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The Unsteady Object of Hope
In an economically-challenged small town, several children are discovered murdered. The savage crimes have lasting effects on the lives of eight unique individuals: a scuba instructor, a disfigured cellist, an undercover federal agent, a model, a painter, a documentary filmmaker, an art teacher, and a ballerina. Connected through tragedy and circumstance, these individuals’ complicated lives become interlaced, leading to the unravelling of infidelity, lies and the delicate fracture of hope.
- GenresMystery
370 pages, Paperback
First published August 26, 2019
10 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Robert Raker
6 books42 followersRobert Raker graduated with a degree in Journalism from the University of Pittsburgh. He currently resides in Philadelphia where he enjoys art, music, literature and live theater.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 5, 2020
Forsaken
The Unsteady Object of Hope is a distinctively bleak and fascinating murder mystery with deep psychological character themes. Robert Raker does a wonderful job creating a dark imposing atmosphere where even the weather is dreary, with incessant rain and dark clouds. The mental state of each character exhibits a damaged and forsaken outlook that pervades all their marital relationships with many personal psychological issues and lies being revealed.
The story is based in a Northern Pennsylvanian community beset with economic ruin and blighted with abandoned and deteriorating infrastructure. A local diver is called in to recover a dead twelve-year-old girl, found in her pool but she was dumped there after being raped multiple times and her body mutilated. What follows are the horrific deaths of another seven children, each dumped in a water-related environment – a lake, a flooded quarry, an abandoned water tower. Water and decay are dominant features of the story and ‘water’ is often referenced as having the power to create and destroy.
Each of the four main characters has become introverted with their misery, their secrets, rejecting all interaction from loved ones as they face psychological turmoil. The characterisation and interaction were wonderfully developed to create characters that are irrevocably and introspectively damaged.
Robert is a talented writer with an ability to paint vivid images and descriptions of psychological turmoil that impressed the hell out of me. The difficulty I had was the lack of compelling storytelling and a natural flow. It seemed that every element in the story was over detailed and the core storyline was side-tracked for long periods dealing with the detail on minor parts. It felt like a story that could be cut down in size quite considerably.
I would rate this book 3.5 stars but it is still worth reading if you enjoy deep psychological crime thrillers. I would like to thank Robert Raker and NetGalley for a copy of the book in return for an honest review.
The Unsteady Object of Hope is a distinctively bleak and fascinating murder mystery with deep psychological character themes. Robert Raker does a wonderful job creating a dark imposing atmosphere where even the weather is dreary, with incessant rain and dark clouds. The mental state of each character exhibits a damaged and forsaken outlook that pervades all their marital relationships with many personal psychological issues and lies being revealed.
The story is based in a Northern Pennsylvanian community beset with economic ruin and blighted with abandoned and deteriorating infrastructure. A local diver is called in to recover a dead twelve-year-old girl, found in her pool but she was dumped there after being raped multiple times and her body mutilated. What follows are the horrific deaths of another seven children, each dumped in a water-related environment – a lake, a flooded quarry, an abandoned water tower. Water and decay are dominant features of the story and ‘water’ is often referenced as having the power to create and destroy.
The rain started to fall more heavily. It felt like it would never end and that the river would burst, the streets would flood, and all the people would suffocate and drown, immersed in a landscape of death and barrenness. The clouds above the horizon blackened. I would bring the darkness with me to him and everywhere.The narration is told in the first person through four main characters and their four respective partners, each with a connection to the series of murders. The eight protagonists include; a diver (recovering the children’s bodies) and his wife a documentarian, an amputee cellist (who knows who the killer is) and his wife a ballerina, an agent (working undercover on the case) and his wife a teacher, and finally, a painter and model, who were the parents of the first child murdered.
Each of the four main characters has become introverted with their misery, their secrets, rejecting all interaction from loved ones as they face psychological turmoil. The characterisation and interaction were wonderfully developed to create characters that are irrevocably and introspectively damaged.
Robert is a talented writer with an ability to paint vivid images and descriptions of psychological turmoil that impressed the hell out of me. The difficulty I had was the lack of compelling storytelling and a natural flow. It seemed that every element in the story was over detailed and the core storyline was side-tracked for long periods dealing with the detail on minor parts. It felt like a story that could be cut down in size quite considerably.
I would rate this book 3.5 stars but it is still worth reading if you enjoy deep psychological crime thrillers. I would like to thank Robert Raker and NetGalley for a copy of the book in return for an honest review.
August 2, 2020
Robert Raker's novel, The Unsteady Object of Hope, is a 5-star read. This story weaves the lives of seemingly incompatible characters together to show how one cannot truly exist without the other.
Raker's introduction immediately hooked me. I found it mysterious and intriguing, which made me want to read the rest of the sections.
The narrative technique is interesting, because each character tells his/her own story. This introspection is highly relatable. Raker exposes myriad societal issues through his characters' internal dialogue. Mental health issues are highlighted, as well as probing beneath what makes us truly human: our secrets, our lies, our loves, and what motivates us.
The Unsteady Object of Hope is a story of the inter-connectedness of human lives, despite how dysfunctional they seem on the surface. Upon completion of Raker's book, one feels as if they have had a highly catharctic experience.
I highly recommend this novel for others to enjoy.
J.G. MacLeod, author
Raker's introduction immediately hooked me. I found it mysterious and intriguing, which made me want to read the rest of the sections.
The narrative technique is interesting, because each character tells his/her own story. This introspection is highly relatable. Raker exposes myriad societal issues through his characters' internal dialogue. Mental health issues are highlighted, as well as probing beneath what makes us truly human: our secrets, our lies, our loves, and what motivates us.
The Unsteady Object of Hope is a story of the inter-connectedness of human lives, despite how dysfunctional they seem on the surface. Upon completion of Raker's book, one feels as if they have had a highly catharctic experience.
I highly recommend this novel for others to enjoy.
J.G. MacLeod, author
December 8, 2019
I had a tough time with this book: not sure if it lacked some structural elements because it was a galley or if it simply didn't have them. Keeping track of the characters and who was doing was was hard, and I am not sure if this was a narrative or if is was series of smaller vignettes strung together.
There is some lyrical writing, but maybe too much. Some deep insights but since I wasn't totally sure what was going on sometimes the passages seemed to come out of nowhere.
Maybe more plot and less thought next time.
There is some lyrical writing, but maybe too much. Some deep insights but since I wasn't totally sure what was going on sometimes the passages seemed to come out of nowhere.
Maybe more plot and less thought next time.
March 28, 2020
Robert writes this book as if it were a painting. The strong details, the intense descriptions all make this book stunning, incredibly visible and spine chilling in some cases. The bold and intelligent language he uses makes the people, relationships and situations jump off the page.
For the same reasons, as a parent and teacher, this book was a little challenging for me to read. The Agent was definitely the hardest part for me but it was also one of the best portions of the story. The Agent could have been a book on its own. What a strong and solid story in itself. Outside of that, my favorite section was The Musician. That character was so tortured and complex and I loved it. Understandably, this book is fiction, however, Robert does such an amazing job of writing the realism and he does not hold back the details of the crime. This makes the world he paints very vivid and easy to feel like you are really there.
This book was written in 8 parts which I have seen before in other books but I had a hard time getting through the sections without any additional chapter breaks. The organization of the book was perfect with each story adding to the last and it wasn’t confusing at all, but as a slow reader, I definitely tether myself to those chapters as a way to pause and reel myself back in from the tension that stories often have and that was missing for me. I like my stories to be more concise but that’s a personal preference.
Robert did an excellent job at creating relationships. The intimate relationships were all very deep - for the better or the worse. That was important for this book and i think he really nailed it. All and all, I would recommend this book but with a note that it is not for the faint of heart.
For the same reasons, as a parent and teacher, this book was a little challenging for me to read. The Agent was definitely the hardest part for me but it was also one of the best portions of the story. The Agent could have been a book on its own. What a strong and solid story in itself. Outside of that, my favorite section was The Musician. That character was so tortured and complex and I loved it. Understandably, this book is fiction, however, Robert does such an amazing job of writing the realism and he does not hold back the details of the crime. This makes the world he paints very vivid and easy to feel like you are really there.
This book was written in 8 parts which I have seen before in other books but I had a hard time getting through the sections without any additional chapter breaks. The organization of the book was perfect with each story adding to the last and it wasn’t confusing at all, but as a slow reader, I definitely tether myself to those chapters as a way to pause and reel myself back in from the tension that stories often have and that was missing for me. I like my stories to be more concise but that’s a personal preference.
Robert did an excellent job at creating relationships. The intimate relationships were all very deep - for the better or the worse. That was important for this book and i think he really nailed it. All and all, I would recommend this book but with a note that it is not for the faint of heart.
November 21, 2019
I really love the concept of this book, but the execution was not for me. Maybe I'm used to a different kind of narrator from my crime novels, but this one felt extremely detached. It was very offputting. It could very well be told in the third-person since it felt like that anyway. The plot itself wasn't bad, but it also felt very underdeveloped. There was something missing, but I can't put my finger on what. With some editing (maybe even a co-writer), this book could be amazing.
January 21, 2024
This was….too much. What started as a gritty story of the investigation into serial child murders turned into too many different perspectives, from too many people on the periphery. Each viewpoint became more verbose and full of histrionic naval gazing. Any actual plot was completely lost in the excessive backstories and the arc of bringing the individuals together was implausible enough to make eyes roll.
February 7, 2020
A crime novel with a difference. This is a book like no other I have read. You will get to see the most heinous crime from many perspectives. Unusual in the way it's told I found it very interesting. I think I value the way it's told more than anything. I would say if you like crime novels or mysteries this would be the book for you.
November 26, 2019
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest
This book was such a disappointment for me. The third party writing made it not flow properly. The language used was so ambiguous. Did not enjoy at all.
This book was such a disappointment for me. The third party writing made it not flow properly. The language used was so ambiguous. Did not enjoy at all.
December 22, 2019
Its very rare that I fail to complete a book I start. However I just couldnt finish this book.
The premise of the book was good and so was the plot but the writing style was overly wordy and I felt it spoilt the flownof the story.
The premise of the book was good and so was the plot but the writing style was overly wordy and I felt it spoilt the flownof the story.
November 13, 2019
Sorry to say I cannot finish reading this book. The writing style is like nothing I have ever read and the story is just plain confusing and boring.
November 28, 2019
I'm sorry, I really tried but I could find no rhyme or reason to this story.....it was extremely confusing.
July 21, 2020
An incredibly well written story of a terrible chain of murders from the viewpoint of 8 different individuals.
September 7, 2022
A Convention Of The Impermissible
Very few writers have the wherewithal and the literary tenacity to take on the theme of pedophilia, and not only the psychosis of pedophilic behaviour, but the brutal rape and murder of small children. But Robert Raker did. In a compilation style rarely encountered, The Unsteady Object Of Hope enlightens the reader of how unsteady the hope of fixing this societal problem is, by using a first person narrative style drawn from many entangled, highly developed characters who eventually come together in a dramatic conclusive scenario, but not one that in any way satisfies the reader, which further adds credence to the hopelessness of those touched, even remotely, by this intolerable, illicit subject. The novel begins with a certified diver residing in a small town, contracted to become involved in a series of brutal rapes and murders of young children, all found buried in water to conceal forensic evidence, and then takes the reader on an intricately woven journey of crimes scenes, character engagement, and psychological impacts second to none, recounting lives that are familiar to us, but not. I highly recommend this book if not for its criminology, then for its responsible, creative, and uniquely artistic approach to this very taboo, socially problematic subject. Good for you, Robert Raker, for giving reason to the unreasonable, for being brave enough to mention the unmentionable.
Very few writers have the wherewithal and the literary tenacity to take on the theme of pedophilia, and not only the psychosis of pedophilic behaviour, but the brutal rape and murder of small children. But Robert Raker did. In a compilation style rarely encountered, The Unsteady Object Of Hope enlightens the reader of how unsteady the hope of fixing this societal problem is, by using a first person narrative style drawn from many entangled, highly developed characters who eventually come together in a dramatic conclusive scenario, but not one that in any way satisfies the reader, which further adds credence to the hopelessness of those touched, even remotely, by this intolerable, illicit subject. The novel begins with a certified diver residing in a small town, contracted to become involved in a series of brutal rapes and murders of young children, all found buried in water to conceal forensic evidence, and then takes the reader on an intricately woven journey of crimes scenes, character engagement, and psychological impacts second to none, recounting lives that are familiar to us, but not. I highly recommend this book if not for its criminology, then for its responsible, creative, and uniquely artistic approach to this very taboo, socially problematic subject. Good for you, Robert Raker, for giving reason to the unreasonable, for being brave enough to mention the unmentionable.
January 27, 2020
I did not enjoy this book. You might, but I did not.
The Unsteady Object of Hope is a tale that follows several characters through a tumultuous season of child murders. Each character has a different perspective at relation to the cases. Unfortunately, the book was extremely hard to follow and I had a hard time relating to any of the characters.
I think books are for everyone and each person should not dismiss a book by its cover (or a review for that matter), so I would not say 'don't read it', but I would caution you. Be prepared to be focused and deal with some heavy topics like pedophilia. I can handle the hard topics and enjoy a crime novel. I can handle misogyny and hard-to-relate-to characters. The rest of the book just didn't do enough to make up for these tough characteristics.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I love the idea of the book, but maybe with some editing and time the execution will improve. All the best to you!
The Unsteady Object of Hope is a tale that follows several characters through a tumultuous season of child murders. Each character has a different perspective at relation to the cases. Unfortunately, the book was extremely hard to follow and I had a hard time relating to any of the characters.
I think books are for everyone and each person should not dismiss a book by its cover (or a review for that matter), so I would not say 'don't read it', but I would caution you. Be prepared to be focused and deal with some heavy topics like pedophilia. I can handle the hard topics and enjoy a crime novel. I can handle misogyny and hard-to-relate-to characters. The rest of the book just didn't do enough to make up for these tough characteristics.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I love the idea of the book, but maybe with some editing and time the execution will improve. All the best to you!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews