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Reviews by Cynthia W. (Austin, TX)

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The Northern Reach
by W.S. Winslow
The Northern Reach (11/2/2020)
For someone who loves people and reading about what makes them tick, why they make the choices they do, this book will have you glued to the pages and sorry that you've already come to the (albeit satisfying) conclusion. Winslow gives you the "fly on the wall" view into the foibles, failings, and quirks as well as strengths and strong points of those who live in a little town on the coast of Maine.

Covering the twentieth century and the intermingling among four families is no small feat. At a little over 200 pages, the perfect length in my opinion, Winslow's writing is spartan and spare, each word necessary, not a single word extraneous.
I had a bit of a slow start with chapter one, but once I got the hang of the family trees introducing each chapter along with the year or span of years covered, I was hooked! It's one of the top 5 books I've read in 2020!
Nothing to See Here
by Kevin Wilson
Nothing to see Here (6/9/2019)
From page 1, I was pulled into Kevin Wilson's Nothing to See Here. He has created intriguing characters who evoked in me mixed emotions and strong feelings. Between Lillian and Madison, especially, there is a skillful, almost delicate, rendering of the nature and complexity of their relationship.
The plot, incorporates a strong element of the paranormal, 10 year old twins who burst into flames when upset. Typically, the use of pseudoscientific theory is enough to zap my interest. However, in this story, the outlandish hoax of spontaneous human combustion works. I suspended disbelief and just went along for the ride! It was easy because no matter how frequent or severe the episodes were, the twins came out unhurt, completely uninjured.
There is so much to like about this engaging book, I highly recommend it.
I am deducting a point for (imho) too many f bombs and other profanities.
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