Middletide by Sarah Crouch (ebook)
OVERVIEW
I have not read many mystery thrillers lately because I find them too gory and just too much for me. Thankfully, this book was manageable for me.
This is a debut novel by Sarah Crouch. It is about two high school sweethearts, Elijah and Nakita, who separate due to Elijah attending college out of state. They then reconnect when Elijah moves back home. There is a murder so everything in their hometown of the fictional Port Orchards, WA becomes chaotic.
OVERALL REVIEW: 3.5 stars
Writing: 4.5 stars
The writing was very well done. This author should have a great career ahead of herself if her work continues at this level and continues to develop.
Character development: 3.5 stars
This book has two main characters, Elijah and Nakita. Elijah grew up in an isolated cabin on the outskirts of Port Orchards. Nakita was born and raised on the nearby fictional Native American reservation for the fictional Squalmoah people. They become friends through their shared love of cross-country running. Elijah promised Nakita he would return after graduation, but he didn't return after the promised four years; however, he did return fifteen years later.
The secondary characters are Samuel (Nakita's father and a minister), Erin (the town doctor), Jim (the sheriff), Jeremy (the deputy), and Chitto (Elijah's friend). They are all integral to the story, but their development and motivation could be further explored.
The tertiary characters are the townspeople of Port Orchards.
Storyline: 3.5 stars
It had a great premise, but the execution of the storyline just didn't work for me.
There were just too many timelines that caused the beginning of the book to be confusing.
Yes, this was a mystery thriller, but it could have been told a little more chronologically to make it easier for the reader. Putting the full date at the beginning of each chapter also slowed it down for me as I had to stop and figure out where the chapter was in the story.
The courtroom scenes didn't ring true to me as a murder-one case would have been handled very differently regarding a defense attorney. Additionally, the sheriff and the deputy would have been much more tight-lipped.
Finally, the murder was just too perfect and tied up in a bow. It just didn't seem realistic.
The main locations were fictional - Port Orchards, Washington and the neighboring Native American reservation.
Memorable/Informative: 2.0 stars
So this novel includes a story that includes a Native American reservation and Native American characters, but this novel was not written by a Native American. This is very concerning to me even with the Author's Note.
Book cover: 4.0 stars
Very pretty.
Book title: 3.0 stars
This is never explained to my satisfaction.
Recommend
EBOOK DETAILS
NetGalley ARC (ebook)
Middletide by Sarah Crouch
288 pages
Atria Books
Release date of 06/11/2024
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Happy reading 📚!
Dorothea 💜
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