4 out of 4 stars
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We often come across strangers in our life who impact us in a way that is hard to ignore. Andrea McKenzie Raine explores the lives of three such people in her book Turnstiles. Through the perspective of various people taunted by the demons in their life, she makes sly observations on human nature and delves a little onto philosophy.
Willis Hancock is the son of a wealthy man who died recently. Inheriting his father’s fortune did not make him feel wealthy. Instead, he was even more tormented by the uncomfortable memories of his deceased father whom he never wanted to love. On a whim, he writes off a considerable part of his money to a beggar Martin, whom he meets on the streets of London. Martin journeys to Paris with his newfound fortune. Evelyn is a prostitute who has repeatedly been under the command of the men in her life. She never had control over herself. Martin liberates her from the grip of her boss Frank, who had threatened her life for a long time. When Martin senses that Evelyn is becoming overly dependent on him, he abandons her. The three people cross paths rarely, but their chance encounters leave a significant footprint in each other’s lives.
For me this book was an intimate look into the lives of people I don’t often meet in the real world. A wealthy businessman, a man who chose to beg on the streets and a girl forced into prostitution; I’ve stayed blissfully ignorant of such people in my entire life. But this book made me come out of my comfort zone and confront the realities I tended to ignore so often.
I loved how each of the characters had a distinct voice. I couldn’t often connect with Willis and found myself hating some of his decisions. But in the end, it was difficult to despise a man taunted by his own weapons. I also surprised myself with how much I related to Martin. His appreciation for art was inspiring. I especially loved the way he described his visit to Paris. Evelyn was more difficult to completely grasp, but Raine vividly captures the hurt voice of a girl striving to snatch her innocence back.
This book is entirely character-driven. At one point, I felt like it became more and more philosophical. There are a few side-characters, but Raine assigns them a unique role. We get to see the narratives of some less significant characters which provide a depth and understanding of the story. My only problem was that sometimes a particular character came often and then suddenly disappeared for a while. The plot-twists were convenient, but Raine succeeds in portraying them as coincidences. I was a little disappointed that we didn’t get to witness the confrontation between two particular characters in the end. I have to admit though, the story wrapped up perfectly, in an extremely satisfying manner.
The writing was spotless and engaging, with perfect grammar. Undoubtedly, this book is professionally edited. I would recommend it to fans of Nina LaCour and Robin Benway, as well as everyone looking for a character-driven story. I enjoyed this book way too much to rate it anything less than 4 out of 4 stars. People who are easily triggered by adult content, depression and child abuse are cautioned to stay away from this book. It would suit more mature readers, preferably aged sixteen and above.
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Turnstiles
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