Wednesday, December 18, 2013

The Preservationist; Justin Kramon

 Pegasus - 2013

The Preservationist was a fast paced thriller that hooked me early on. The story takes place on and around a college campus with several flawed characters at its center.

There is Julia Stilwell, a shy, naive, college freshman who spent some time in an institution after the death of her brother for which she bears some guilt. There's Sam Blount, a weird guy twice Julia's age who works on campus and is obsessed with Julia. Sam has a mysterious past he is hiding. He's also the first guy Julia has ever had sex with.  Marcus is also a student at the college, who shares Julia's interest in music. The two become friends. Marcus is also shy and infatuated with Julia, and when he learns about Sam, he is quick to anger and suspicion. Marcus is also hiding a secret. 

Around campus there have been some hair raising incidents and two students have been raped. Clues make you wonder whether one of Julia's male friends could be responsible?

Told in alternating points of view, and very short chapters makes The Preservationist a very quick and pulsating read. There isn't a lot of character development, and honestly there are no characters you'll warm up to, but the real excitement is just trying to guess who the most deranged of the bunch really is. Julia makes some stupid decisions without giving them much though, but despite that, this is a novel that kept me riveted. A perfect psychological thriller for when you feel like a quick read, but are short on reading time.

4.5/5 stars (review copy)


9 comments:

  1. I loved Kramon's first book and he seems like such a nice guy so I'm glad to see you enjoyed this book so much.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. oh wow, I guess I wasn't aware of his previous book -- off to check to out. thx Kathy

      Delete
  2. I have never read any of this author's books. I need to put him on my reading list. Thanks Diane, and thank you also for popping over with your anniversary wishes :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Looks like a thriller I'd like. Off to Goodreads now...

    ReplyDelete
  4. You said it! Trying to guess which one is the most deranged...lol. I enjoyed this one, however, even though I always wondered what would be the next surprise around the bend.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I enjoyed this one too although I wasn't crazy about the ending.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This sounds like quite a riveting thriller. Terrific review!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I do love a good psychological thriller, and Justin sent me a copy of this last summer. Better go find it!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I cannot wait to read this one. It's been sitting on my shelf for a while now. I think I may start it next week.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking the time to visit and double thanks for any comments. If you ask a question in your comments, I will try to reply to it here, or by email if your settings allow me to do so. Thanks again for visiting.