Long Bright River

I wasn't expecting to start and finish this inside of 24 hours, but here I am. I absolutely loved The Unseen World; this was wholly different, but tough and touching. Great for fans of The Wire.

This was the first book I received through Goldsboro Books book of the month club. I am not so familiar with the authors works, but I was pleasantly surprised with the book. The story centers around a pair of sisters and the different directions their life took when surrounded by poverty, drugs and corruption. Both of them are somewhat damaged by the experience, but in very different ways. The cycle of poverty and abuse amplified by substance misuse is powerfully told.

The writing itself is entertaining and easy to read, pulling you into the story. The book is told through the eyes of one of the sisters and there is a real sense of vulnerability behind the scenes. The power of the story comes from the sense of how difficult it is to break out from the lives that the characters live. The story is viscerally real and uncomfortable in the way that you can sense there is a reality to these people's lives that too many people actually live.

The main protagonist (Mickey) has on the face of things got it all sorted despite her having lost her mother and been raised somewhat reluctantly by her grandmother. She has a job as a policewoman and a son. Her sister (Kacey) on the other hand has properly fallen off the wagon is a prostitute and a habitual drug user. The underlying threat comes from a series of murders of prostitutes in the town and Mickey's desperate search for her Kacey. But it is more than just a police procedural and more about the relationship between the sisters.

“If the layout of Center City—all right angles and symmetry—is evidence of the staid and rational minds that planned Philadelphia, Kensington is evidence of what happens when intention is distorted by necessity.”

Wow.

I just could not get into this book. The storyline was ok, the geographical details were well done, but I felt it was so mundane, that I just barely finished it.

4.25 stars

3.5 stars. Interesting read but not as great as the hype indicates nor as good as her previous book, “The Unseen World.”

When I began reading this book, I had high expectations based on the rave reviews. The synopsis also caught my interest. The book took me about a week to read, and my opinion shifted several times during the reading, finally landing on an overall rating of 3.5.

Long Bright River is a story about two sisters in Philadelphia living amidst an opioid crisis. Mickey Fitzpatrick, the narrator, is a patrol cop on the streets of a neighborhood plagued by drug addiction, prostitution, and crime. Mickey's sister Kacey is one of the many women suffering from addiction that work this neighborhood. Mickey and Kacey no longer have a relationship; however, when women start turning up murdered in the neighborhood, Mickey becomes concerned for her sister, who has not been seen in over a month. The story follows Mickey as she investigates the murders on her own while searching for her sister.

There is a lot to like about this book. The characters are well-developed and compassionately depicted. Mickey is developed most since the book is told from her point of view. Moore reveals both her positive and negative traits creating a character who feels very real. The same is true for Kacey, even though she is not seen much in the book until the end. The portrayal of her addiction is done sympathetically, yet without sugar coating or excusing it. The effects it has had on Mickey and her family are depicted in a manner that seems quite real and honest.

The mystery in this book is not the dominant storyline. It is more of an outlet through which the reader learns a lot about Mickey and Kacey's family drama and troubled relationships. There are some good twists in the second half of the book that are interesting and engaging.

The author has a distinctive writing style. The dialogue is not indicated by quotation marks, which was hard to get used to at first. However, after some time I barely noticed it. There are also no traditional chapters (no numbers or headings). The sections of the book are easy to recognize, though, and many of them are short, so the book moves along pretty well. The story has a dual timeline in which Mickey flashes back to the past when she and Kacey were growing up.

So if there's so much to like about the book, why is my rating only 3.5? I found the beginning of the book lacking in action. I am not saying this is a bad thing in general, but I struggled to remain interested for the first quarter of the book. I stuck with the book, though, because of its great reviews. I also found the end of the book a bit anticlimactic. It just does not feel like a story that is going to stick with me. It is good; but I do not feel wowed by it.

Would I recommend this book to other readers? Definitely! It is a good read that explores some serious topics. Readers who enjoy hard-hitting stories with family drama and a bit of mystery will enjoy this one.

My expectation of this novel was that it was a chunky thriller. In reality this is much grittier. Set in Philadelphia, Michaela a female street cop who works the rough streets and slums of Philadelphia is working a murder investigation alongside, trying to find out what has happened to her sister who seems to have disappeared. Her sister Kacey is a heroin and opioid user and Michaela hasn't seen her on the streets in a while. They have a somewhat estranged relationship but when there are signs that female drug users are being targeted in the area and it looks like there is a murderer on the loose, Michaela is terrified her sister might become the next victim.

This is a very drawn out slow paced novel. It had its own gritty harsh tone to it that I don't think will appeal to everyone but I found very intriguing. These characters felt more flawed and therefore more endearing than usual stock caricatures used in police procedural style novels. But this book certainly isn't plot heavy so don't go into this book expecting plot twists or high drama. I really enjoyed the nuances of this novel and it's commentary on abuses of the police, America's opioid crisis and the treatment of sex workers.

Thanks to Liz Moore, Random House UK and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

It's sad to admit it, but I was disappointed by this book, especially knowing that Liz Moore can write such great books as The Unseen World.
The second part was so strong and interesting, but the first half... It was boring as hell and it dragged so much.

Gah. 85% excellent. I do wonder why the serial murderer continued murdering. Some other unanswered questions. I don't know if I can count this as lit fic if it also very much murder mystery/police procedural?

This is not really a book I would ordinarily pick up based on content. But after reading God of the Woods I was starving for more of Liz Moore's way of constructing prose and articulating stories. The characters are so believable, there's so much depth and reality to the people and stories she creates. This book did not disappoint.

Michaela (aka Mick) and Kacey have a bond like most siblings, but theirs is strengthened by feelings of abandonment, and not from one parent...but both. Raised by their grandmother, Gee, they are often left feeling unworthy and undervalued. Knowing their mother was an addict doesn't make things easier as Kacey herself falls victim to the cycle. Mick takes a different path and becomes a cop.

Years go by and suddenly girls on Mick's patrol are being murdered...girls Kacey knows and is friends with. The problem Mick is having is that Kacey is missing and she can't remember the last time she saw her working her corner. Mick fears Kacey may have fallen victim to whatever evil is stalking the dark side of the streets. As she searches for her sister, other details come to light which places her in danger. All Mick wants is to find Kacey, and make sure she's safe. As the days go by...she isn't confident she can.

This one took me a while to get into. It's definitely a slow read BUT it's one that also keeps you invested in not only the mystery of Kacey's whereabouts but also the killings in Kensington. I really enjoyed the writing, flow and format. I also enjoyed the sisters' relationship. Family isn't easy sometimes and the portrayal of theirs is one I'm sure many can relate to. Definitely pick this one up if you're looking for a mystery with a little family drama thrown in. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Sudah belasan tahun jalanan di area Kensington, Philadelphia, dikenal sebagai tempat narkoba. Dua bersaudari yang dulunya tak terpisahkan, melewati jalanan itu setiap hari, dalam tujuan yang jauh berbeda. Hidup Kacey hidup selalu terlibat entah itu obat terlarang atau prostitusi. Sementara, Mickey setiap hari berpatroli melewati jalanan tersebut. Mickey berharap suatu hari Kacey tersadar dan kembali padanya. Berkali-kali Kacey menghilang. Berulang kali pula Mickey menemukan adiknya sekarat, kemudian hidup lagi hanya untuk kembali ke jalanan.
Setelah lima tahun tak saling berbicara, tiba-tiba Kacey kembali menghilang. Tepat pada saat pembunuhan berantai muncul di distrik yang diawasi Mickey. Setiap kali ada laporan penemuan mayat perempuan, Mickey berharap itu bukan adiknya. Dengan perasaan tertekan oleh obsesi menemukan pelaku sadis itu, Mickey berharap bisa menemukan Kacey.
Awalnya aku menunda membaca buku ini, jadi ketika membaca tidak berharap banyak. Namun ternyata buku ini sungguh mengejutkanku, sangat tidak terduga. Buku ini dimasukkan dalam kategori misteri/thriller namun menurutku fokus ceritanya seputar Mickey dan Kacey.
Buku ini sungguh membuat perasaaanku teraduk, sangat menyesakkan. Bagaimana dua bersaudari yang tadinya tidak terpisahkan, ibu mereka meninggal karena overdosis, ditinggalkan oleh ayah mereka, untuk diasuh oleh nenek mereka, Gee. Mereka melewati masa kecil yang tidak menyenangkan. Lama kelamaan mereka berdua terpisahkan oleh pilihan-pilihan hidup masing-masing.
Penulis merangkum akhir yang sangat sempurna. Banyak kejutan yang diungkapkan oleh penulis di bagian menjelang akhir dan sungguh, semuanya sangat apik, membuatku sangat terharu.

3.5 it was a slow burn of a read but still a good one.

This is not the type of book I go for, I assumed it was a police procedural but I ended up loving it. It's really the story of two sisters who walk very different paths in life. I found myself just absorbed in the storytelling and couldn't flip the pages fast enough.