Review: Mystic River
/
Wow. This was awesome. 4 stars but not without 5 star moments. The character development in this is unlike anything I've ever read - you truly enter into people's minds. I'm really, really, really impressed.
The plot is a bit complicated, so let's see if I can summarize: three boys are playing in the street. One of them is abducted and escapes after four days. Each of these boys - Jimmy, Sean, and Dave - carry the experience, the questions, and the trauma of this event for the rest of their lives.
Twenty-five years later, Jimmy's daughter Katie is murdered. Sean, now a homicide detective, is assigned to the case. And Dave, the boy who was taken and later found, becomes a suspect. The three old friends circle each other, and circle their pasts, trying to survive in a world that has marked them.
The construction is masterful, but like I said, the shining aspect of this novel is the character development. One of Lehane's most prevalent themes - the human curse of feeling distinct and special in a world that doesn't care - underscores the fact that every headspace we inhabit here is unique. Lehane's transitions from voice to voice are smooth like butter.
And it's also because of this, his ability to write voices that are loud and distinct, that we get characters that are flawed. I wouldn't say there's anyone to root for here, except maybe concepts; you root for justice, the truth, hope. But each person is interesting and multifaceted and damaged and imperfect, and written that way without apology.
It's a devastating story and I could chew on Lehane's explorations of grief and fear and masculinity for days. It's long and I wanted it to be longer. It's definitely a good mystery (and I did NOT predict the twist! I'm off my game!) but I found the really good stuff in the questions, not the answers. It's like I came away from this with confirmation of something that has been slowly dawning on me as an adult: everything is fucking complicated.
Spectacular writing. Spectacular book.