TITLE: The Reckless Oath We Made
AUTHOR: Bryn Greenwood
PUBLISHER: G.P. Putnam
PUB. YEAR: 2019
SETTING: Kansas
FORMAT: print/library
FORMAT: print/library
RATING - 3.5/5
The Reckless Oath We Made is a memorable story with several dysfunctional characters to root for.
As the story opens we meet Zee; she's 26, 6' tall with bright red hair and a young woman in a lot pain due to a shattered hip. Her father was deadbeat dad and convicted of murder; he died in prison. Her mother is a homebound, 600 lb hoarder. To pay the rent on the apartment Zee shares with her sister and nephew, she supplements her waitress income as an occasional drug mule for her boss. Most recently she had to bring along her 6 year old nephew with her when her sister failed to come home from her prison volunteer work, only to find out she's been abducted in a prison escape. Then there is Gentry, a young man on the spectrum, who wants to rescue Zee and be her knight in shining armor. He's loyal, has a heart of gold and speaks in medieval tongue.
I had really been looking forward to this book, as I loved the author's previous book: All the Ugly and Wonderful Things. There was a lot to like about this story as it covers so many aspects of today's society, but at times it felt a bit too quirky for me. The Middle English speak on the part of Gentry was really off-putting for me - a little went a long way. Overall, a heartfelt story but also a challenging read at times.
The Reckless Oath We Made is a memorable story with several dysfunctional characters to root for.
As the story opens we meet Zee; she's 26, 6' tall with bright red hair and a young woman in a lot pain due to a shattered hip. Her father was deadbeat dad and convicted of murder; he died in prison. Her mother is a homebound, 600 lb hoarder. To pay the rent on the apartment Zee shares with her sister and nephew, she supplements her waitress income as an occasional drug mule for her boss. Most recently she had to bring along her 6 year old nephew with her when her sister failed to come home from her prison volunteer work, only to find out she's been abducted in a prison escape. Then there is Gentry, a young man on the spectrum, who wants to rescue Zee and be her knight in shining armor. He's loyal, has a heart of gold and speaks in medieval tongue.
I had really been looking forward to this book, as I loved the author's previous book: All the Ugly and Wonderful Things. There was a lot to like about this story as it covers so many aspects of today's society, but at times it felt a bit too quirky for me. The Middle English speak on the part of Gentry was really off-putting for me - a little went a long way. Overall, a heartfelt story but also a challenging read at times.
Diane, thanks for sharing your honest thoughts about this book. This is my first encounter with it. It does sound as if there are several dysfunctional characters in this quirky book.
ReplyDeleteChallenging sure isn't ideal in a book.
ReplyDeleteI thought All the Ugly and Wonderful Things was terrific and was looking forward to this one. I've lowered my expectations now so maybe I'll be happy with it.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your thoughts on this book, I'm on the fence with it.
ReplyDeleteI am a complete and loyal fan of Bryn Greenwood's and look forward to reading this one. It sounds like her alright!
ReplyDeleteA lot going on in this story. I sometimes find that hard to tackle. Thanks for the honest review.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I like quirky if it's smart/quirky. I guess I have to be in the mood for it.
ReplyDeleteI started reading this one, but put it down after only a couple chapters because I just wasn't feeling it. I'll probably go back to it at some point. I appreciate the warning, though - I'm not a fan of TOO quirky!
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