Night Road

Not too long in the recent past, I read a wonderful story called, Winter Garden. 

Winter Garden immediately drew me in, and Kristin Hannah's writing style made me laugh and cry.  My mother-in-law suggested I read Winter Garden, and at first I was a bit skeptical because there seems to be a happy ending syndrome to selections from her.  But Winter Garden was different from her usual "you have to read this, Michelle" selection.

I don't want to give away any of the story, but I will tell you I did not see the twists and turns like I usually do with my mother-in-law's selections.  If I start to describe the book I will give too much away.  It was a super quick read for me, and a very cathartic ending.

So, when she brought over Night Road a couple weeks ago I was really excited to read it.  

I don't care if you choose to pick this one up.  Not because it was horrible - I finished reading it.  But because it was nothing like Winter Garden.  Two completely different stories, and it felt like two completely different writers.  Now sometimes, as an author you want to illustrate your ability to convey various styles of writing.  However, in this case, I was constantly saying, "really?"

Night Road is told from two points of view: Jude and Lexi.  Jude is an over-bearing mom with twin high schoolers, Zach and Mia.  Lexi befriends Mia and falls in love with Zach.  Lexi is a product of a foster-care system.  Her mother was a drunk and a drug addict.  Lexi is from the "other side of the tracks" so-to-speak.  The book skips and jumps a few times, and honestly it gave me virtual whip lash.  The book spans 10 years in the lives of these characters, and I realize "stuff" must be cut out.  However, I felt it left the reader disjointed.

The book was quite believable until the tragedy happens.  SPOILER ALERT!!!

Lexi, Mia and Zack go to a senior party and on their way home are in a car accident.  Lexi was driving, but it was Zack's car.  Zack and Mia were completely wasted.  Mia dies.  Jude blames Lexi for killing her daughter.  Zack blames himself.  Lexi goes to prison for 65 months, because she refuses to plea not guilty, and Jude refuses to drop charges.  In prison Lexi finds out she is pregnant with Zack's baby.  She gives her parental rights to Zack, because she refuses the baby girl (which she calls Grace) to have the life she did.  Zack's family is rich, so Lexi believes they will give her baby the "right" kind of life.  Then Lexi gets out of prison after serving a 72 month sentence (she got in fights and such), and sees that her daughter, Grace, isn't happy.  In a lovely turn of events Zack and Lexi reconnect and after 6 years of pain, Jude finally finds peace.

Yeah - the book pretty much sucked.