Thursday, December 8, 2016

The First True Lie; Marina Mander

The First True Lie; Marina Mander
Hogarth - 2014

Lucas is a ten year old boy who has not had a normal childhood.  His mother has suffered from depression and other psychological issues.  There is no father in his life but, a number of men have come in and out of his mother's life.

One day Lucas is unable to wake his mother (she's dead in bed). He is afraid to tell anyone about that situation because a greater fear of his is that he will be an orphan. Days pass as his mother's body decomposes in the next room.  The food supply grows scarce but, Lucas continues to pretend all is well.  His cat Blue is the only remaining living thing in his life.

If I haven't depressed you enough, I'd like to add that this short novella (143 pages) is translated from the Italian and, I found it to be a tough read.  It's always challenging when a story is told through the eyes of a child but, because this was such a sad story it made it extra tough to read. I was also disappointed that there was no resolution to what transpired and what happened next to Lucas.

2/5 stars
(personal copy)

7 comments:

  1. Thanks for the review - I'll skip this one.

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  2. Oh, so sad, and it could have been a truly poignant read. Too bad it wasn't. Thanks for sharing.

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  3. Thanks for reviewing but I will pass on this one.

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  4. Oh goodness that sounds like an incredible sad read. Thanks for the review!

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  5. I can handle a dark read if there's a slight glimmer of hope at the end. With no resolution and just the heartbreak of it all I don't think this book is for me. I hope you enjoy your next read a little more!

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