C.S. Lakin's Someone to Blame ~ Reviewed

Someone to Blame: A Novel [Paperback]
C. S. Lakin
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (September 21, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310327393

Description

In the wake of heartrending family tragedies, Matt and Irene Moore move with their fourteen-year-old daughter, Casey, to a small town. Their goal is to get far away from the daily reminders that leave each of them raw and guilt-ridden. Their hope is to find redemption, repair, and renewal. Instead, the threads that hold them together unravel even more. Breakers, a small community perched on the rocky coast of the Pacific Northwest, is draped with cold isolation that seems to mirror the hearts. As they settle into their new life, old grief settles with them. Matt is always on edge and easily angered, Irene is sad and pensive, and Casey is confused and defiant. They've once more set the stage for calamity. Into this mix comes Billy Thurber, a young drifter with his own conflicts, whose life unexpectedly entangles with the Moores'. His arrival in Breakers parallels a rash of hateful and senseless crimes, and soon the whole town -- eager for someone to blame -- goes after Thurber with murderous intent. Out of this dangerous chaos, however, the Moores find unexpected grace and healing in a most unlikely way. Author C. S. Lakin explores our need to assign reason and fix blame for the pain and grief in our lives. Though the circumstances are fictional, the emotions are real and universal, making Someone to Blame a great and inspiring read.

Review:

Don't judge a book by its cover or title, truly, I've learned this about Someone to Blame which is bland on both counts. The plot line also seems overwhelmingly depressing. But since the book arrived at my house for a potential review, and when people send me books I at least crack the cover and read the first page, I felt I had to give it a chance. Within a few paragraphs I was hooked. What a fascinating study of characters, impressions, interpretations and the art of judging. Lakin writes compellingly. The characters are raw and realistic, descriptions are sense-rich, and the story is one that should make the reader stop and consider that there are indeed multiple sides to every story and every event, and even more motivations. The subject matter is heavy. This is not your escapist beach read. But it is a very well written, thought challenging story. This will not be my last Lakin novel.

Reviewed by: Kelly Klepfer

Bonus Review:

Someone to Blame is an unforgettable story that brought me to tears, invoked my anger, soothed my soul and put CS Lakin on my must read list. The Moores are a family attempting to cope with unspeakable tragedy and battling the insidious grip of guilt, anger and fear and CS Lakin's prose bleeds these emotions from the page leaving you breathless. Perfect pacing and delayed revelations made this a gripping read as each character explores their anguish and the mystery unfolds. The underlying challenge to extend grace and grasp forgiveness is sensitively woven into the fabric of the story and, as in life, rarely is anything as it seems. Someone to Blame is both powerful and sublime, a story that may just change the way you think of others.

Reviewed by: Rel Mollet