Why do I always do this?

Why do I always see the glowing reviews and ratings for a book that’s right up my alley, and essentially ignore the book for months?

I do this, and then inevitably find myself in a reading slump, finally deigning to pick up the supposedly fabulous book I’m almost guaranteed to love, with lukewarm expectations/anticipation.

And then, you know what happens, almost every single time?

Real talk.

I am 100% ABOUT THIS BOOK. And I vow to read everything else Liz Moore has written and plans to write in the future.

Here’s why:

  1. The first thing I noticed upon opening this book is the utter lack of quotation marks around the dialogue. I’ve only read one other book that utilized this writing style, and frankly it bothered the crap out of me. For some reason, it enhances the protagonist’s (Mickey’s) voice and her experience as a fairly lonely character in Long Bright River. I could sense Mickey’s forlorn view of the world and how detached and unwelcomed she felt by those around her. It was a powerful way to share Mickey’s version of events throughout the book.
  2. The flashes between Now and Then in the narrative give tantalizing insight into the development of the story. From Mickey’s relationship with Kacey, the sisters’ upbringing by their (less than enthusiastic) grandmother in the wake of their mother’s death, and Kacey’s questionable romantic relationship with Simon; the snippets from Then help the reader fit pieces of the puzzle together and round out the direction the story goes in.
  3. The setting of Philadelphia is pretty perfect for this book. “In Philadelphia alone, city officials have estimated, 50,000 to 70,000 people are addicted to opioids (The Inquirer, 2019).” As a state, Pennsylvania has the third highest rate of deaths related to drug overdoses in the United States. Because this story takes place in the seedy realms of The City of Brotherly Love where addiction is rampant and evident in the full light of day, it lends gravity to the story and Mickey’s experience as a police officer who comes from a family of addicts and dealers. I could appreciated the jux de position of the modern squalor of the city and the quint time-worn trappings of colonial Philadelphia that can be found dotting parts of it today, depicted throughout the book .
  4. The short, sweet chapters. I don’t know if anyone else is particular about chapter length, but I find that the shorter the chapters are, the more likely I am to devour a book in a day. I have a little bit of an attention deficit when it comes to reading for long stretches. But if I have built in break points (and it’s a freaking awesome book), I’m much more likely to dive right back into the story ASAP (after I scroll though Instagram real quick, to watch cute puppy vids.)
  5. Mickey is a reluctant hero in this story. It’s not her natural inclination to seek recognition or a pat on the back for doing the right thing. Her life, mostly spent looking after her younger sister Kacey and trying to keep her safe, is a series of sad and lonely events. She’s an authentic character with tangible problems. I found a lot of her qualities reflect things about myself. I felt connected to her in that way, making me even more invested in her life.

Synopsis:

Mickey’s a 34 year old police officer and single mother. Her beat takes her along a skid row part of Philly, soliciting sex workers and drug addicts in turn. Her long time partner is out on medical leave, and she’s hampered with the burden of breaking in an aging rookie (who happens to be an insufferable chatterbox and chauvinist.) They find themselves at a scene where a young woman appears to have overdosed. But Mickey noticing broken blood vessels that indicate strangulation. Her observations are met with empty assurances.

Then Kacey goes missing. Her sister, who struggles with addiction and can usually be found on Mickey’s beat picking up clients, has not been seen or heard from in a month. More young women who inhabit the same circle as Kacey are being found murdered and Mickey has the sickening feeling that her sister could be among them…

Struggling with her own issues with family, her former lover, and her constant precarious position between two worlds, Mickey searches for her sister while trying to stop a killer.

But what if that killer is someone she knows? One of those few that are close to her?

And twist, and twist, and twist…

I could not put this down. It’s one of the few books I’ve read that I really wished would continue forever and ever.

I look forward to reading more from Liz Moore in the future and definitely think she should be winning some awards in 2020!

Happy & healthy reading!

Lexi

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