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Kingdom Come, CA
Unexplainable things happen. Some call it coincidence, some say supernatural. In the compelling psychological thriller, Kingdome Come, CA, author Judy Strick introduces fascinating and some times scary questions about what we call reality. Ruby Wellman, a reclusive surrealist artist, hides a deep and horrifying childhood secret. As does Finn McCord, a profoundly disturbed six-year-old who talks only to animals and imaginary friends. Their lives intersect in Kingdom Come, a tiny mountain town in the middle of nowhere, California; a lovely setting with a requisite share of colorful and eccentric citizens, including an herbalist guru, a preternaturally clever dog, a dead 40's cowboy movie star, the part-time writer/sheriff, a transplanted New York couple with a rocky marriage, and the Wizard, Finn's new best friend who will come to play an important role in this story; as Ruby's paintings and Finns dreams collide in an unexpected explosion that both heals and reveals old secrets and wounds.
- GenresFiction
352 pages, Paperback
First published May 21, 2014
About the author
Judy Strick
1 bookJudy Strick is a native of Southern California. She holds an MFA from Otis Art Institute, and in a former lifetime was a fine artist and then a toy designer. She studied screenwriting at AFI and fiction writing at UCLA, and has spent the last 10 years honing her novelistic skills. Kingdom Come, CA is her debut novel. She lives in Los Angeles with her 2.5 dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 12, 2014
I won a copy of "Kingdom Come, CA, a psychological thriller, by Judy Strick through the Goodreads Giveaway Contest. It is hard to believe that this is a debut novel for this author, as the setting in Southern California is so accurately described in such vivid detail. I feel like I was there as I read her gripping story.
The novel opens in 1978 with our heroine Ruby Wellman celebrating her 8th birthday at Santa Monica's Ocean Pier with her father, mother and little brother Abe. Her father and her had just gone up on the Ferris Wheel, where she had made her wish, and dreams to come. But on the way home from her birthday outing her balloon blocks her father's eyes and the family is in a terrible car accident...Abe was killed instantly, her father suffered major head injuries,her mother walked away unscathed, but later suffered depression, and Ruby was burned leaving deep scars, both mental and physical.
The family never got over the pain, and for those that lived, the scars ran deep!
The story then moves to 2012, where the permanently scarred Ruby has left her life in LA as an artist to become a hermit, where she finally finds a place of total privacy in the village of Kingdom Come, CA. It was now time for Ruby to start a new life...and her concept of reality? And then there was a strange little boy named Finn McCord whose perception of the world is even more warped than Ruby's. Many of the characters in this novel were eccentrics but totally believable and relatable.
This was a completely absorbing story. The characters, the setting, the writing all contributed to an amazing read. I can't wait to read more from this author.
The novel opens in 1978 with our heroine Ruby Wellman celebrating her 8th birthday at Santa Monica's Ocean Pier with her father, mother and little brother Abe. Her father and her had just gone up on the Ferris Wheel, where she had made her wish, and dreams to come. But on the way home from her birthday outing her balloon blocks her father's eyes and the family is in a terrible car accident...Abe was killed instantly, her father suffered major head injuries,her mother walked away unscathed, but later suffered depression, and Ruby was burned leaving deep scars, both mental and physical.
The family never got over the pain, and for those that lived, the scars ran deep!
The story then moves to 2012, where the permanently scarred Ruby has left her life in LA as an artist to become a hermit, where she finally finds a place of total privacy in the village of Kingdom Come, CA. It was now time for Ruby to start a new life...and her concept of reality? And then there was a strange little boy named Finn McCord whose perception of the world is even more warped than Ruby's. Many of the characters in this novel were eccentrics but totally believable and relatable.
This was a completely absorbing story. The characters, the setting, the writing all contributed to an amazing read. I can't wait to read more from this author.
November 20, 2014
Wow. Terrific book. I only have one complaint, but I'll save that for last. First, let me tell you some of the things I like about it.
The setting- Want to take a trip to California? Beautifully written descriptions make everything from the landscape and architecture, to the flora and fauna, to the changing weather, santa ana winds and threat of wildfire so real and recognizable, it's almost like being there. Readers will easily relate to every setting, and feel right at home.
The characters- Top notch. Matter of fact, I think this is the book's strongest suit. It has an excellent cast of characters, but my favorite is the troubled boy Finn. Once you've met him, you may never forget him. Matter of fact, you'll remember quite a few of the characters.
The plot- Um, wait a minute. On second thought, maybe THIS is the book's strongest suit. The story starts out with a happy family outing that ends in tragedy: the death of a child. So much for the happy. In fact, so much for the family, because it essentially implodes under the weight of denial and dysfunction. Years later, grown daughter Ruby withdraws to live in a secluded home in an off-the-beaten-path town, where she can do her surrealistic paintings in peace, and continue to hide the secrets of her past. Then Finn's family has the audacity to build a home across the street from her. So much for her seclusion and peace. She and the usually non-communicative little boy forge an almost immediate connection, and the story of how their dark secrets intersect proves to be as surreal as her paintings.
What's wrong with the book? Do you really want to know? Okay, here it is. The only thing wrong with this book is... I didn't write it. (Damn it.) Really. It's a terrific book. This is the author's first book, but I certainly hope it isn't her last.
The setting- Want to take a trip to California? Beautifully written descriptions make everything from the landscape and architecture, to the flora and fauna, to the changing weather, santa ana winds and threat of wildfire so real and recognizable, it's almost like being there. Readers will easily relate to every setting, and feel right at home.
The characters- Top notch. Matter of fact, I think this is the book's strongest suit. It has an excellent cast of characters, but my favorite is the troubled boy Finn. Once you've met him, you may never forget him. Matter of fact, you'll remember quite a few of the characters.
The plot- Um, wait a minute. On second thought, maybe THIS is the book's strongest suit. The story starts out with a happy family outing that ends in tragedy: the death of a child. So much for the happy. In fact, so much for the family, because it essentially implodes under the weight of denial and dysfunction. Years later, grown daughter Ruby withdraws to live in a secluded home in an off-the-beaten-path town, where she can do her surrealistic paintings in peace, and continue to hide the secrets of her past. Then Finn's family has the audacity to build a home across the street from her. So much for her seclusion and peace. She and the usually non-communicative little boy forge an almost immediate connection, and the story of how their dark secrets intersect proves to be as surreal as her paintings.
What's wrong with the book? Do you really want to know? Okay, here it is. The only thing wrong with this book is... I didn't write it. (Damn it.) Really. It's a terrific book. This is the author's first book, but I certainly hope it isn't her last.
January 27, 2015
This is an enthralling tale of a woman who is broken apart by childhood tragedy, and healed in adulthood in the most unexpected ways.
The writing feels colorful. By this I mean that the author has a knack for showing us details, rather than telling us. Yet the descriptions aren't overly wordy. The setting comes alive and, despite never having been to this area of California, I felt like I could see it all perfectly.
The story is largely character-driven, and this works beautifully. The characters are well-developed, unique, and unforgettable. Their lives tangle together, whether they want them to or not, and the impact they have on one another is powerful.
The plot is fairly straight forward, with a few twists and surprises along the way. We explore the way tragedy and hardship alters how families interact, and how this changes the way we relate to others outside of family. We explore issues like secrecy, trust, and self-esteem. All of this is done in a way that allows us to experience the impact ourselves, as if we are living vicariously through the characters.
For me, the one problem came with pacing. The book is marketed as a 'psychological thriller', which set my expectations for a fast moving, high energy story. This book is mostly the opposite of that. We take our time, picking up pieces along the way, holding them up to examine them closely. This is more of a psychological study, a poignant look at humanity. At times I wanted something more to happen within the meandering pace. But, as I said, that could well have been because I expected something different. So, when reading this one, be prepared for a psychological journey, rather than a psychological thriller.
The writing feels colorful. By this I mean that the author has a knack for showing us details, rather than telling us. Yet the descriptions aren't overly wordy. The setting comes alive and, despite never having been to this area of California, I felt like I could see it all perfectly.
The story is largely character-driven, and this works beautifully. The characters are well-developed, unique, and unforgettable. Their lives tangle together, whether they want them to or not, and the impact they have on one another is powerful.
The plot is fairly straight forward, with a few twists and surprises along the way. We explore the way tragedy and hardship alters how families interact, and how this changes the way we relate to others outside of family. We explore issues like secrecy, trust, and self-esteem. All of this is done in a way that allows us to experience the impact ourselves, as if we are living vicariously through the characters.
For me, the one problem came with pacing. The book is marketed as a 'psychological thriller', which set my expectations for a fast moving, high energy story. This book is mostly the opposite of that. We take our time, picking up pieces along the way, holding them up to examine them closely. This is more of a psychological study, a poignant look at humanity. At times I wanted something more to happen within the meandering pace. But, as I said, that could well have been because I expected something different. So, when reading this one, be prepared for a psychological journey, rather than a psychological thriller.
December 19, 2014
http://openbooksociety.com/article/ki...
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Scott
It seems that as much as we deny it, secrets, overt and suppressed, follow close behind. Such is very much the case over the course of two years in the sleepy town of Kingdom Come, CA., population 974 (at last census), in which Judy Strick weaves a painfully endearing slice of life piece. Elegantly written and full of descriptive prose, Kingdom Come, CA., depicts the two year turning point in the life of a reclusive painter, who’s secrets are tied almost intangibly with a 6 year old child, whose own past links to hers in bizarre synchronicity.
Although listed as a psychological thriller, Kingdom Come, CA. came across to me more of a character study; a good character study at that. Not heavy in the way of plot, the novel wends its way through the ups, downs, tears, fears, hopes and pains of the chief inhabitants of this sleepy little town nestled in Nowhere, USA, somewhere outside of the busy life of L.A., which our painter wants desperately to avoid. The “hotspots” of the rural town are a diner, a market, and Luanne’s the bar in which many a margarita is had (and had me craving for one, but I settled on the whiskey instead).
Painting is the major motif here. As the book is painted in concrete language, the surrealistic artist’s latest piece becomes the crux of the story. The starting of the painting heralds in new neighbors, a slightly (these days) dysfunctional family with the enchanting 6 year old, who bleeds wet into wet into her painting, The finishing of the painting signals the endgame in which the characters undergo their respective epiphanies, and the recluse comes full circle, with new hope and direction. The painting itself thematically binds the unreal to the real, the letting go, and giving in to unconscious thought. Those looking for a fast paced ride are in for a shock, as the pacing meanders slowly, ever winding its way to the conclusion.
Not that the book was written without thought or reasoning, however. In fact, it deals delicately with the baring and cleansing of the inner self, the expurgation of the soul through the release of secrets, no matter the cost – even sanity. How the characters ultimately deal with their personal issues is cleverly mirrored in the outcomes of the painter’s and her neighbor’s individual tragedies. Well rounded characters populate the book, some more than others, and it’s a real treat to read such personable figures; their trials and tribulations across a landscape as surreal as the paintings depicted.
Overall, Kingdom Come, CA., is in the end, a tremendously satisfying read. If you enjoy proactive character driven novels, character studies or are into almost surreal stories, then I would whole heartedly recommend this book to you.
*OBS would like to thank the author for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Scott
It seems that as much as we deny it, secrets, overt and suppressed, follow close behind. Such is very much the case over the course of two years in the sleepy town of Kingdom Come, CA., population 974 (at last census), in which Judy Strick weaves a painfully endearing slice of life piece. Elegantly written and full of descriptive prose, Kingdom Come, CA., depicts the two year turning point in the life of a reclusive painter, who’s secrets are tied almost intangibly with a 6 year old child, whose own past links to hers in bizarre synchronicity.
Although listed as a psychological thriller, Kingdom Come, CA. came across to me more of a character study; a good character study at that. Not heavy in the way of plot, the novel wends its way through the ups, downs, tears, fears, hopes and pains of the chief inhabitants of this sleepy little town nestled in Nowhere, USA, somewhere outside of the busy life of L.A., which our painter wants desperately to avoid. The “hotspots” of the rural town are a diner, a market, and Luanne’s the bar in which many a margarita is had (and had me craving for one, but I settled on the whiskey instead).
Painting is the major motif here. As the book is painted in concrete language, the surrealistic artist’s latest piece becomes the crux of the story. The starting of the painting heralds in new neighbors, a slightly (these days) dysfunctional family with the enchanting 6 year old, who bleeds wet into wet into her painting, The finishing of the painting signals the endgame in which the characters undergo their respective epiphanies, and the recluse comes full circle, with new hope and direction. The painting itself thematically binds the unreal to the real, the letting go, and giving in to unconscious thought. Those looking for a fast paced ride are in for a shock, as the pacing meanders slowly, ever winding its way to the conclusion.
Not that the book was written without thought or reasoning, however. In fact, it deals delicately with the baring and cleansing of the inner self, the expurgation of the soul through the release of secrets, no matter the cost – even sanity. How the characters ultimately deal with their personal issues is cleverly mirrored in the outcomes of the painter’s and her neighbor’s individual tragedies. Well rounded characters populate the book, some more than others, and it’s a real treat to read such personable figures; their trials and tribulations across a landscape as surreal as the paintings depicted.
Overall, Kingdom Come, CA., is in the end, a tremendously satisfying read. If you enjoy proactive character driven novels, character studies or are into almost surreal stories, then I would whole heartedly recommend this book to you.
*OBS would like to thank the author for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
August 2, 2014
The debut of an intensely impressive author
KINGDOM COME, CA is an astonishingly fine book - and the fact that it is a debut novel makes its appearance all the more important. Judy Strick not only knows how to write a mesmerizing story, but she also knows the climate - physical as well as psychological - of her home, Southern California. She seems to be in contact with those strange phenomena peculiar to Southern California such as the still mi-understood Santa Ana conditions, the quality of air that changes so dramatically in the few miles from the Pacific Ocean through the various disparate valleys to the mountains, the sense of ever-changing landscape of the city of Los Angeles, and the bizarre poles between Hollywood mindset and Pasadena/Palos Verdes/Beverly Hills modes of looking at life. She has earned her credentials - degrees in writing/film/art from UCLA, the American Film Institute, and the venerable Otis Art Institute and now she blossoms. And this is a Strick Alert - not a water rationing or smog or fire danger alert, but an art alert that somehow manages to wend through those other flags in the way Strick writes her pungent prose.
The novel begins in 1978 with our heroine Ruby Wellman celebrating her 8th birthday at Santa Monica's Ocean Pier wither father, mother and little brother Abe. She dreams of following the promise of seeing China and making wishes form the top of the Ferris Wheel but on the way home from her birthday outing her wandering balloon blocks her father's eyes and the family is in a terrible car accident - and accident which kills her younger brother, alters her professor father's mentation, throws her mother into cloistered depression, and leaves deep seated scars (physical requiring multiple surgeries and mental - guilt and fear of body appearance) on Ruby. Stick then moves her tale to 2012 where the permanently scarred Ruby has deserted her street life in LA as an artist and searches and finds a place of utter privacy in the all but deserted little creek surround village of Kingdom Come, CA. To offer more synopsis would be a disservice to the reader who is exploring Strick's fantasy unattended by reviewer's prejudices. Suffice it to say that the novel is about reality checks, the influence of a strange little boy named Finn McCord whose perception of the world is even more warped than Ruby's, and `a requisite share of colorful and eccentric citizens, including an herbalist guru, a preternaturally clever dog, a dead 40's cowboy movie star, the part-time writer/sheriff, a transplanted New York couple with a rocky marriage, and the Wizard, Finn's new best friend who will come to play an important role in this story.'
Writing of this fascinating quality comes around too rarely. Catch it at it's nascent best. And a big hand for the little lady - Judy Strick. Highly Recommended.
KINGDOM COME, CA is an astonishingly fine book - and the fact that it is a debut novel makes its appearance all the more important. Judy Strick not only knows how to write a mesmerizing story, but she also knows the climate - physical as well as psychological - of her home, Southern California. She seems to be in contact with those strange phenomena peculiar to Southern California such as the still mi-understood Santa Ana conditions, the quality of air that changes so dramatically in the few miles from the Pacific Ocean through the various disparate valleys to the mountains, the sense of ever-changing landscape of the city of Los Angeles, and the bizarre poles between Hollywood mindset and Pasadena/Palos Verdes/Beverly Hills modes of looking at life. She has earned her credentials - degrees in writing/film/art from UCLA, the American Film Institute, and the venerable Otis Art Institute and now she blossoms. And this is a Strick Alert - not a water rationing or smog or fire danger alert, but an art alert that somehow manages to wend through those other flags in the way Strick writes her pungent prose.
The novel begins in 1978 with our heroine Ruby Wellman celebrating her 8th birthday at Santa Monica's Ocean Pier wither father, mother and little brother Abe. She dreams of following the promise of seeing China and making wishes form the top of the Ferris Wheel but on the way home from her birthday outing her wandering balloon blocks her father's eyes and the family is in a terrible car accident - and accident which kills her younger brother, alters her professor father's mentation, throws her mother into cloistered depression, and leaves deep seated scars (physical requiring multiple surgeries and mental - guilt and fear of body appearance) on Ruby. Stick then moves her tale to 2012 where the permanently scarred Ruby has deserted her street life in LA as an artist and searches and finds a place of utter privacy in the all but deserted little creek surround village of Kingdom Come, CA. To offer more synopsis would be a disservice to the reader who is exploring Strick's fantasy unattended by reviewer's prejudices. Suffice it to say that the novel is about reality checks, the influence of a strange little boy named Finn McCord whose perception of the world is even more warped than Ruby's, and `a requisite share of colorful and eccentric citizens, including an herbalist guru, a preternaturally clever dog, a dead 40's cowboy movie star, the part-time writer/sheriff, a transplanted New York couple with a rocky marriage, and the Wizard, Finn's new best friend who will come to play an important role in this story.'
Writing of this fascinating quality comes around too rarely. Catch it at it's nascent best. And a big hand for the little lady - Judy Strick. Highly Recommended.
April 6, 2015
I got totally lost in Judy Strick's California world. Reading - no living it - was a dramatic experience. It happens rarely that a first book can capture an audience so thoroughly in a fine sense of the written adventure. Deeply engrossing, it took a lot to put it down and come up for air. I loved it and can't wait to see what this author can come up with next. She has a great visual sense is able to give us a vibrant delivery of life's sensitive journeys. A fine experience, don't wait.
I just reread it again. Even better.
Robin Vaccarino
I just reread it again. Even better.
Robin Vaccarino
May 6, 2015
Completely absorbing story. The characters, the setting, the writing all pulled me towards the end too quickly. The Southern California setting was dead-on and even the incidental details were perfect. But the characters are what really made this story for me. I finished the book in a day and a half. Stayed up way too late reading because I couldn't put it down. Hard to believe it was a debut novel. I only hope the author can be as prolific as John Irving.
August 17, 2014
I loved this book. Even though many of the characters were eccentrics they were totally relatable. I was completely drawn in - from the story, the characters, the setting/landscape, everything. This was the kind of book that I carried around with me and it also kept me awake at night reading.
The writing and story-telling is really well-done and I can't wait to read more from the author.
The writing and story-telling is really well-done and I can't wait to read more from the author.
December 23, 2014
Kingdom Come, CA pulled me into the story as soon as I picked up the book. Thoroughly enjoying the thrill and mystery as we delved into the turmoil of the characters lives, kept me reading late into the night not wanting to put the book down. I definitely will be looking for more books written by Judy Strick.
July 29, 2014
really well done, especially the setting and characters. it totally keeps you guessing and draws you in. it feels so real and yet it delves into the unreal.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews