Title of Book: A Brilliant Death
Author: Robin Yocum
Genre: Mystery & Suspense
Summary:
Amanda Baron died in a boating accident on the Ohio River in 1953. Or, did she? While it was generally accepted that she had died when a coal barge rammed the pleasure boat she was sharing with her lover, her body was never found.
Travis Baron was an infant when his mother disappeared. After the accident and the subsequent publicity, Travis’s father scoured the house of all evidence that Amanda Baron had ever lived, and her name was never to be uttered around him. Now in high school, Travis yearns to know more about his mother. With the help of his best friend, Mitch Malone, Travis begins a search for the truth about the mother he never knew. The two boys find an unlikely ally: an alcoholic former detective who served time for falsifying evidence. Although his reputation is in tatters, the information the detective provides about the death of Amanda Baron is indisputable—and dangerous.
(http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/535603/a-brilliant-death-by-robin-yocum/9781633881280/)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Perhaps what I loved most about this story was the dynamic character of Travis Baron. After reading the first few pages of the book, I was under the impression that the main character would in fact be its narrator (Travis' best friend, Mitch Malone) I was proved wrong, however, when the main focus proved to be Travis and how his character developed and changed based on the events happening around him. Those events being the mystery of his mother's death, his encounters with law enforcement and ghosts from his mother's past, and his deplorable living situation with an abusive father.
While the carefully detailed plot and shocking resolution have undoubtedly contributed to A Brilliant Death's critical acclaim, for me it was the character development and my investment in characters like Travis and Mitch that kept me reading nonstop! (Literally. For an entire day.)
In the beginning of the story, I read Travis as a meek, pitiful and complacent young boy. By the middle of the story, however, as Travis takes the lead in the mission to discover the secrets of his mother's past and takes immeasurable risks in doing so, I gained an enormous amount of respect for him. With every turn of the page I hoped and yearned for his success.
This is why characters are so important to a story. In my experience, you can have the most creative, well thought out plot in the world, but without dynamic, interesting (not necessarily all likable) characters, readers won't stay invested. Conversely, if you have great characters but a weak, hole-filled plot, it will not read as believable. Luckily, this story was strong in both aspects.
A quote by author Shannon Hale sums up my thoughts perfectly in this one statement:
“But, how do you know if an ending is truly good for the characters unless you've traveled with them through every page?”
That is exactly what happened to me as I read this incredible story. In order for a plot to have effect, we as readers need to understand the gravity of the situation and the importance of the resolution for the characters. Only by forming relationships with them is this a possibility. A good story allows us to be a part of the reader's journey and thereby makes each event, triumph and tribulation more significant to us.
This captivating, suspenseful thriller is nothing short of fantastic. I wish I didn't know how it ended so I could read it again!
Sources: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/characters
No comments:
Post a Comment