teepee in the middle of a meadow, where he raises bees.
bees???
bees.
shortly after the girls arrive, the body of a woman is found floating in the crooked river, and bear becomes an easy suspect for the crime, given his proximity, eccentricities, and some physical and anecdotal evidence. sam and ollie both know that their father is innocent; sam because of her confidence in her father's goodheartedness, and ollie because the ghosties tell her so. ollie has not spoken since her mother's death, but she has always seen spirits, or "the shimmering," and although she can't say what she knows, she and her sister become baby-sleuths, trying to clear their father's name and also uncover the truth about why he left them to go live in his isolated teepee to begin with.
it is more successful as a family story than as a mystery. the girls themselves are sweet and determined, and brimming with the confidence of youth, despite their unusual and potentially scarring upbringing. the discoveries they make about their father's past are interesting and fairly unexpected, although the resulting abandonment of his family seems perhaps a little extreme.
the process of the amateur murder investigation is fun and engaging, but its resolution is a little weak. while, technically, it is fair play because it incorporates things that happened previously in the text, it also suffers from a
so if you go into this expecting to get more of a light-paranormal family drama than a gripping mystery thriller, you should find it satisfying, if a little uneven in its execution.
but beware the bees...
come to my blog!
October 26, 2014
I really enjoyed the characters in this book. Young Ollie, ten, who sees ghosts and has them trailing after her. Sam, a teenager dealing with her first crush while trying to clear her father of murder. Bear, the father, who in the past made a serious mistake, one that would haunt him. He now lives in a teepee with his daughter, after the death of their mother, and only wants to be left alone, to provide security and tend to his bee hives.
A good first novel, but I do wish Ollie and her ghostly abilities would have been portrayed stronger. The mystery, after the half way point was very predictable, but the girls kept me reading.
ARC from publisher.
A good first novel, but I do wish Ollie and her ghostly abilities would have been portrayed stronger. The mystery, after the half way point was very predictable, but the girls kept me reading.
ARC from publisher.
June 5, 2019
Crooked River
This is about a place with which I am very familiar. . . .in Oregon.
A workplace read for me, and totally took me out of the lunchroom to the meadows and riverscapes of that area. Character description was clean and true, and I especially loved Ollie. I feel shimmerings all around me, all the time. The mystery was a good one, and the resolve satisfying.
My only grumble is a gentle one. . . .the wrap up at the end was so fast my head twisted on its stem! I would have liked to have the bows tied on the characters in supporting roles, and where the girls ended out.
Other than that – this was a great book. I am looking forward to another one by this author!
This is about a place with which I am very familiar. . . .in Oregon.
A workplace read for me, and totally took me out of the lunchroom to the meadows and riverscapes of that area. Character description was clean and true, and I especially loved Ollie. I feel shimmerings all around me, all the time. The mystery was a good one, and the resolve satisfying.
My only grumble is a gentle one. . . .the wrap up at the end was so fast my head twisted on its stem! I would have liked to have the bows tied on the characters in supporting roles, and where the girls ended out.
Other than that – this was a great book. I am looking forward to another one by this author!
November 12, 2017
A murder mystery|thriller that centers on family crisis + coming of age around it's plot. The story is narrated between sisters Ollie + Sam. I enjoyed how it reads like a southern goth novel (including ghostly spirits flickering about that only Ollie can see.) Such an intriguing story, I had a hard time putting this one down.
October 8, 2014
Living in a meadow in a tepee with their father is how Sam and Ollie spent their summers because it was the only way they saw him after he left them and their mother. Would the meadow and the tepee be their permanent home now because their mother had died?
That was the plan, but when a dead body is found floating in their swimming hole that summer, all is changed. Their father was accused of the murder, and all evidence pointed to this homeless beekeeper. His appearance and lifestyle made him the perfect suspect.
Both Sam and Ollie are endearing, quite bright, and love their father. Ollie doesn't talk when she is upset, and she sees things that others do not. She sees things called Shimmerings that warn her about good and bad. Sam knows why Ollie doesn't talk, but she doesn't know what Ollie sees.
CROOKED RIVER has wonderful characters and a wonderful storyline. You will fall in love with both of the girls and their adopted grandparents, Franny and Zeb, but their father, Bear/Frank, was a bit more difficult to like.
Ms. Geary's writing is very descriptive, exceptionally absorbing, and keeps you glued to the pages as Sam and Ollie search for clues that could prove their father is innocent. As so many reviewers have said: "This book is difficult to put down." I wholeheartedly agree.
Ms. Geary seamlessly and creatively takes you back and forth in time as the story unfolds and is told through each girl's voice in alternating chapters.
Everything about CROOKED RIVER is warm and family oriented. CROOKED RIVER had me wanting to be there with Sam and Ollie to mother them and to tell them to be careful with their investigation of the murder and who they were befriending.
I really enjoyed this book. I will be looking for more from Ms. Geary. Don't miss reading CROOKED RIVER.
CROOKED RIVER just had a homey feel to it along with a storyline that had situations that could actually happen and a very suspenseful, tense ending. 5/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.
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February 11, 2014So excited for the world to read this book! Valerie is a wonder.
April 9, 2021
EDITED TO ADD--THE FREE BOOK OFFER IS OVER AND DONE! 🙁 FREE BOOK! SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR!! CHECK IT OUT HERE: http://books-n-music.blogspot.com/201.... Disclaimer first: I won a free copy of this from the publisher through First Reads. That did not affect my opinions or thoughts in the review, however. I started reading this at 2:30PM yesterday afternoon and would have stayed up to finish it last night if I hadn't had a daylong outing planned today! I found this to be an absolutely compelling read. I did wonder if I would have so easily accepted Ollie's 'gift' or 'curse' if I'd not yet watched the movie The Sixth Sense. I don't know... BTW, if you have not yet watched that movie--I highly recommend it! Geary's writing reminded me of Tana French's debut novel In the Woods, and Heather Gudenkauf's The Weight of Silence. A more detailed review is in the works on my blog, but I need to digest this is a bit more to further distill my reactions and thoughts...
Although I had bits and pieces of the story put together, I certainly couldn't figure out the whole picture. I am so anxious to read Geary's future releases!
Although I had bits and pieces of the story put together, I certainly couldn't figure out the whole picture. I am so anxious to read Geary's future releases!
July 29, 2014
The best thing I can say about this book is,I will read every word Valerie Geary ever writes.I love the format of this book and it was a fast read,can't put down type of story.It will grab you,make you love each page and wish for more when you are done.Well done Valerie.
June 6, 2015
A beautifully written mystery. The sisters loved their father so much they went above and beyond to prove his innocence . This was the authors first novel. I hope she writes more books.
June 12, 2014
I flew through this book in 24 hours. Heart wrenching and beautiful!
June 4, 2015
This was not what I expected and to be fair, just not my type of story. What I liked: the bee-keeping details; as a bee-keeper, I found these to be fairly well-done. I was also initially hooked by the sister relationship, but became steadily disenchanted by the uneven character development and treatment of decision-making Sam exhibited. The more I read, the more implausible her behavior appeared. In fact, none of the characters seemed very well "fleshed-out" to me and struck me as vapid and flat, and in several cases unbelievable. More details about all of the characters would have been welcome, for instance, what was the deal with Pastor Mike? He's presented as a somewhat menacing creepy figure, but then the details of his story just go nowhere. Same with Deputy Santos. She's introduced, it appears she has a somewhat interesting back-story, but we never get to know what it is! To me, the supernatural aspects of this novel overwhelmed the story and character development and the plot bungled along, alternating between detective story, ghost story, psychological thriller, family drama.....like the author just couldn't decide what she wanted to say, so tried to say it all. This is fairly impossible to do in 323 pages. However, I found the prose to be quite engaging in certain places and think the the author did an adequate job telling a story, I just expected a "meatier" story. Once I finished the book, it hit me that my former 8th grade students might have really liked it, so maybe it should be billed as "young adult fiction"?
April 15, 2015
There's a lot I liked about this book. I liked the premise, I liked the setting, I like bees.
But most of it didn't quite come together for me. I felt like many of the quilt squares were there, but we needed a more to make the full quilt. It felt a bit like a movie that was overedited, with major scenes left on the cutting room floor.
The characters could have used more development. I'd have liked to have heard more about the mom, for example - especially how and why she died. The ghosts were intriguing, but occupied too much space for the value they had in the book.
The end came too fast and too hard.
I think this is a good author with some promise, but who needs some editorial guidance to really make a connected, cohesive and compelling story.
But most of it didn't quite come together for me. I felt like many of the quilt squares were there, but we needed a more to make the full quilt. It felt a bit like a movie that was overedited, with major scenes left on the cutting room floor.
The characters could have used more development. I'd have liked to have heard more about the mom, for example - especially how and why she died. The ghosts were intriguing, but occupied too much space for the value they had in the book.
The end came too fast and too hard.
I think this is a good author with some promise, but who needs some editorial guidance to really make a connected, cohesive and compelling story.
July 24, 2014
I was incredibly fortunate and found an advance reader copy in my local bookstore.I cannot say enough about this novel. Gripping plot, incredibly deep and moving characters. I laughed, and I cried. I haven't read a book this deep and fantastic in a long time.
August 17, 2017
Crooked River by Valerie Geary is an incredible debut novel. I absolutely loved this mystery/ghost story/sister tale and very highly recommend it.
It is the summer of 1988 and two sisters, Sam, 15, and Ollie, 10, are now living in teepees with their reclusive father, "Bear," in a meadow surrounded by bee hives outside of the small town of Terrebone, Oregon. Sam loves the meadow and knows the area because has spent every summer for the last three years with Bear in his meadow and helped with the bees, but this is Ollie's first summer there. Now the girls are going to live with their father full time after their mother died of a heart attack on July 4th. Ollie has not spoken since their mother died.
Trying to help Ollie accept the new living arrangements and maybe start talking, Sam takes her down to Crooked River to swim. At the river they find a dead woman's body. When Sam tries to pull it ashore, she sends it on down the river instead. Ollie doesn't say a word as Sam puzzles out what to do, if she should tell someone or not. When they get back to their camp, Sam finds a jacket that looks like it has blood on it. Could Bear be responsible for the murder? Or, as Sam believes in her heart, is he really simply a victim of circumstances?
Ollie may not be talking, but she's thinking and watching what is going on around her, including Shimmerings, the spirits of dead people who she can see and hear around her. Since her mother's funeral, the Shimmering that looks like her mom has been following Ollie. Since they found the body, an angry Shimmering with bared teeth has been following Sam. Ollie knows that Bear is innocent. She tries unsuccessfully to communicate her thoughts to Sam through various means, but she simply can't talk and tell Sam why and what to do or the Shimmerings might take over her voice completely.
I was completely immersed in this well-written tale and felt the suspense ratchet up with each chapter. The chapters in the novel alternate between the voice of Sam and Ollie as the girls try to find clues and piece out what to do and how to prove to local law enforcement that their father is innocent. Even though it will be easy for readers to predict who the real killer is, the enjoyment was in the two sisters trying to work out the mystery and discover how to prove their father's innocence. I understood the reaction of the girls. I was emotionally invested in following Sam and Ollie's story to the end.
The writing in Crooked River is sublime. Sam and Ollie have different voices in the narrative and you will find yourself wanting the girls to succeed, to make it. The writing is also wonderfully descriptive in establishing the setting. I felt like I was in the meadow, hearing the bees, feeling the heat during the end of the summer. I was in that small town. I understood the time and place. I will be anxiously awaiting another novel by Valerie Geary.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of William Morrow for review purposes
It is the summer of 1988 and two sisters, Sam, 15, and Ollie, 10, are now living in teepees with their reclusive father, "Bear," in a meadow surrounded by bee hives outside of the small town of Terrebone, Oregon. Sam loves the meadow and knows the area because has spent every summer for the last three years with Bear in his meadow and helped with the bees, but this is Ollie's first summer there. Now the girls are going to live with their father full time after their mother died of a heart attack on July 4th. Ollie has not spoken since their mother died.
Trying to help Ollie accept the new living arrangements and maybe start talking, Sam takes her down to Crooked River to swim. At the river they find a dead woman's body. When Sam tries to pull it ashore, she sends it on down the river instead. Ollie doesn't say a word as Sam puzzles out what to do, if she should tell someone or not. When they get back to their camp, Sam finds a jacket that looks like it has blood on it. Could Bear be responsible for the murder? Or, as Sam believes in her heart, is he really simply a victim of circumstances?
Ollie may not be talking, but she's thinking and watching what is going on around her, including Shimmerings, the spirits of dead people who she can see and hear around her. Since her mother's funeral, the Shimmering that looks like her mom has been following Ollie. Since they found the body, an angry Shimmering with bared teeth has been following Sam. Ollie knows that Bear is innocent. She tries unsuccessfully to communicate her thoughts to Sam through various means, but she simply can't talk and tell Sam why and what to do or the Shimmerings might take over her voice completely.
I was completely immersed in this well-written tale and felt the suspense ratchet up with each chapter. The chapters in the novel alternate between the voice of Sam and Ollie as the girls try to find clues and piece out what to do and how to prove to local law enforcement that their father is innocent. Even though it will be easy for readers to predict who the real killer is, the enjoyment was in the two sisters trying to work out the mystery and discover how to prove their father's innocence. I understood the reaction of the girls. I was emotionally invested in following Sam and Ollie's story to the end.
The writing in Crooked River is sublime. Sam and Ollie have different voices in the narrative and you will find yourself wanting the girls to succeed, to make it. The writing is also wonderfully descriptive in establishing the setting. I felt like I was in the meadow, hearing the bees, feeling the heat during the end of the summer. I was in that small town. I understood the time and place. I will be anxiously awaiting another novel by Valerie Geary.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of William Morrow for review purposes
September 28, 2014
Sam and Ollie McAlister look forward every year to their time in the meadow near Terrebonne, a rural village in Oregon, the home they have with their father, Frank (Bear). A beekeeper and an eccentric loner, he is an important part of their world.
And then their mother dies unexpectedly, and they are now living fulltime with their father.
Exploring the river one day shortly after their arrival, they discover a woman's body in the river, but it floats away before they can reach it. And then, for unknown reasons, they decide to keep their find a secret.
Their father's mysterious face scratches, some missing hours that he was not at home, and his unwillingness to share what is going on with him are the unfortunate secrets that add to the "circumstantial evidence" leading to Bear's arrest.
But Sam and Ollie feel sure that he is innocent. However, Ollie, damaged by events, has stopped speaking, ever since their mother's death, and she "sees" visions. She is guided by Shimmering...from the spirit world. Through body language and gestures, she tries to communicate to Sam, without much luck. So Sam is on her own, playing detective, and bumbling along in her efforts to prove someone else killed their father.
Narrated in fifteen-year-old Sam's voice, with ten-year-old Ollie's thoughts shared in alternating chapters, "Crooked River: A Novel" is a suspenseful coming-of-age tale that reveals much about the bonds of family, the secrets that can tear those bonds apart, and how determination can lead to redemption. But first, Sam and Ollie have to survive those who are trying to undermine them and even harm them.
I could not put this book down, and even though the outcome was fairly predictable, and I had figured out who the killer was early on, I rooted for Sam and Ollie, and it was fun watching them sort it all out. 4.5 stars.
And then their mother dies unexpectedly, and they are now living fulltime with their father.
Exploring the river one day shortly after their arrival, they discover a woman's body in the river, but it floats away before they can reach it. And then, for unknown reasons, they decide to keep their find a secret.
Their father's mysterious face scratches, some missing hours that he was not at home, and his unwillingness to share what is going on with him are the unfortunate secrets that add to the "circumstantial evidence" leading to Bear's arrest.
But Sam and Ollie feel sure that he is innocent. However, Ollie, damaged by events, has stopped speaking, ever since their mother's death, and she "sees" visions. She is guided by Shimmering...from the spirit world. Through body language and gestures, she tries to communicate to Sam, without much luck. So Sam is on her own, playing detective, and bumbling along in her efforts to prove someone else killed their father.
Narrated in fifteen-year-old Sam's voice, with ten-year-old Ollie's thoughts shared in alternating chapters, "Crooked River: A Novel" is a suspenseful coming-of-age tale that reveals much about the bonds of family, the secrets that can tear those bonds apart, and how determination can lead to redemption. But first, Sam and Ollie have to survive those who are trying to undermine them and even harm them.
I could not put this book down, and even though the outcome was fairly predictable, and I had figured out who the killer was early on, I rooted for Sam and Ollie, and it was fun watching them sort it all out. 4.5 stars.
August 21, 2014
This debut novel, set in 1988 in rural Oregon is quite an engaging read! Told in alternating voices of fifteen year old Sam and her younger sister, the seven year old Ollie, each girl’s perspective feels unique and brings not only the narrators to life, but the other characters as well. It’s only been a few weeks since their mother’s unexpected death and the girls are living with their eccentric, naturalist beekeeping father, Bear. But when the girls stumble over a dead body, any attempts at reclaiming normalcy is shattered. Ollie, mute since their mother’s death, sees the Shimmering - ghosts - while Sam works steadily at finding the young woman’s killer. Along the way, Sam uncovers more secrets much closer to home than she expected. The book nicely blends mystery and a coming-of-age story in a well-realized not-too-distant past setting. It moves along at a fast pace, making it quite difficult to put down.
And though the plot runs a pretty predictable course, and the conclusion feels a bit abrupt (not to mention that the bee parts gave me some unpleasant chills while reading it in the backyard) it’s an enjoyable novel. I am genuinely looking forward to Geary’s next novel. This well-written and surprisingly emotional novel makes for a great late summer read!
And though the plot runs a pretty predictable course, and the conclusion feels a bit abrupt (not to mention that the bee parts gave me some unpleasant chills while reading it in the backyard) it’s an enjoyable novel. I am genuinely looking forward to Geary’s next novel. This well-written and surprisingly emotional novel makes for a great late summer read!
December 9, 2015
"She'd done this kind of thing before, four years ago after Aunt Charlotte died. Ollie didn't talk to anyone for two weeks. Not a single word. And then, when she finally did start talking again and I asked her why she'd stopped in the first place, she'd said, 'Aunt Charlotte's ghost stole my words.' 'You know ghosts aren't real, right?' I'd told her. She'd cocked her head to one side and said, "Tell that to Aunt Charlotte."
July 28, 2014
Great mystery. Awesome storytelling!
January 31, 2021
Fifteen-year-old Sam and her younger sister, Ollie, 10, have come to live with their father, Bear, in a teepee in a meadow in Oregon. Bear’s eccentric, sure, but he’s not crazy. One day he left his home, his wife and kids, in Eugene, and just didn’t come back. Sam’s been spending summers with her father since she was seven and she’s come to appreciate the quiet of both the place and her father.
…there was no electricity, only the sun. No plumbing, only the river and a barrel to catch the rain. No roof over our heads to blot out the stars, no television to drown out the bird and cricket songs, so asphalt to burn the soles of our feet. Most kids would probably hate a place like this, but to me it was home.
This is Ollie’s first summer; she’d previously gone to summer camp instead of going to Bear’s, but now there is no choice: the sisters’ mother has died suddenly.
When Valerie Geary’s beautiful novel Crooked River begins, the girls are down by the river and they find a “woman floating facedown in an eddy where Crooked River made a slow bend north.” They try to pull her to shore, but the current takes her. Sam is certain Bear will know what to do, but when they get back to the tent they find something that starts a chain reaction of discoveries, coincidences, and bad decisions. Before the girls can even make sense of what’s happening, their father is arrested for murder.
It is mostly down to Sam to tell this story because Ollie has elected to stop talking. “I was trying to be patient” Sam says, “but her silence was finally starting to wear me thin.” Ollie may not talk to anyone else, but she does commune with ghosts. The night is made of them, she says. “I see. I see things no one else does. I see them there and wish I didn’t. I want to tell and can’t.”
The sisters know their father is innocent, and Sam is desperate to prove it. Part of what makes Crooked River so great is the mystery, but what I really loved about the book is its sense of place. From the meadow’s hidden delights, to the beehives Bear tends, everything in Geary’s novel is written with a true appreciation for their inherent beauty. The mystery part, though, kicks into high gear in the novel’s last third and it’s a thrill ride.
This is also a book about family, grief and growing up. And if you think that’s all too much to cram into one book, then you don’t know Geary’s prodigious gifts as a novelist. There’s a beating heart at the center of this book and a crooked river runs through it.
Highly recommended.
…there was no electricity, only the sun. No plumbing, only the river and a barrel to catch the rain. No roof over our heads to blot out the stars, no television to drown out the bird and cricket songs, so asphalt to burn the soles of our feet. Most kids would probably hate a place like this, but to me it was home.
This is Ollie’s first summer; she’d previously gone to summer camp instead of going to Bear’s, but now there is no choice: the sisters’ mother has died suddenly.
When Valerie Geary’s beautiful novel Crooked River begins, the girls are down by the river and they find a “woman floating facedown in an eddy where Crooked River made a slow bend north.” They try to pull her to shore, but the current takes her. Sam is certain Bear will know what to do, but when they get back to the tent they find something that starts a chain reaction of discoveries, coincidences, and bad decisions. Before the girls can even make sense of what’s happening, their father is arrested for murder.
It is mostly down to Sam to tell this story because Ollie has elected to stop talking. “I was trying to be patient” Sam says, “but her silence was finally starting to wear me thin.” Ollie may not talk to anyone else, but she does commune with ghosts. The night is made of them, she says. “I see. I see things no one else does. I see them there and wish I didn’t. I want to tell and can’t.”
The sisters know their father is innocent, and Sam is desperate to prove it. Part of what makes Crooked River so great is the mystery, but what I really loved about the book is its sense of place. From the meadow’s hidden delights, to the beehives Bear tends, everything in Geary’s novel is written with a true appreciation for their inherent beauty. The mystery part, though, kicks into high gear in the novel’s last third and it’s a thrill ride.
This is also a book about family, grief and growing up. And if you think that’s all too much to cram into one book, then you don’t know Geary’s prodigious gifts as a novelist. There’s a beating heart at the center of this book and a crooked river runs through it.
Highly recommended.
December 9, 2019
When their mother dies, two sisters go to live with their father. But his home is a tent, his life is the keeping of bees, and one of the sisters has stopped talking. Also, there’s a body in the river.
Sam doesn’t believe in ghosts or lost voices. Ollie can’t get away from them. But all could still be well until Bear comes under suspicion of murder. Then a town’s prejudice incites a child’s curiosity. And the ghost wants her killer found.
A voiceless child might find it just as hard to be heard as one who can speak. A voiceless bee can’t prove who harmed the hive. And a voiceless ghost can’t answer. But there might be ways, and there might be more to life than can be seen. Good, bad and in between, the characters of this tale prove that good people make mistakes, and that mistakes can be forgiven. Even bees move on and try again. But If someone refuses to move…
Evocative scenery, believable characters of all ages, heart-breaking plot, and a haunting touch of magical realism—this mystery has it all and I really enjoyed it.
Disclosure: A friend knew I’d like it so she loaned it to me. Thank you!
Sam doesn’t believe in ghosts or lost voices. Ollie can’t get away from them. But all could still be well until Bear comes under suspicion of murder. Then a town’s prejudice incites a child’s curiosity. And the ghost wants her killer found.
A voiceless child might find it just as hard to be heard as one who can speak. A voiceless bee can’t prove who harmed the hive. And a voiceless ghost can’t answer. But there might be ways, and there might be more to life than can be seen. Good, bad and in between, the characters of this tale prove that good people make mistakes, and that mistakes can be forgiven. Even bees move on and try again. But If someone refuses to move…
Evocative scenery, believable characters of all ages, heart-breaking plot, and a haunting touch of magical realism—this mystery has it all and I really enjoyed it.
Disclosure: A friend knew I’d like it so she loaned it to me. Thank you!
July 13, 2018
A fantastic debut and, frankly, one of my favorites if not THE favorite book I've read so far this year. Just a great story, and with an engaging style that pulls you in and doesn't let go until the last few pages.
If I do have one criticism though (and probably the one sticking point that stops this from being a 5-star review), it is that those last few pages are lacking a certain something. This story needs an epilogue--or at least one greater than the single paragraph we got. I had to try and sleep immediately after finishing it, and I definitely felt like I needed more catharsis and a chance to unwind a little bit more.
If I do have one criticism though (and probably the one sticking point that stops this from being a 5-star review), it is that those last few pages are lacking a certain something. This story needs an epilogue--or at least one greater than the single paragraph we got. I had to try and sleep immediately after finishing it, and I definitely felt like I needed more catharsis and a chance to unwind a little bit more.
July 11, 2022
3.5 Stars
August 18, 2020
INTO THE WILDS OF OREGON. This book is otherworldly, it seems set back in time before the event of Christianity when people believed in events such as this and lived closer to nature than they do now, for the most part. It could also be considered a rites of passage type story. Protagonists are two young sisters, Ollie, ten, Sam, fifteen. Chapters are told alternately by each girl. This is a new author. I enjoy reading, new ideas, ways of writing, thoughts by new writers.
The girls' mother has died, the two are now living with their father out in the country. Bear lives in a tepee with a hole at the top so he can gaze at the stars. He is a beekeeper, his honey is recommended by many as the best in the area. He loves the bees, talks to them, and is introducing his older daughter to beekeeping. This is the first time Ollie has lived out here. Other vacations she went to camp with friends. Bear wants to live like an Indian, close to nature. He rents the land he lives on from an older, childless couple. Franny and Zeb are a sweet pair. The girls have adopted the couple as grandparents, their biological grands live across the country.
The book is geared toward YAs, especially girls. Vampires are popular with young people now. This story has ghosts, shimmering, changing colors. Beautiful.
About to go swimming, the girls find the body of a young woman floating in the river. What a horror to see. What could have happened to this young lady? The body drifts away while the girls are watching. Then Bear is accused of murder and sent to jail. He is a strange, reclusive character living alone in a tepee except when Sam spends summers with him. She is a daddy's girl. His two daughters refuse to believe their father could possibly be a murderer.
The two go to Terrebonne, a small town, to go to the Attic, an antique store that carries different merchandise. Ollie, who has been mute since her mother died, is a reader who wants to look at books. She carries her "Alice in Wonderland" book wherever she goes. The Attic is owned by a woman who doesn't like kids. She makes it quite obvious. Her husband and son come into the store and start arguing. Strange and unlikable trio.
Sam is beginning to think Bear has something to do with the murder. She plays detective, goes to places that are dangerous. Sam is too bold, always asking questions, provoking people. Ollie knows her father never killed that young woman. The ghosts told her. Ollie sees and communicates with ghosts. The police and others tell the girls to stay away from danger. Let the police do their jobs.
Ollie learns that she must grow up, take charge, not always be dependent on her older sister.
I like the cover on this book. The beautiful colors look so much like the shimmering Ollie saw.
The girls' mother has died, the two are now living with their father out in the country. Bear lives in a tepee with a hole at the top so he can gaze at the stars. He is a beekeeper, his honey is recommended by many as the best in the area. He loves the bees, talks to them, and is introducing his older daughter to beekeeping. This is the first time Ollie has lived out here. Other vacations she went to camp with friends. Bear wants to live like an Indian, close to nature. He rents the land he lives on from an older, childless couple. Franny and Zeb are a sweet pair. The girls have adopted the couple as grandparents, their biological grands live across the country.
The book is geared toward YAs, especially girls. Vampires are popular with young people now. This story has ghosts, shimmering, changing colors. Beautiful.
About to go swimming, the girls find the body of a young woman floating in the river. What a horror to see. What could have happened to this young lady? The body drifts away while the girls are watching. Then Bear is accused of murder and sent to jail. He is a strange, reclusive character living alone in a tepee except when Sam spends summers with him. She is a daddy's girl. His two daughters refuse to believe their father could possibly be a murderer.
The two go to Terrebonne, a small town, to go to the Attic, an antique store that carries different merchandise. Ollie, who has been mute since her mother died, is a reader who wants to look at books. She carries her "Alice in Wonderland" book wherever she goes. The Attic is owned by a woman who doesn't like kids. She makes it quite obvious. Her husband and son come into the store and start arguing. Strange and unlikable trio.
Sam is beginning to think Bear has something to do with the murder. She plays detective, goes to places that are dangerous. Sam is too bold, always asking questions, provoking people. Ollie knows her father never killed that young woman. The ghosts told her. Ollie sees and communicates with ghosts. The police and others tell the girls to stay away from danger. Let the police do their jobs.
Ollie learns that she must grow up, take charge, not always be dependent on her older sister.
I like the cover on this book. The beautiful colors look so much like the shimmering Ollie saw.
November 9, 2015
Totaal onverwacht viel dit boek in mijn bus, waarvoor dank Harper Collins Nederland. Toen ik de inhoud las, sprak het mij aan. Woorden als pageturner en psychologische thriller waren veelbelovend en helemaal my cup of tea. Vol verwachting begon ik dan ook te lezen. Of mijn verwachtingen ingevuld werden, zullen jullie dadelijk te weten komen.
De titel past perfect maar de foto op de cover kan ik niet koppelen aan het verhaal. Jammer eigenlijk want mits, naar mijn mening, een kleine aanpassing, zou het wel perfect gelukt zijn.
Het verhaal zelf dan. Ik moet eerlijk toegeven dat ik in het eerste deel met gemengde gevoelens las. Ja, er zat spanning in maar anderzijds was er ook iets wat mij ontzettend op de zenuwen werkte en wat zich, volgens mij, teveel op de voorgrond drong waardoor mijn aandacht van het verhaal werd weggetrokken en ook de spanning doorbroken werd.
Verder vond ik het nogal ongeloofwaardig dat twee meisjes van die leeftijd al deze dingen presteren. Misschien doe je het gewoon wel, zonder veel bij na te denken als het echt moet, maar ik had er toch vraagtekens bij.
De opbouw van het drama was goed in het begin maar naar het einde toe vond ik het verslappen. Ik roep ook deze keer weer : "Waar is de epiloog?" want die zou nog veel antwoorden kunnen geven op dingen die ik mij nu afvraag.
Conclusie
Ik moet tot mijn grote spijt zeggen dat ik het noch een pageturner (hoewel ik het snel uithad), noch een thriller vond. Ik miste diepgang in het verhaal en bepaalde stukken hadden er gerust mogen uitgelaten worden, dingen die, voor mij, niets bijdroegen tot het verhaal. Ik denk dat er veel meer had ingezeten want het idee was zeker goed, maar nu kan ik er maar 2 sterren aan geven.
De titel past perfect maar de foto op de cover kan ik niet koppelen aan het verhaal. Jammer eigenlijk want mits, naar mijn mening, een kleine aanpassing, zou het wel perfect gelukt zijn.
Het verhaal zelf dan. Ik moet eerlijk toegeven dat ik in het eerste deel met gemengde gevoelens las. Ja, er zat spanning in maar anderzijds was er ook iets wat mij ontzettend op de zenuwen werkte en wat zich, volgens mij, teveel op de voorgrond drong waardoor mijn aandacht van het verhaal werd weggetrokken en ook de spanning doorbroken werd.
Verder vond ik het nogal ongeloofwaardig dat twee meisjes van die leeftijd al deze dingen presteren. Misschien doe je het gewoon wel, zonder veel bij na te denken als het echt moet, maar ik had er toch vraagtekens bij.
De opbouw van het drama was goed in het begin maar naar het einde toe vond ik het verslappen. Ik roep ook deze keer weer : "Waar is de epiloog?" want die zou nog veel antwoorden kunnen geven op dingen die ik mij nu afvraag.
Conclusie
Ik moet tot mijn grote spijt zeggen dat ik het noch een pageturner (hoewel ik het snel uithad), noch een thriller vond. Ik miste diepgang in het verhaal en bepaalde stukken hadden er gerust mogen uitgelaten worden, dingen die, voor mij, niets bijdroegen tot het verhaal. Ik denk dat er veel meer had ingezeten want het idee was zeker goed, maar nu kan ik er maar 2 sterren aan geven.
February 15, 2016
In her debut mystery novel, Author Valerie Geary has brought something new and exciting to the mix. Told from the point of view of two young sisters (alternating chapters), the story sketches out the events of a traumatic year in their lives and a summer they will never forget.
Still broken-hearted from the recent death of their mother, the girls go to live with their father, which means a real adjustment from a life in the suburbs to life along Crooked River. Their father, a recluse who lives in a teepee in an abandoned farm field, raises bees and keeps mostly to himself. He's traumatized by past events that forced him to split from his family for a life of solitude in nature.
Shortly after arriving at Crooked River, the girls discover a dead woman's body near their favorite swimming hole, a discovery that threatens to tear apart their family and their own lives as they seek to uncover what really happened. The quick pace of the unfolding events will keep readers thoroughly engaged, and soon it becomes just as important to learn family secrets as the motive behind the women's death.
Geary has done a remarkable job with both her storyline and her character development. There's a bit of the story that requires a suspension of rational thinking, but even this does not detract from the fundamental suspense created by the author or lose those of us readers that prefer our stories based on the fundamentals of reality. This is an excellent first foray into the literary landscape, mystery or not.
Review first appeared on ReviewingtheEvidence.com.
Still broken-hearted from the recent death of their mother, the girls go to live with their father, which means a real adjustment from a life in the suburbs to life along Crooked River. Their father, a recluse who lives in a teepee in an abandoned farm field, raises bees and keeps mostly to himself. He's traumatized by past events that forced him to split from his family for a life of solitude in nature.
Shortly after arriving at Crooked River, the girls discover a dead woman's body near their favorite swimming hole, a discovery that threatens to tear apart their family and their own lives as they seek to uncover what really happened. The quick pace of the unfolding events will keep readers thoroughly engaged, and soon it becomes just as important to learn family secrets as the motive behind the women's death.
Geary has done a remarkable job with both her storyline and her character development. There's a bit of the story that requires a suspension of rational thinking, but even this does not detract from the fundamental suspense created by the author or lose those of us readers that prefer our stories based on the fundamentals of reality. This is an excellent first foray into the literary landscape, mystery or not.
Review first appeared on ReviewingtheEvidence.com.
June 24, 2015
This is one of those books that I had a hard time putting down. I like the format; alternating between the two sister's voices. I liked the set up with one girl unable to talk and able to see and communicate with ghosts, the other girl of a practical nature and taking on a protective role with her sister.
I loved this explanation of ghosts and energy and what happens after death. I liked that there were moral dilemmas, that not all was clear cut. My list could go on, but basically there was a lot to like in this book.
Two young sisters lose their mother to a heart attack and so go to live with their father; a man who calls himself Bear and lives in a teepee on a field he rents from a couple he is friendly with. It is idyllic, but with the mother's death so recent not all is well. The younger sister has stopped speaking and is seeing ghosts. The girls discover the body of a young woman floating in the river. Evidence seems to point to Bear as the killer but his girls are trying to prove that he did not commit this crime. Good premise, good book.
It does have some unexplained situations like why Bear chooses to live in this particular town considering..., and why he can't go home. Or why Detective Santos is so incompetent. And those bereaved parents... one doesn't become criminally insane from losing a child (I lost one, so speaking from experience), so this idea of blaming someone else.... but pondering these things did not make the book less interesting to me.
I loved this explanation of ghosts and energy and what happens after death. I liked that there were moral dilemmas, that not all was clear cut. My list could go on, but basically there was a lot to like in this book.
Two young sisters lose their mother to a heart attack and so go to live with their father; a man who calls himself Bear and lives in a teepee on a field he rents from a couple he is friendly with. It is idyllic, but with the mother's death so recent not all is well. The younger sister has stopped speaking and is seeing ghosts. The girls discover the body of a young woman floating in the river. Evidence seems to point to Bear as the killer but his girls are trying to prove that he did not commit this crime. Good premise, good book.
It does have some unexplained situations like why Bear chooses to live in this particular town considering..., and why he can't go home. Or why Detective Santos is so incompetent. And those bereaved parents... one doesn't become criminally insane from losing a child (I lost one, so speaking from experience), so this idea of blaming someone else.... but pondering these things did not make the book less interesting to me.
January 21, 2015
Review will follow.
I was selected to win my copy of this book directly from the author, via her Facebook page, if I'm not mistaken (it was a little while ago.)
I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read this prior to it's release. If Valerie Geary's next books are anything like this one, then look out!! You will have to add all of her work to your, "To Be Read," lists.
I took my time reading this story because from the first few pages in, I already didn't want it to end. It was a story that will stay with me forever. YES, it was that good!!!
After the loss of their Mother, two young girls were sent to live with their father, who didn't live life traditionally. Not long after they arrived to stay with him, there was a murder locally and because of how Bear, the father, lived, he was immediately looked at suspiciously.
This is a story of how these two young girls get by without having a mother and with the possibility of losing their father as well. It had me hooked by the first page. It's nothing at all like I've read before and I will gladly share it with my friends and family.
Valerie Geary is one to watch. I really enjoyed her writing and even though this one was just recently released, I'm already looking forward to her next book.
Five stars, without a doubt - and if I could give more, I would!!!
Get you some!!! :)
I was selected to win my copy of this book directly from the author, via her Facebook page, if I'm not mistaken (it was a little while ago.)
I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read this prior to it's release. If Valerie Geary's next books are anything like this one, then look out!! You will have to add all of her work to your, "To Be Read," lists.
I took my time reading this story because from the first few pages in, I already didn't want it to end. It was a story that will stay with me forever. YES, it was that good!!!
After the loss of their Mother, two young girls were sent to live with their father, who didn't live life traditionally. Not long after they arrived to stay with him, there was a murder locally and because of how Bear, the father, lived, he was immediately looked at suspiciously.
This is a story of how these two young girls get by without having a mother and with the possibility of losing their father as well. It had me hooked by the first page. It's nothing at all like I've read before and I will gladly share it with my friends and family.
Valerie Geary is one to watch. I really enjoyed her writing and even though this one was just recently released, I'm already looking forward to her next book.
Five stars, without a doubt - and if I could give more, I would!!!
Get you some!!! :)
July 8, 2014
Fifteen year old Sam and her younger sister Ollie have had a tough life. Their father, known as Bear essentially dropped out of their lives years before and went to live in the wild outside of a nearby town. Now their mother has died and they have gone to live with him there until he can find a more appropriate place for them to live. Then one day they discover the body of a young girl washed up in the river near their campsite. Many signs point to Bear being the culprit, but Sam is determined to prove her father's innocence while questioning it herself. The story is told via the alternating perspectives of Sam and Ollie.
I really enjoyed the book. Geary paints a vivid picture of the life this family is leading, and creates dynamic characters who you sympathize with. The mystery is well told as well. I would definitely recommend this book.
I really enjoyed the book. Geary paints a vivid picture of the life this family is leading, and creates dynamic characters who you sympathize with. The mystery is well told as well. I would definitely recommend this book.
May 3, 2016
Loved reading this new-to-me author. Though the story takes place in a small rural town, the narrative was lush and entrancing without feeling preachy or "wordy." The dual point of views were well balanced and worked well together to make the story flow at just the right pace. I appreciated the dash of supernatural that was woven in believably. Usually I am not a big fan of endings without firm resolution - but the entire crescendo and ending of this book were perfectly executed! I already miss Sam & Ollie and cannot wait to read this author again.
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