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The Last Bridge
For ten years, Alexandra “Cat” Rucker has been on the run from her past. But a sudden call from an old neighbor forces Cat to return to her Ohio hometown—and to the family she never intended to see again. Cat’s mother is dead, and she’s left a disturbing and confusing suicide note that reads: Cat, He isn’t who you think he is. Mom xxxooo
Seeking to unravel the mystery of her mother’s death, Cat must confront her past to discover who “he” might Her tyrannical father, now in a coma after suffering a stroke? Her brother, Jared, named after her mother’s true love (who is also her father’s best friend)? Or Addison Watkins, Cat’s first and only love? Taut, gripping, and edgy, The Last Bridge is an intense tale of family secrets, darkest impulses, and deep-seated love.
Seeking to unravel the mystery of her mother’s death, Cat must confront her past to discover who “he” might Her tyrannical father, now in a coma after suffering a stroke? Her brother, Jared, named after her mother’s true love (who is also her father’s best friend)? Or Addison Watkins, Cat’s first and only love? Taut, gripping, and edgy, The Last Bridge is an intense tale of family secrets, darkest impulses, and deep-seated love.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
24 people are currently reading
1032 people want to read
About the author
Teri Coyne
1 book27 followersTeri Coyne is an alumna of New York University. In addition to writing fiction, Coyne wrote and performed stand-up comedy for many years. The Last Bridge is her first novel. She divides her time between New York City and the North Fork of Long Island. "
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October 1, 2017
TAN VỠ VÀ TÁI SINH
Cả cuốn sách là bi kịch cho một cô gái nhỏ. Con của mẹ vô tâm, con củ người bố điên loạn, của em gái xa cách và người anh trai "bỏ rơi". Một tuổi thơ xen lẫn những kỉ niệm đẹp đẽ trong tình yêu mới lớn và sở thích vẽ tranh, xen lẫn một bi kịch gia đình rụng rời: bi lạm dụng bởi chính người bố đẻ, bị bà mẹ "bỏ rơi", sinh con ở tuổi 18 rồi bỏ đi để chìm đắm trong rượu.
Cuộc đời Cat là tập hợp những bi kịch khủng khiếp nhất của một người con gái, người phụ nữ có thể gặp. Mọi người đàn ông đi qua đều mang lại đau khổ cho cô, cho đến khi Alex xuất hiện bên giường cô.
Câu chuyện vô cùng chân thực vì nhân vật chính không hề là một hình tượng quật cường, cô bỏ trốn hết lần này tới lần khác, chìm trong men rượu và say đến quên đời. Thực sự không biết dùng từ ngữ nào để diễn tả về cuốn sách này, vì dối với mình mọi câu chữ đều quá chân thực và cảm động, lại giằng xé và hết sức đời thực vậy. Bởi chẳng có nhân vật nào được lí tưởng hóa, được hoàn mĩ hóa cả, ai cũng mang những giới hạn rõ ràng của bản thân, những tội lỗi và hạn chế.
Ngôn từ dữ dội và giằng xé làm mình liên tưởng đến TRAO EM MẶT TRỜI
9/10 cuốn sách là TAN VỠ, 1/10 lại là điều đẹp đẽ vô cùng, một quá trình chậm rãi, hợp lí để Cat chữa lành bản thân, đón nhận gia đình mới của chính mình.
Sách vì lí do gì đó bị flop ở VN, Đông A giảm 80% mình mua về có 17k :) mà thực sự đọc rất đã.
<3 HIGHLY RECOMMEND cho mọi Mọt ạ
Cả cuốn sách là bi kịch cho một cô gái nhỏ. Con của mẹ vô tâm, con củ người bố điên loạn, của em gái xa cách và người anh trai "bỏ rơi". Một tuổi thơ xen lẫn những kỉ niệm đẹp đẽ trong tình yêu mới lớn và sở thích vẽ tranh, xen lẫn một bi kịch gia đình rụng rời: bi lạm dụng bởi chính người bố đẻ, bị bà mẹ "bỏ rơi", sinh con ở tuổi 18 rồi bỏ đi để chìm đắm trong rượu.
Cuộc đời Cat là tập hợp những bi kịch khủng khiếp nhất của một người con gái, người phụ nữ có thể gặp. Mọi người đàn ông đi qua đều mang lại đau khổ cho cô, cho đến khi Alex xuất hiện bên giường cô.
Câu chuyện vô cùng chân thực vì nhân vật chính không hề là một hình tượng quật cường, cô bỏ trốn hết lần này tới lần khác, chìm trong men rượu và say đến quên đời. Thực sự không biết dùng từ ngữ nào để diễn tả về cuốn sách này, vì dối với mình mọi câu chữ đều quá chân thực và cảm động, lại giằng xé và hết sức đời thực vậy. Bởi chẳng có nhân vật nào được lí tưởng hóa, được hoàn mĩ hóa cả, ai cũng mang những giới hạn rõ ràng của bản thân, những tội lỗi và hạn chế.
Ngôn từ dữ dội và giằng xé làm mình liên tưởng đến TRAO EM MẶT TRỜI
9/10 cuốn sách là TAN VỠ, 1/10 lại là điều đẹp đẽ vô cùng, một quá trình chậm rãi, hợp lí để Cat chữa lành bản thân, đón nhận gia đình mới của chính mình.
Sách vì lí do gì đó bị flop ở VN, Đông A giảm 80% mình mua về có 17k :) mà thực sự đọc rất đã.
<3 HIGHLY RECOMMEND cho mọi Mọt ạ
September 8, 2010
I enjoyed every word of Teri Coyne’s debut novel – from the first line to the last. In fact, I was so engrossed and emotionally invested in the fate of the characters, that once I found the time to steal away to read, I couldn’t put the book down. I finished it the next day. This is a story of redemption, regret and rebirth.
The added ‘mystery’ of a suicide note and its meaning had me hooked throughout. The Last Bridge is a superb tale illustrating the importance of self-preservation, love and the need to fit in.
The main character, Cat, with her flawed, rough and realistic edges, has a distinct and unforgettable voice. Coyne’s storytelling skills are incredible and her ability to weave drama/tension top notch. Some may find the tough topics of abuse, alcoholism, and family drama unsettling – but while I found them to be heartbreaking, they were expertly handled.
The alternating scenes between past and present worked well to explain the complicated past of the story’s main character. This story also taught me that a tightly written novel can still pack a wallop of an emotional punch.
The added ‘mystery’ of a suicide note and its meaning had me hooked throughout. The Last Bridge is a superb tale illustrating the importance of self-preservation, love and the need to fit in.
The main character, Cat, with her flawed, rough and realistic edges, has a distinct and unforgettable voice. Coyne’s storytelling skills are incredible and her ability to weave drama/tension top notch. Some may find the tough topics of abuse, alcoholism, and family drama unsettling – but while I found them to be heartbreaking, they were expertly handled.
The alternating scenes between past and present worked well to explain the complicated past of the story’s main character. This story also taught me that a tightly written novel can still pack a wallop of an emotional punch.
June 8, 2009
Actually, it deserves 3.5 stars.
I can't say I enjoyed this novel, but I was moved by it. It was a heart wrenching novel about physical and sexual abuse, addiction, redemption, and recovery. It gives the reader a very good excuse why one may start to drink and may have difficulty giving up their drug/drink of choice. Here the main character "uses" to forget a horrible event, and the tangle her pain over the situation and her drinking weaves. It was hard to like the main character but her behavior was understandable but not excusable.
If you want to read a painful, powerful, moving, and emotional novel then read this. I almost had to have a drink, myself, to forget it.
I can't say I enjoyed this novel, but I was moved by it. It was a heart wrenching novel about physical and sexual abuse, addiction, redemption, and recovery. It gives the reader a very good excuse why one may start to drink and may have difficulty giving up their drug/drink of choice. Here the main character "uses" to forget a horrible event, and the tangle her pain over the situation and her drinking weaves. It was hard to like the main character but her behavior was understandable but not excusable.
If you want to read a painful, powerful, moving, and emotional novel then read this. I almost had to have a drink, myself, to forget it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2016
This is one ‘powerful’ debut! Written with such empathy and understanding that one can easily imagine the author experienced this first hand, though I hope for her sake she didn’t. The title of the novel is explained in the book on page 100. “Let’s just say this is the last bridge. I’ve burned all of the others. I have nowhere else to go.”
The protagonist of the novel is Alexandra ‘Cat’ Rucker. Living in New York working as a waitress in an ‘adult’ bar she is a young women with a tragic past, no self-esteem, and a critical alcohol problem. When Cat receives a telephone call from an old neighbor telling her of her mother’s suicide, she returns home to rural Ohio for the first time in ten years. Her mother has left a cryptic suicide note which states “Cat, he isn’t who you think he is.” In an attempt to decipher what her mother meant, Cat must confront her past.
Reunited with her sister and brother who return home for the funeral, she experiences chaotic emotions. When she left home she intended never to return. Now, the past is returning bringing with it such a degree of pain, that she feels she can’t go on. Cat is also reunited with her first love, and his presence in her life once again brings her no solace.
Cat is a protagonist I won’t soon forget. For a young woman of twenty-eight she has suffered more than any one woman should have. Although severely emotionally damaged, she is still very likeable. As you read you want to know more and thus you follow her through her turmoil.
“The last bridge” does not fall within any genre. It is general fiction at its finest. Worthy of a recommendation from Oprah, this title by first time novelist Teri Coyne is outstanding!
The protagonist of the novel is Alexandra ‘Cat’ Rucker. Living in New York working as a waitress in an ‘adult’ bar she is a young women with a tragic past, no self-esteem, and a critical alcohol problem. When Cat receives a telephone call from an old neighbor telling her of her mother’s suicide, she returns home to rural Ohio for the first time in ten years. Her mother has left a cryptic suicide note which states “Cat, he isn’t who you think he is.” In an attempt to decipher what her mother meant, Cat must confront her past.
Reunited with her sister and brother who return home for the funeral, she experiences chaotic emotions. When she left home she intended never to return. Now, the past is returning bringing with it such a degree of pain, that she feels she can’t go on. Cat is also reunited with her first love, and his presence in her life once again brings her no solace.
Cat is a protagonist I won’t soon forget. For a young woman of twenty-eight she has suffered more than any one woman should have. Although severely emotionally damaged, she is still very likeable. As you read you want to know more and thus you follow her through her turmoil.
“The last bridge” does not fall within any genre. It is general fiction at its finest. Worthy of a recommendation from Oprah, this title by first time novelist Teri Coyne is outstanding!
August 5, 2009
I 'won' this book as an advance reader copy. To be honest, there's no way that I would have picked this off the shelf on my own; I don't even have a Goodreads Bookshelf/Tag that fits!
Having said that, I enjoyed the book. Well, it wasn't all rainbows and root beer floats, so "enjoyed" may not be the proper term.
The main character, Cat, is dealing with the suicide of her mother, encounters with estranged family and friends, and flashbacks to her childhood with an abusive father. Good times, eh?
I'm not a great fan of flashback writing, but it worked here... pretty much. The book was a surprisingly fast read - just one day. The harrowing and stressful parts of the story were well done and not overdone. The author did not include levity or snappy sarcasm to offset the negativity, and in this story I think that was the right move.
The mother's suicide note (hyped in the book description, on the cover of the ARC and probably elsewhere), "He's not who you think he is," was an interesting and semi-successful plot device.
There were a lot of twists and turns; most were successful, some seemed to be inserted just to confuse the story. That is probably the biggest negative that I found.
The ending could have gone in so many directions. What the author chose was very satisfying.
Having said that, I enjoyed the book. Well, it wasn't all rainbows and root beer floats, so "enjoyed" may not be the proper term.
The main character, Cat, is dealing with the suicide of her mother, encounters with estranged family and friends, and flashbacks to her childhood with an abusive father. Good times, eh?
I'm not a great fan of flashback writing, but it worked here... pretty much. The book was a surprisingly fast read - just one day. The harrowing and stressful parts of the story were well done and not overdone. The author did not include levity or snappy sarcasm to offset the negativity, and in this story I think that was the right move.
The mother's suicide note (hyped in the book description, on the cover of the ARC and probably elsewhere), "He's not who you think he is," was an interesting and semi-successful plot device.
There were a lot of twists and turns; most were successful, some seemed to be inserted just to confuse the story. That is probably the biggest negative that I found.
The ending could have gone in so many directions. What the author chose was very satisfying.
October 2, 2009
I was very much looking forward to reading this book, it sounded from the description as if it would be right up my literary alley. I was, however, very disappointed. I found this book derivative, predictable, and in parts, very annoying. This was also the third book that I have read recently that features a heroine that is, if not an outright alchoholic, at minimum an extremely heavy drinker. I understand that alchoholism knows no gender, race or ethnic bias, but it seems as if the authors have been using this tool in attempts to garner sympathy for their characters, but it has only served, in my opinion, to make these women unsympathetic, characters whose excessive drinking make them annoying and self-absorbed, and undeserving of their central role.
It is possible for women who have been through traumatic experiences to survive them without resorting to drinking and ruining the rest of their lives, and these are the types of female characters that I would like to read about, that I could care about.
I thank GoodReads for giving me the opportunity to win this book.
It is possible for women who have been through traumatic experiences to survive them without resorting to drinking and ruining the rest of their lives, and these are the types of female characters that I would like to read about, that I could care about.
I thank GoodReads for giving me the opportunity to win this book.
December 14, 2025
Alex fled her abusive home years ago. Now she nurses her pain with bourbon and denial. She returns home after her father's hospitalization and her mother's suicide. Her mother has left a note for Alex: "He's not who you think he is."
Who is she referring to? There are plenty of men to choose from. Is it her father, who has sexually and physically abused her? Her brother? Her former lover, who has suddenly reappeared? Alex doesn’t want to deal with any of this. She avoids her brother and sister and numbs herself once more with alcohol.
Coyne interweaves the past and present, showing what has happened that lead up to her flight and what is happening as the children bury their mother, clean up the farmhouse and deal with their mutual feeling that they are more strangers than siblings. The two storylines finally connect and point toward an uplifting and hopeful resolution.
The book is dark and not for the faint of heart. At times, it’s hard to like Alex, who seems her own enemy, though not worse than her father or the alcohol she numbs herself with. But as the novel progresses, I understood her and developed sympathy for her. I wanted her to throw out the bottle, get help and find out the truth about the question that has tormented her for years.
There were several bewildering elements of the novel.
Having said all that, you might think that I disliked the book. Au contraire. I read—no, devoured—it in one afternoon, mesmerized by Coyne's story. I didn't want to put it down. That doesn't happen very often for me. I wanted to know what happened to Alex and I wanted to know what her mother's suicide note meant. He isn't who you think he is.
But it wasn't just the fast-paced plot that made me keep reading. While I read, I thought of all the truth contained in this story, how realistic the family dynamics are in these circumstances, how I know of other families that have lived this story.
It's a heartbreaking look at how abuse destroys a family. No one here can trust another family member. No one besides her brother even bothers to protect Alex, and even he can't protect her from the worst. Everyone else turns a blind eye: her mother and sister, one caught up in her abusive, co-dependent relationship and the other self-centered and spoiled, pretend not to see the obvious; teachers ignore the bruises and cuts of the children; Addison apparently doesn't realize that Alex is being abused or is too immature to act responsibly and get her help.
It's the syndrome that I've seen in news stories about battered women, abused children or victims murdered by a loved one. "I heard a rumor that he beat her, but it wasn't my business. . . . I guess I should have realized when she had that black eye. . . . I didn't know what to do. . . . So I did nothing."
If there's one thing to take away from the book, it's that we all know an Alex. Maybe we're even Alex ourselves. For the latter, Coyne offers hope. For the rest of us, Coyne kicks us hard, letting us know in no uncertain terms to wake up and see the Alex's all around us. And don't just see. Do something.
Who is she referring to? There are plenty of men to choose from. Is it her father, who has sexually and physically abused her? Her brother? Her former lover, who has suddenly reappeared? Alex doesn’t want to deal with any of this. She avoids her brother and sister and numbs herself once more with alcohol.
Coyne interweaves the past and present, showing what has happened that lead up to her flight and what is happening as the children bury their mother, clean up the farmhouse and deal with their mutual feeling that they are more strangers than siblings. The two storylines finally connect and point toward an uplifting and hopeful resolution.
The book is dark and not for the faint of heart. At times, it’s hard to like Alex, who seems her own enemy, though not worse than her father or the alcohol she numbs herself with. But as the novel progresses, I understood her and developed sympathy for her. I wanted her to throw out the bottle, get help and find out the truth about the question that has tormented her for years.
There were several bewildering elements of the novel.
Having said all that, you might think that I disliked the book. Au contraire. I read—no, devoured—it in one afternoon, mesmerized by Coyne's story. I didn't want to put it down. That doesn't happen very often for me. I wanted to know what happened to Alex and I wanted to know what her mother's suicide note meant. He isn't who you think he is.
But it wasn't just the fast-paced plot that made me keep reading. While I read, I thought of all the truth contained in this story, how realistic the family dynamics are in these circumstances, how I know of other families that have lived this story.
It's a heartbreaking look at how abuse destroys a family. No one here can trust another family member. No one besides her brother even bothers to protect Alex, and even he can't protect her from the worst. Everyone else turns a blind eye: her mother and sister, one caught up in her abusive, co-dependent relationship and the other self-centered and spoiled, pretend not to see the obvious; teachers ignore the bruises and cuts of the children; Addison apparently doesn't realize that Alex is being abused or is too immature to act responsibly and get her help.
It's the syndrome that I've seen in news stories about battered women, abused children or victims murdered by a loved one. "I heard a rumor that he beat her, but it wasn't my business. . . . I guess I should have realized when she had that black eye. . . . I didn't know what to do. . . . So I did nothing."
If there's one thing to take away from the book, it's that we all know an Alex. Maybe we're even Alex ourselves. For the latter, Coyne offers hope. For the rest of us, Coyne kicks us hard, letting us know in no uncertain terms to wake up and see the Alex's all around us. And don't just see. Do something.
March 20, 2024
Pretty dark story, and because of the subject matter, at times a difficult read, but so well done and written. Count me a Teri Coyne fan.
August 3, 2009
How can three children grow up in the same household, raised by the same parents, evolve into such completely different adults? When their monster of a father belittles the oldest son with constant emotional abuse; fawns over and showers the youngest daughter with gifts; belittles, beats and sexually abuses the middle daughter all while threatening their mother with unmentionable horror if she tries to leave. While the "monster" is in the hospital, the children's mother takes advantage of the opportunity to escape by suicide. As the adult children gather to clean up the mess and mourn the lose, the numerous family secrets begin to reveal and eventually the Ruckers can begin to heal. Cat, the middle child, is a skittish alcoholic, unable to understand how her siblings can still care about their father. Jared who has avoided Cat for years, is unable to come to grips with the fact that he witnessed their father rape her. Wendy, the perfectionist, who married a much older many is oblivious to the needs of her siblings and her own craving for constant attention. Teri Coyne does a wonderful job of weaving the story and revealing the secrets in a well paced novel. Gripping, compelling and thought provoking. Well Done.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2009
Sent to me by Goodreads, this is an advance copy. The book will go on sale July 28th. I looks to be a quickread. The first chapter is hilarious! Promoted for fans of Jodi Picoult. I was hooked.
This was indeed a quickread. I couldn't put it down!
It told the story of Alex (Cat) who was abused (sexually/physically) by her father. Running away from that life, she finds herself pregnant with either her first-love's child or her fathers. Either way, it is something that she can't handle, so after her child's birth, she again runs and spends the next ten years becoming an alcholic. She comes back when her mother commits suicide. And so the story begins...
What a dinamic first novel. A brutal story told with humor and passion. I will look for future books by Teri Coyne.
This was indeed a quickread. I couldn't put it down!
It told the story of Alex (Cat) who was abused (sexually/physically) by her father. Running away from that life, she finds herself pregnant with either her first-love's child or her fathers. Either way, it is something that she can't handle, so after her child's birth, she again runs and spends the next ten years becoming an alcholic. She comes back when her mother commits suicide. And so the story begins...
What a dinamic first novel. A brutal story told with humor and passion. I will look for future books by Teri Coyne.
August 9, 2009
A young woman returns home for the first time in 10 years when her mother commits suicide. The novel alternates chapters that tell the history of physical and sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her father.
This was a difficult and emotional read, which for me means the author succeeded in establishing empathy with Alex. The story carried me along and there were no spots where the story dragged. The secondary characters very well drawn, sympathetic but with enough flaws to make them realistic. The only problem I had with the book was the note the mother left for Alex, "He isn't who you think he is." The meaning of the note is never fully resolved, and it ended up feeling like a cheap hook to me. The novel was good enough it didn't need it.
This was a difficult and emotional read, which for me means the author succeeded in establishing empathy with Alex. The story carried me along and there were no spots where the story dragged. The secondary characters very well drawn, sympathetic but with enough flaws to make them realistic. The only problem I had with the book was the note the mother left for Alex, "He isn't who you think he is." The meaning of the note is never fully resolved, and it ended up feeling like a cheap hook to me. The novel was good enough it didn't need it.
August 24, 2012
I finished this book in Nov. 2011. I'm giving it one star b/c I don't remember it at all in any way, but it left enough of an impact on me when i read it to send this email to a group of friends who were sharing book recommendations:
"trite, poorly written, ridiculous characters, depressing...and no real discernable plot. Although it's gotten good reviews for what that's worth. It's short so I forced myself to get through it...yuk beginning to end."
wow...but I know don't recall it all, even after reading the plot summary (which sounds kinda intriguing). I'll check it out again and if I change my opinion, up the stars.
"trite, poorly written, ridiculous characters, depressing...and no real discernable plot. Although it's gotten good reviews for what that's worth. It's short so I forced myself to get through it...yuk beginning to end."
wow...but I know don't recall it all, even after reading the plot summary (which sounds kinda intriguing). I'll check it out again and if I change my opinion, up the stars.
January 28, 2024
This is one of the most depressing books I've read in a long time. The main character is an alcoholic. Other characters not only betray each other but mothers abandon children and so do fathers. There is both physical and sexual abuse as major themes throughout the book, and other characters besides the main character suffer from alcoholism. The only reasons I finished the book are 1) it is a fairly short book and 2) I am suffering a bout of insomnia and I was hoping it would help me sleep. No such luck. It just made me think "Life's a bitch and then you die." I seriously would not recommend this book to anyone.
October 17, 2009
I honestly can't believe that this is Teri Coyne's first novel. She absolutely grabbed me with her very first sentence and I had to finish this book before I did anything else. The plot is gruesome in nature...a mother commits suicide which brings home the wayward daughter. Alex spends time "cleaning" up the mess left behind and trying to put to rest the demons from her past. The suspense was perfect and the pacing of this novel was phenomenal. I highly recommend this to anyone who is up for a psychological mind blower!
August 17, 2018
This was a hard book to read-very graphic, but the characters were well developed. Just not exactly sure how I feel about it after finishing it very quickly...relieved it is over as it was tough to read, but tough to put down!
July 24, 2009
Difficult subject to read about although it did hold my interest to the end. Found the flashbacks a little confusing. A couple of interesting twists to the story.
January 26, 2015
I finished this book in one day! It was such a quick and engaging read. The subject matter was sad/disturbing, but I wanted to find out the truth behind it all.
July 1, 2012
A great and easy read, well-written and interesting. A great story of screwy family, hurt, honesty, and the crooked path of healing.
October 24, 2024
Trigger Warnings: Incest/Abuse/Alcoholism/Suicide
It's a story that should have a big black warning sign right on the front cover. Before we get to the third- of- the-way point in the story we are met by a young woman engrossed in her alcoholic life. She has been called home when her abusive father suffers a massive stroke, (and you can almost hear the cheering at that occurrence), and her mother kills herself. Why she didn't kill her husband a long time ago was beyond my understanding, but that would have made the story much shorter, but a great deal happier.
Can you say dysfunctional??? Alexandra, (Cat), has only one real friend, and his name is "Jack Daniels" and he lives in a glass bottle. Cat is in her late 20s and has not been back to her hometown of Wilton, Ohio in ten years. She's supported herself by working as a stripper and a cocktail waitress, while living in seedy, run-down motels. When Cat arrives at the family farmhouse, she is told that her mother has shot herself in the kitchen...but hey, she was neat and tidy about it. She considerately covered the walls with plastic, placed her suicide note in a Ziploc bag and addressed it to Cat, with the message, “He isn’t who you think he is.” Both me and Cat assumed that the “he” is her now, comatose father. The rest of this family, and myself use that term loosely.
Now we have new arrivals.... a younger sister, Wendy and an older brother Jared...but only Wendy asks about "dear old Dad". You find this completely understandable if you have arrived this far in the story. We now learn about the summer that Cat turned 17 and what followed up to the present time. Wendy was her father's "Princess". He saved tomboy and over-weight Cat, to take out of his hostilities and aggressions on... molesting her almost in plain sight while her mother retreated.... probably glad that it wasn't her this time.
Now we are privileged to the inevitable deathbed confrontation with this "saint of fatherhood", along with Cat's drifts in and out of sobriety, and her refusal to recall the ultimate violation that finally drove her from home. Her alcoholic daze and denial provided, in her mind, the justification for the withholding several crucial revelations. Though the topic and the life that these characters were forced to live is beyond horrendous you have to ask yourself wouldn’t any normal woman/wife/girlfriend, seek help after any man chops off her fingertip, while forcing her children to watch? Would an entire town stand by while a man, especially a father, drags his daughter out of an Elks Club dance by her hair?
For any reader that lives a "normal", violence free life, belief is on the "back-burner" here, or sometimes even completely absent. By the half-way point you have to keep reminding yourself that it's "only a story" to keep your disbelief active, but at the end we have to remember that for countless people this is not a tale of fiction that goes away when the last word is read and the book is closed...it's every minute, every hour of their everyday lives.
Another reviewer summed the heart of this story up with the statement that "Teri Coyne's story wrings new insights from what a lot of people may think are merely the overexploited topics of incest and domestic violence...but it's NOT. It's the story of the everyday life of countless women, children, and even men". The 3-star rating? Not in any way a reflection of this author's writing skills...but I don't believe anyone can honestly say they "enjoyed" this story.
It's a story that should have a big black warning sign right on the front cover. Before we get to the third- of- the-way point in the story we are met by a young woman engrossed in her alcoholic life. She has been called home when her abusive father suffers a massive stroke, (and you can almost hear the cheering at that occurrence), and her mother kills herself. Why she didn't kill her husband a long time ago was beyond my understanding, but that would have made the story much shorter, but a great deal happier.
Can you say dysfunctional??? Alexandra, (Cat), has only one real friend, and his name is "Jack Daniels" and he lives in a glass bottle. Cat is in her late 20s and has not been back to her hometown of Wilton, Ohio in ten years. She's supported herself by working as a stripper and a cocktail waitress, while living in seedy, run-down motels. When Cat arrives at the family farmhouse, she is told that her mother has shot herself in the kitchen...but hey, she was neat and tidy about it. She considerately covered the walls with plastic, placed her suicide note in a Ziploc bag and addressed it to Cat, with the message, “He isn’t who you think he is.” Both me and Cat assumed that the “he” is her now, comatose father. The rest of this family, and myself use that term loosely.
Now we have new arrivals.... a younger sister, Wendy and an older brother Jared...but only Wendy asks about "dear old Dad". You find this completely understandable if you have arrived this far in the story. We now learn about the summer that Cat turned 17 and what followed up to the present time. Wendy was her father's "Princess". He saved tomboy and over-weight Cat, to take out of his hostilities and aggressions on... molesting her almost in plain sight while her mother retreated.... probably glad that it wasn't her this time.
Now we are privileged to the inevitable deathbed confrontation with this "saint of fatherhood", along with Cat's drifts in and out of sobriety, and her refusal to recall the ultimate violation that finally drove her from home. Her alcoholic daze and denial provided, in her mind, the justification for the withholding several crucial revelations. Though the topic and the life that these characters were forced to live is beyond horrendous you have to ask yourself wouldn’t any normal woman/wife/girlfriend, seek help after any man chops off her fingertip, while forcing her children to watch? Would an entire town stand by while a man, especially a father, drags his daughter out of an Elks Club dance by her hair?
For any reader that lives a "normal", violence free life, belief is on the "back-burner" here, or sometimes even completely absent. By the half-way point you have to keep reminding yourself that it's "only a story" to keep your disbelief active, but at the end we have to remember that for countless people this is not a tale of fiction that goes away when the last word is read and the book is closed...it's every minute, every hour of their everyday lives.
Another reviewer summed the heart of this story up with the statement that "Teri Coyne's story wrings new insights from what a lot of people may think are merely the overexploited topics of incest and domestic violence...but it's NOT. It's the story of the everyday life of countless women, children, and even men". The 3-star rating? Not in any way a reflection of this author's writing skills...but I don't believe anyone can honestly say they "enjoyed" this story.
September 22, 2019
I have been told that I am a lazy reader, of sorts. That one of my biggest faults as a reader (and, I suppose, as a reviewer) is that if the story doesn’t have one character that I can like or sympathize with or even love to hate…I can��t appreciate the story.
So – if you agree that makes me an unreliable reviewer, have a good day. If not, or if you are a better reader than I, then here’s my review of “The Last Bridge”.
It’s a mystery about the past and about family secrets. LOTS of family secrets and several mysteries but one big one. It’s no spoiler to give that one away – it’s right there on the cover of my Early Reviewer copy. Alex’s (Cat) mother kills herself, leaving a note that says “Cat, He isn’t who you think he is. Mom xxxooo”
I wish I could feel any sympathy for Cat or her family or her mother or for anyone in this book. HORRIBLE things happen to most of them, especially to Cat. But, unfortunately, not only do I feel nothing for these people, I don’t even believe in them.
I don’t believe them as characters. I don’t believe many of the actions they take or many of the things they say. And yes, I am aware that this is a work of fiction, but what I mean is that their words, their actions don’t ring true. It never felt like I was reading about people…it felt like I was reading a plot that the author, Teri Coyne, stuck people in.
I feel awful writing this, especially since I just read Coyne’s website and that she worked on the book for ten years and that Cat’s voice was so strong in her head for that time. I wish Cat’s voice came through that strongly for me.
The actions that the people in this book take are simply awful and they (the characters) aren’t fleshed out enough for the reader to know what would cause them to do what they do. There is rampant physical abuse that no one seems to care about, not hospital workers, not boyfriends, certainly not mothers. There is a tangled web of children and siblings and parents that never really gets cleared up (and I’m not sure why that plot line was included with everything else that was going on). And the suicide note – I still don’t know what it means…and I don’t understand why a woman blowing her brains out would address it to only one of her children and then would sign it with hugs and kisses. That doesn’t means there’s not a good reason…it just means that there is no good reason in the book that I could find.
There is decent writing in this book; there are hints of what it could have been.
“I could still feel the warmth of a human hand on mine, still wiggle my toes, and still see what was in front of me. I could also still feel something – and listening to my mother as she spun her conversation away from the truth, away from me and toward her carefully manufactured view of the world, I felt the black oil of rage bubble up inside me.”
Again, I want to care about Cat, especially in this horrific scene and the betrayal she experiences from both her father and mother…but there just wasn’t enough of her there.
Maybe, in the end, it’s a book of a wasted family, of shells of people, of too much of too little. Maybe it’s a book about people who only connected to people in negative ways…and as Coyne writes, “If there was something more between us than genetics and time poorly spent.”
So – if you agree that makes me an unreliable reviewer, have a good day. If not, or if you are a better reader than I, then here’s my review of “The Last Bridge”.
It’s a mystery about the past and about family secrets. LOTS of family secrets and several mysteries but one big one. It’s no spoiler to give that one away – it’s right there on the cover of my Early Reviewer copy. Alex’s (Cat) mother kills herself, leaving a note that says “Cat, He isn’t who you think he is. Mom xxxooo”
I wish I could feel any sympathy for Cat or her family or her mother or for anyone in this book. HORRIBLE things happen to most of them, especially to Cat. But, unfortunately, not only do I feel nothing for these people, I don’t even believe in them.
I don’t believe them as characters. I don’t believe many of the actions they take or many of the things they say. And yes, I am aware that this is a work of fiction, but what I mean is that their words, their actions don’t ring true. It never felt like I was reading about people…it felt like I was reading a plot that the author, Teri Coyne, stuck people in.
I feel awful writing this, especially since I just read Coyne’s website and that she worked on the book for ten years and that Cat’s voice was so strong in her head for that time. I wish Cat’s voice came through that strongly for me.
The actions that the people in this book take are simply awful and they (the characters) aren’t fleshed out enough for the reader to know what would cause them to do what they do. There is rampant physical abuse that no one seems to care about, not hospital workers, not boyfriends, certainly not mothers. There is a tangled web of children and siblings and parents that never really gets cleared up (and I’m not sure why that plot line was included with everything else that was going on). And the suicide note – I still don’t know what it means…and I don’t understand why a woman blowing her brains out would address it to only one of her children and then would sign it with hugs and kisses. That doesn’t means there’s not a good reason…it just means that there is no good reason in the book that I could find.
There is decent writing in this book; there are hints of what it could have been.
“I could still feel the warmth of a human hand on mine, still wiggle my toes, and still see what was in front of me. I could also still feel something – and listening to my mother as she spun her conversation away from the truth, away from me and toward her carefully manufactured view of the world, I felt the black oil of rage bubble up inside me.”
Again, I want to care about Cat, especially in this horrific scene and the betrayal she experiences from both her father and mother…but there just wasn’t enough of her there.
Maybe, in the end, it’s a book of a wasted family, of shells of people, of too much of too little. Maybe it’s a book about people who only connected to people in negative ways…and as Coyne writes, “If there was something more between us than genetics and time poorly spent.”
March 22, 2021
I did not enjoy reading this. This book is really one giant content warning. I had a hard time figuring out what the author was trying to do with this story. I think the book is trying to say something, but I'm not sure what it is. I feel like there has to be a point since abuse is so central to the book, but I didn't get a clear picture of what I was supposed to feel afterward. I think the ending is supposed to be hopeful, but I felt so icky throughout most of the book that I was left unsatisfied. I picked this book up because it sounds like a mystery from the summary. It's really not a strong mystery, and the mystery is not definitively resolved.
June 11, 2018
Cat left her small town and family behind ten years ago after a horrifying tragedy changed her life. She's spent the years developing an alcohol addiction and trying to forget the life she left behind. Her mother's unexpected suicide brings her back home, and her strange suicide note "he's not who you think he is" leaves her searching for answers as well as healing.
This book was great. Easy to read, and it made me want to never put it down.
This book was great. Easy to read, and it made me want to never put it down.
July 22, 2021
This novel evoked every emotion. Engrossing and well written. The twists were totally unexpected but still I felt like " I should have seen it coming" because the hints were there but not overtly so.
As a mother , a woman , a used to be girl the main character's journey was captivating and relatable and raw. I forgot this was fiction . I felt as though I was hearing someone's life story first hand.
As a mother , a woman , a used to be girl the main character's journey was captivating and relatable and raw. I forgot this was fiction . I felt as though I was hearing someone's life story first hand.
February 10, 2019
I enjoyed this book even though it isn't the type of story I usually go for. It is a very easy read. It is very realistic and portrays the struggles that multiple individuals encounter. There are some complicated family drama and I found myself wanting to know more about some characters while wishing some weren't mentioned since they weren't really relevant.
June 9, 2020
I read this book in a night, caught up in the horrible, suspense driven story of the abusive relationship between father and daughter; and also by the unfolding love story. After I read it so quickly, I just as quickly forgot it...but flipping through the pages and reading passages puts me right back into the world the book creates: both bleak and dimly hopeful.
August 14, 2022
A woman, Alex, must return home to take care of her mother's affairs after her mother's death, but she also finds herself confronting the traumas of her childhood that drove her to alcoholism. I appreciate that Teri Coyne's arc for Alex includes self-realization as Alex comes to grips with her past and current self. This is a fast read, not for anyone who is triggered by trauma.
December 26, 2019
Good book! Cat (Alex) is a 20something who had an abusive father & a weak mother. Her journey from childhood and dysfunctional adult was sad, enlightening and hopeful. I cannot imagine growing up with an abusive parent. So very sad.
I cheered for every tiny, positive step she was able to take.
I cheered for every tiny, positive step she was able to take.
April 26, 2022
This was a super easy read. It was very dark and emotional. The plot shifted, which left me confused, and then shifted back. I thought this was going to be more of a mystery, but it was more of a coming-of-age/ overcoming trauma. I enjoyed it, but was underwhelmed at the end.
May 18, 2023
Very emotionally charged story. Cat’s story was heartbreaking. The father was so unbelievably cruel and mean spirited. The mother was pathetically weak. Sorry, but I would have left and taken my children with me even if it meant living in poverty on welfare.
June 14, 2023
I thought this book was well written, although the story is dark, there were many parts that were funny. I can see how Cat got so messed up.... but I'm still repulsed by the father and what he did and the inability of the mother to do what was right for her children.
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