The Lace Reader Review

The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry

2006

 

I started this book because I overheard my boss and another librarian talking about how much they hated it and that it's about crazy people. Now, you know I love books about crazy people. I also tend to love books my boss hates (and vice versa), so it seemed like a good pick.

Towner Whitney is a chronic liar, or so the first line would have us believe (which creates all kinds of conundrums along the lines of "this statement is false"). Anyway, she also comes from a long line of crazy people lace readers--women who have the psychic ability to read the future through pieces of lace. After hearing news that her grandmother is missing, she returns home to Salem (yes, that Salem), only for granny's (dead) body to be discovered the next day. There's a lot of flash backs about her twin sister, who was raised as her cousin because Towner's mother gave Towner's twin to her sister when she couldn't conceive, and also about her (Towner's) twin's eventual suicide. There's also a cult of neo-Puritans that was started by Towner's wife-beating, child-abusing, uncle Cal (don't you love him already?), and a missing pregnant teen, last seen joining said cult. So the story's present Plot is about this missing girl and how they're pretty sure Cal killed her, but have no actual proof. There's also the story's past Plot, which is Towner's history and relationship with her grandmother, mother, and mostly her sister.

In general, it was pretty interesting. I was definitely hooked by at least two things: 1) finding out what happened to the missing prego teen and 2) seeing Cal get his comeuppance because I hated him so much (spoiler: he does). And then came the MASSIVE TWEEST at the end, which I had mixed feelings about. On the one hand, I do love a good psychological twist. The problem is that when you do have a twist that overhauls the entire story, YOU GOT SOME 'SPLAININ' TO DO and I don't think Barry did enough 'splainin'. While the ending did make sense within the realm of the book, there wasn't enough story left after the big reveal to tie up all the pre-twist plot threads with the post-twist plot threads.

But it is a good book--or at least I enjoyed it, but, as I mentioned above, not everyone does. I'd say it's worth a read, at least so I can discuss the ending with you!

 Anyway, enjoyable, but not terribly memorable.  3/5 Fancies.