Saturday, September 26, 2009

The Promised World by Lisa Tucker

I read about The Promised World on Wendy's blog and the book sounded fantastic. I quickly placed a hold on it through my library and finally got around to it. It was a quick read, and something different. There was a lot of emotion thrown at the reader in 319 pages, but I enjoyed it. I give it a B.

Inside cover:
On a March afternoon, while Lila Cole is working her quiet office, her twin brother Billy points an unoladed rifle out of a hotel window, closing down a city block. "Suicide by police" was obviously Billy's intended result, but the aftermath of his death brings shock after shock for Lila when she discovers that her brilliant but troubled twin- the person she revered and was closer to than anyone in the world- was not only estranged from his wife, but also charged with endangering the life of his middle child and namesake, eight-year-old William.
As Lila struggles to figure out what was truth and what was fiction in her brother's complicated past, her job, her marriage, and even her sanity will be put at risk. And when the hidden meaning behind Billy's stories comes to light, she will have to act before Billy's children are destroyed by the same heartbreaking reality that shattered her protector and twin more than twenty years earlier.

The Promised World is filled with characters that are unlikeable and challenging. I wanted to shake some sense in Lila as she sees her entire life slipping out of her grasp because of her immense grief over her twin's death. Throughout the book, Billy is described as the perfect person, though in my eyes, I saw a lot of faults and dumb pride that hurt him and those he loved. There were quite a few mysteries to be fleshed out throughout the story, and parts of the book were difficult to read. Without spoiling it for anyone, I was appalled by some of the actions of some characters, though it did open my eyes to some of the lesser talked about evils in the world. I will probably be checking out more books by Ms. Tucker in the future.

I am not sure what I will read next though it will be one of my own books. I think I may have my husband grab something for me, or maybe I will use a random generator to pick for me. Big sports day today, and we also have bowling this evening and I always have cleaning and laundry to do, but I hope to get some reading in. Have a fantastic weekend and Happy Reading!

3 comments:

Staci said...

I've heard that there in an emotional punch with this one. I've requested for a few months out from my library.

Literary Feline said...

I am glad you liked it, Kristie. The characters were pretty unlikeable, weren't they? This is one of those books I appreciated more on reflection after I'd finished it than I did while reading it, if that makes sense.

I can't wait to hear what you ended up reading next! I've resorted to random picks before myself. :-) I hope you are enjoying your weekend.

Kristie said...

Staci, I hope you get it soon. Emotional punch is a great way to describe it!

Wendy, I agree. The more I think about it, the better I liked it. I picked a book that seems to be promising. It's an older one but I've seen good reviews on Amazon and I hope it lives up to it!