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Unpaved Surfaces
"One Of The Top 5 Novels of 2015!" AstraDaemon's Lair.
"If you read nothing else this year, read the novel Unpaved Surfaces by author Joseph Souza." Ursula K. Raphael, Amazon Vine Reviewer.
"Souza takes his considerable talents to the next level in Unpaved Surfaces, delivering an emotionally charged, exquisitely tuned suspense story."-- Steve Konkoly, bestselling author of The Perseid Collapse Series.
Enter into the life of an ideal family--Auggie is a happy nine-year-old boy whose father, Keith, loves him more than anything. Keith's life seems ideal--until one day Auggie vanishes. A year has passed since Keith's son disappeared, and he's haunted by glimpses of his son appearing in his small Maine town. With the investigation at a dead end and his family paralyzed with grief, Keith worries that he's losing his mind. In a thrilling twist, the case turns in a new direction--a direction that could either heal his family or tear them, and the rest of the town, apart.
"If you read nothing else this year, read the novel Unpaved Surfaces by author Joseph Souza." Ursula K. Raphael, Amazon Vine Reviewer.
"Souza takes his considerable talents to the next level in Unpaved Surfaces, delivering an emotionally charged, exquisitely tuned suspense story."-- Steve Konkoly, bestselling author of The Perseid Collapse Series.
Enter into the life of an ideal family--Auggie is a happy nine-year-old boy whose father, Keith, loves him more than anything. Keith's life seems ideal--until one day Auggie vanishes. A year has passed since Keith's son disappeared, and he's haunted by glimpses of his son appearing in his small Maine town. With the investigation at a dead end and his family paralyzed with grief, Keith worries that he's losing his mind. In a thrilling twist, the case turns in a new direction--a direction that could either heal his family or tear them, and the rest of the town, apart.
- GenresFiction
364 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 3, 2015
166 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Souza
16 books88 followersJoseph Souza's award-winning short stories have been published in various literary journals throughout the country. Winner of the Andre Dubus Award for short fiction, he also won Honorable Mention for the Al Blanchard Award and the 2013 Maine Literary Award. His mystery, UNPAVED SURFACES, was published by Kindle Press in 2015 and was an Amazon bestseller. NEED TO FIND YOU, his crime thriller set in Portland, was the first novel to go direct-to-publish by Kindle Press. His new domestic thriller, THE NEIGHBOR (Kensington) will be published April 24, 2018. Visit josephsouza.net for more information about his work.
He lives near Portland, Maine with his wife and two children and enjoys running, cooking and playing golf when not writing.
Joseph can be contacted at souzajf@hotmail.com and on Twitter @josephsouza3. You can also visit his website to read more about Joseph. www.josephsouza.net.
He lives near Portland, Maine with his wife and two children and enjoys running, cooking and playing golf when not writing.
Joseph can be contacted at souzajf@hotmail.com and on Twitter @josephsouza3. You can also visit his website to read more about Joseph. www.josephsouza.net.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
April 19, 2017
Unpaved Surfaces by Joseph Souza is a kindle scout book. I really wanted to like this book but I think I had a different idea of what was going to be in it. I read the blurbs after I got half way through because I was not seeing anything in it like I thought. Nope, this was not what I thought. This was a long book, not my type, didn't hold my interest. It is the aftermath of a family when a child is kidnapped and murdered. Not my thing. It wasn't even written with any emotion except darkness. I can't do almost 400 pages of that too many times. I finished just to write the review but someone may be into this type of book but not me.
June 21, 2015
I really wanted to like this book and discover a new suspense author. From the many positive reviews, I thought this book would be a winner. Sadly, I was disappointed. From the use of deus ex machina to solve plot problems (the identity of the culprit is visible from a mile away and discovering who he is relies on the supernatural and way-too-easy coincidences; I was hoping for a good twist to prove me wrong, but alas...), to the overuse of purple prose (the author could have used a ruthless editor, both to catch the errors and to cut some of the truly self-indulgent overblown descriptions--"aesthetic architecture" to describe a splash of mud on a character's leg? C'mon!), to the expectation that the reader will swallow things like a self-help writer being a computer-hacking genius, all made for an uncomfortable read. There's potential here and, as I said, I really wanted to like this book, but it just didn't cut it for me and seemed very much not ready for prime time.
August 23, 2015
Joseph Souza is an extraordinarily gifted writer and readers will find "Unpaved Surfaces" a well thought out story that will provoke the inner emotions of any family’s deepest fears. The loss of a child.
Caught up in the rush of life, both the mom and dad make the fatal mistake of leaving their autistic son, Auggie alone at a bus stop. This proves deadly as the boy darts off on his own mission and is never seen again.
We find ourselves in the wake of the aftermath of that decision and follow a family trying desperately to cope with their loss. The father, a chef by trade, cannot hold a job. Keith is overwhelmed by guilt after leaving the boy alone at the bus stop without waiting to see if he made it safely on board. It was something he had always done in the past. His wife, a writer, cannot type a word anymore as she harbors a secret guilt that she won’t share, not even with her husband. Their three remaining children are all deeply affected by the loss. Frenchy, the oldest of the three is popular, smart and pretty, the middle child Shippen is very inward and Beanie is happy go lucky. Each of them deals with the loss of their brother in their own way. Thankfully, the writing supports the voices clearly for each of these characters.
Souza paints a picture of an upscale town that has lost their way in a lot of respects. The family fights to improve the area by asking the community to consider putting in running/biking trails around the area. This will remove the threat for others who run and play along the roads that are surrounded by woods. Although it may not completely remove the issue, it would have made what happened to their son a lot harder to pull off in broad daylight. The wealthy balk at such a concept, siting concerns such as increased taxes and loss of the rich beauty they are currently surrounded by.
The family falls under continuous attack for their stance on improving the trails. They are chastised both publicly and privately. There are subtle nuances that continue to plague the struggling family. Their campaign signs are consistently stolen, the police chief is annoyed every time one of them approaches for an update on the crime, neighbors are afraid to acknowledge them, a female pastor insensitively tells them “God has a plan” and on top of it all their house is foreclosing.
The only hope of closure resides in the premonitions that their father is having. These momentary lapses put Keith in jeopardy. He has lost several jobs and continues to put more strain on the family. His wife is so bewildered by her husband's odd actions, she finds herself seeking comfort with another man. Keith on the other hand is oblivious to his wife and can’t help the drive and desire to see his son again. When he has a premonition, he drifts into a dimension where he and Auggie communicate and every communication brings him a step closer to the killer. Even though the case has gone cold, the extra-worldly assistance brings Keith closer and closer to discovering the truth. All of the tension is very, very real and the pressure immense as the family uncovers clues about Auggie's killer.
I found the tension and pace to be quite good in this novel. It will keep you riveted as you explore their lives in the aftermath of such a horrendous event. The characters are real and believable. Readers will find themselves rooting for this desperate family on the brink of destruction and all the while trying to second guess what the author has prepared for them in the end. I would not in any way classify this as a feel good story, but hope springs eternal as we become embroiled in the search for this innocent boy’s killer and try to bring closure for a family who clings to his existence. Hang on folks, it’s one hell of a ride.
Caught up in the rush of life, both the mom and dad make the fatal mistake of leaving their autistic son, Auggie alone at a bus stop. This proves deadly as the boy darts off on his own mission and is never seen again.
We find ourselves in the wake of the aftermath of that decision and follow a family trying desperately to cope with their loss. The father, a chef by trade, cannot hold a job. Keith is overwhelmed by guilt after leaving the boy alone at the bus stop without waiting to see if he made it safely on board. It was something he had always done in the past. His wife, a writer, cannot type a word anymore as she harbors a secret guilt that she won’t share, not even with her husband. Their three remaining children are all deeply affected by the loss. Frenchy, the oldest of the three is popular, smart and pretty, the middle child Shippen is very inward and Beanie is happy go lucky. Each of them deals with the loss of their brother in their own way. Thankfully, the writing supports the voices clearly for each of these characters.
Souza paints a picture of an upscale town that has lost their way in a lot of respects. The family fights to improve the area by asking the community to consider putting in running/biking trails around the area. This will remove the threat for others who run and play along the roads that are surrounded by woods. Although it may not completely remove the issue, it would have made what happened to their son a lot harder to pull off in broad daylight. The wealthy balk at such a concept, siting concerns such as increased taxes and loss of the rich beauty they are currently surrounded by.
The family falls under continuous attack for their stance on improving the trails. They are chastised both publicly and privately. There are subtle nuances that continue to plague the struggling family. Their campaign signs are consistently stolen, the police chief is annoyed every time one of them approaches for an update on the crime, neighbors are afraid to acknowledge them, a female pastor insensitively tells them “God has a plan” and on top of it all their house is foreclosing.
The only hope of closure resides in the premonitions that their father is having. These momentary lapses put Keith in jeopardy. He has lost several jobs and continues to put more strain on the family. His wife is so bewildered by her husband's odd actions, she finds herself seeking comfort with another man. Keith on the other hand is oblivious to his wife and can’t help the drive and desire to see his son again. When he has a premonition, he drifts into a dimension where he and Auggie communicate and every communication brings him a step closer to the killer. Even though the case has gone cold, the extra-worldly assistance brings Keith closer and closer to discovering the truth. All of the tension is very, very real and the pressure immense as the family uncovers clues about Auggie's killer.
I found the tension and pace to be quite good in this novel. It will keep you riveted as you explore their lives in the aftermath of such a horrendous event. The characters are real and believable. Readers will find themselves rooting for this desperate family on the brink of destruction and all the while trying to second guess what the author has prepared for them in the end. I would not in any way classify this as a feel good story, but hope springs eternal as we become embroiled in the search for this innocent boy’s killer and try to bring closure for a family who clings to his existence. Hang on folks, it’s one hell of a ride.
May 15, 2015
Review: UNPAVED SURFACES by Joseph Souza
At once a literary novel, a thriller, a suspense-rife mystery, and a novel of family relationships and individual character evolution, UNPAVED SURFACES is set in a small Maine community, Holyhead, adjacent to Portland but insular in its own right. One of the underpinnings of the story is the ongoing road construction on Holyhead' s busiest roadway, and the mother, Claire's, ongoing "Share the Road" campaign for adding safe trails. Yet the title also references the subterranean currents in the lives of the Battle family: chef Keith and writer Claire, adolescents Frances and Shippen, younger Auggie and Beany.
At once a literary novel, a thriller, a suspense-rife mystery, and a novel of family relationships and individual character evolution, UNPAVED SURFACES is set in a small Maine community, Holyhead, adjacent to Portland but insular in its own right. One of the underpinnings of the story is the ongoing road construction on Holyhead' s busiest roadway, and the mother, Claire's, ongoing "Share the Road" campaign for adding safe trails. Yet the title also references the subterranean currents in the lives of the Battle family: chef Keith and writer Claire, adolescents Frances and Shippen, younger Auggie and Beany.
March 14, 2015
Nothing in your larder will tempt you after reading about the delicacies that award winning chef Keith Battle is serving up. Too bad It took the tragic loss of his son and a terrifying mystery to help him pull his head out of his cookbooks and focus on his family.
Unpaved Surfaces is an unsettling novel in which Auggie, a young autistic boy, disappears. His family is in limbo, unable to move forward with life. Should they continue to search and hope? Should they accept and mourn? Each family member crouches into their individual protective postures - not following traditional cliched roles. Even the self-help guru, who interjected himself into the family circle, sounds a desperate call for help rather than acting as a calm healing force.
Souza's masterful hand vividly paints the unctuous feelings of remorse and loss, love, compassion, personal struggle, and redemption.
This book had me checking on my children's safety in the middle of the night and saying I love you a few more times than normal. A wonderful, heart touching read.
Unpaved Surfaces is an unsettling novel in which Auggie, a young autistic boy, disappears. His family is in limbo, unable to move forward with life. Should they continue to search and hope? Should they accept and mourn? Each family member crouches into their individual protective postures - not following traditional cliched roles. Even the self-help guru, who interjected himself into the family circle, sounds a desperate call for help rather than acting as a calm healing force.
Souza's masterful hand vividly paints the unctuous feelings of remorse and loss, love, compassion, personal struggle, and redemption.
This book had me checking on my children's safety in the middle of the night and saying I love you a few more times than normal. A wonderful, heart touching read.
Read
November 3, 2015One day the Battle family’s world changed forever. Keith and Claire’s youngest son, Auggie, disappeared one day. UNPAVED SURFACES is set one year after Auggie’s disappearance and the entire Battle family is no longer the same. Frances (Frenchy) is trying to decide if she actually wants to go to college, Shippen is getting in trouble at his school, and Sabine (Beanie) has fallen into a world of fantasy. Claire’s keeping busy with a campaign to put sidewalks throughout the town and Keith’s barely making it to work. Keith’s also been haunted – seeing Auggie in the woods near where he disappeared. Following his visions may have unexpected consequences for the Battle’s and the town as a whole. UNPAVED SURFACES is a moving story of loss and familial devastation. It’s undeniable how the loss of a child affects every single member of the family. The author aptly brings each character’s grief and coping mechanisms to life; watching them be together yet so far apart was heartbreaking. UNPAVED SURFACES will touch your heart to its depths.
May 30, 2015
A bittersweet story about love, loss, and the delicacy of family ties.
UNPAVED SURFACES explores the varying degrees of mourning, guilt, and coping mechanisms of an entire family after the loss of a child. Souza delves deep into the psyche of each family member (child, teenager, and adult) a feat in itself, and Souza is flawless. The haunted tone of the prose very much reminded of Joe Hill’s HORNs (minus the occult horror aspects of that book). Overall, a great read that opens up a void in your soul and then slowly stitches it back together.
Secret Life of a Townie book blog
UNPAVED SURFACES explores the varying degrees of mourning, guilt, and coping mechanisms of an entire family after the loss of a child. Souza delves deep into the psyche of each family member (child, teenager, and adult) a feat in itself, and Souza is flawless. The haunted tone of the prose very much reminded of Joe Hill’s HORNs (minus the occult horror aspects of that book). Overall, a great read that opens up a void in your soul and then slowly stitches it back together.
Secret Life of a Townie book blog
May 15, 2016
Joseph Souza has an incredible ability to breathe life into his characters. This was a great character-driven mystery / family drama, with characters that stick with you long after the books ends. Fantastic prose and many heartfelt moments. Great new author to discover.
January 2, 2017
finished this one this evening. good story. i really liked it, for the most, a number of story-lines within the larger story, all told, made for an interesting read. onward and upward.
March 8, 2020
The premise of this book, a family struggling in the aftermath of a child (Auggie) who is missing, was interesting. Much of the book discussed the various family member's reactions, and especially focusing on the reactions/guilt of both parents, and the brave older teen who steps in to try to manage things. This is a real oversimplification of a story that gets complex quickly. One of the main twists in the book is the inclusion of Nils/Finn (nickname) a mystery man who befriends aforementioned teen. What we don't know for much of the book is whether his motives are pure or whether he has something to do with Auggie's disappearance. Ditto the helpful neighbor, and others in the small town. The book spends a lot of time developing the various characters/family members, their engagement with one another and feelings about Auugie's disappearance. When the book heads to a conclusion (the very last segment) that part actually moves more quickly. While I did not want to abandon this book at any point, I did wish several times for the story to move along. All in all, a good and different kind of read, although many points could have been condensed or eliminated.
April 22, 2017
"Unpaved Surfaces" is a moving story about what happens to a happy, successful family when one member, an autistic boy, goes missing. Auggie's disappearance affects not only his parents, but his older sister, Frances, his older brother, Shippen and his younger sister, Beanie.
The father, Keith, is overwhelmed with guilt because he left Auggie at the bus stop and rushed off to a business meeting instead of ensuring he got safely on the bus. The mother, Claire, also feels responsible because she usually drove Auggie to the bus stop and she failed to tell her husband that on several occasions, Auggie had wandered off, so it was not safe to leave him alone. Keith becomes obsessed with finding his son, neglecting his wife, family and job. Claire throws herself into a campaign for safer streets (paved surfaces).
With the family on the brink of foreclosure, Frances chooses to not go to college and instead takes a job paying $15/hr as an assistant to a famous self-help writer. Shippen responds first by growing long hair, then shaving it all off and refusing to talk like a Buddhist monk. Beanie becomes close friends with their next door neighbor who helps her set up many bird feeders in his backyard--her new world unbeknownst to her family.
Shippen meets Charles, a boxer and decides to take up boxing as a way of disciplining himself and warding off high school bullies.
Charles and Frances' employer, Finn play key roles in the family's quest to find Auggie and his abductor.
The author does a superlative job in developing each character. Each is unique and special.
I was halfway through the book before I knew it.
"Unpaved Surfaces" is superb. Compelling and flawless. Five stars.
The father, Keith, is overwhelmed with guilt because he left Auggie at the bus stop and rushed off to a business meeting instead of ensuring he got safely on the bus. The mother, Claire, also feels responsible because she usually drove Auggie to the bus stop and she failed to tell her husband that on several occasions, Auggie had wandered off, so it was not safe to leave him alone. Keith becomes obsessed with finding his son, neglecting his wife, family and job. Claire throws herself into a campaign for safer streets (paved surfaces).
With the family on the brink of foreclosure, Frances chooses to not go to college and instead takes a job paying $15/hr as an assistant to a famous self-help writer. Shippen responds first by growing long hair, then shaving it all off and refusing to talk like a Buddhist monk. Beanie becomes close friends with their next door neighbor who helps her set up many bird feeders in his backyard--her new world unbeknownst to her family.
Shippen meets Charles, a boxer and decides to take up boxing as a way of disciplining himself and warding off high school bullies.
Charles and Frances' employer, Finn play key roles in the family's quest to find Auggie and his abductor.
The author does a superlative job in developing each character. Each is unique and special.
I was halfway through the book before I knew it.
"Unpaved Surfaces" is superb. Compelling and flawless. Five stars.
May 25, 2017
There are already plenty of reviews here that go into detail about the pros and cons of this book, so I won't repeat them, but for me the book was just too farfetched. I wish they had left out the whole thing with "visions" of Auggie. It really added nothing to the story. The family was not believable, either. The kids were just a little too perfect except for the troubled teenaged son, who did a total turnaround that was not believable either. And who came up with the names? Beanie? Shippen?
I stuck with the book until the end, but it was just too farfetched and unbelievable, the characters didn't have much to them, and I was glad when it was over.
I stuck with the book until the end, but it was just too farfetched and unbelievable, the characters didn't have much to them, and I was glad when it was over.
August 27, 2017
A story told from the perspective of the various family members of a young autistic boy who goes missing. Each one deals with the crisis in vastly different ways. It's a human-interest story that takes you deep into the psyches of the family and people in their town. The beginning was rather slow and at times the story felt more focused on the issues around making the road safer than it did about discovering what happened to the missing boy.
December 16, 2018
Joseph Souza is an author that starts off slow, but picks up speed; as if he is on a racing bike. Once you get into this book you cannot put it down. The entire Battle Family resonates with you each in a different way. From Frenchy who is the glue that holds the family together, to Shippen who is bullied, to Keith who is like so many of us who have lost a loved one. I highly recommend the book.
January 28, 2018
Small town secrets
This book played on the intrigue if small town secrets and the inner suffering resulting from a tragedy. The characters were developed well and the core story was the relationships more than the obvious plot. The mystery around the victim was too easy to solve and that us why this book did not get a higher rating, that and an all too convenient conclusion.
This book played on the intrigue if small town secrets and the inner suffering resulting from a tragedy. The characters were developed well and the core story was the relationships more than the obvious plot. The mystery around the victim was too easy to solve and that us why this book did not get a higher rating, that and an all too convenient conclusion.
September 12, 2018
Loved this book.
This book really touched my heart, the story had me so interested that I couldn't put my kindle down, could not read fast enough to see what would happen next. It made me laugh a little, and cry for the families pain. And cheer for Nils. I will be looking for more reads from this Author.. Thank you for a great read.
Marsha G..
This book really touched my heart, the story had me so interested that I couldn't put my kindle down, could not read fast enough to see what would happen next. It made me laugh a little, and cry for the families pain. And cheer for Nils. I will be looking for more reads from this Author.. Thank you for a great read.
Marsha G..
September 28, 2017
Some very interesting developments in this book. Different story than you would expect from the title. Felt little scattered at times. Worth the time to read a lot of hope for people who experience loss.
January 23, 2020
Wonderfully written
Very well written he does a wonderful job showing the complexity of the characters emotions. I enjoyed the characters depth and the interaction of the community as a whole.
Very well written he does a wonderful job showing the complexity of the characters emotions. I enjoyed the characters depth and the interaction of the community as a whole.
June 18, 2017
Good read
Enjoyed this book while camping. Was A little bit slow to start but gripping till thru the end. Recommend it.
Enjoyed this book while camping. Was A little bit slow to start but gripping till thru the end. Recommend it.
July 7, 2017
Good Read
This story at it's core is one of love, happiness and hope dressed in a sad tragedy that could visit any of us at any time if we are blessed enough to truly love someone.
This story at it's core is one of love, happiness and hope dressed in a sad tragedy that could visit any of us at any time if we are blessed enough to truly love someone.
August 5, 2017
Highly recommended!
The characters were all so real I felt like I knew them. Couldn't put it down! Will look forward to reading more from this author
The characters were all so real I felt like I knew them. Couldn't put it down! Will look forward to reading more from this author
September 3, 2017
Loved it !!
This book was well written !! I couldn't put it down !! Can't wait to read more of his books !!!
This book was well written !! I couldn't put it down !! Can't wait to read more of his books !!!
November 15, 2017
Hard to put down.
June 10, 2018
A good book
I enjoyed reading this book. It kinda makes you think about life. And the importance of family and friends, value the moment!
I enjoyed reading this book. It kinda makes you think about life. And the importance of family and friends, value the moment!
September 22, 2018
Great read
This was a hard to put down book. It was very well written and I hated when I reached the end
This was a hard to put down book. It was very well written and I hated when I reached the end
July 9, 2019
Excellent Read
It was hard to put down and I couldn't wait to get back where I'd left off! It had suspense and excitement in it!
It was hard to put down and I couldn't wait to get back where I'd left off! It had suspense and excitement in it!
September 26, 2019
A story of love hardships
I enjoyed the story of love suspense mystery hurt and forgiveness. 5 stars is not enough for a rating. I will read many more of Souza books.
I enjoyed the story of love suspense mystery hurt and forgiveness. 5 stars is not enough for a rating. I will read many more of Souza books.
December 17, 2019
Great read!
Really enjoyed this book. Every time I put it down I couldn't wait to pick it up again. Many twists and turns. The story felt like it was about real people.
Really enjoyed this book. Every time I put it down I couldn't wait to pick it up again. Many twists and turns. The story felt like it was about real people.
January 5, 2021
Great story of family dynamics twisted up into a thriller.
March 17, 2017
I'm really not into the ghost/spirit phenomenon but I really liked this book. I really felt connected to the kids. I thought the display of family dynamics was excellent and the story kept you guessing.
I will read another one of his books for sure
I will read another one of his books for sure
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews