THE LIAR'S CHILD

4.5 stars out of 5



Five primary characters - three adults, two kids, some related to each other, some not - are at the center of this well-written, engrossing story that's full of twists. Just when I thought I had a handle on one character,  poof - that handle came unglued, shattering my perspective on what was happening (or had happened previously).

The exceptionally well-developed characters really drive this complex but easy to follow story; chapters shift from person to person, with each revealing a little more about their past and present lives and how they're all intertwined. The grown-ups include Whit, the father of young Boon and his older sister Cassie. There's Sara, a mysterious young woman with a past she's trying to escape (or is it return to?) by way of the Witness Protection Program; and Hank, a retired law enforcement chief who tries to follow the disappearance of children amid nearly debilitating emotional issues of his own. Even more interesting to me is that most of the action takes place on the North Carolina Outer Banks where my husband and I spent time just about every summer for 27 years (someone down there once told me that Ohio visitors there rank second only to North Carolinians in number, and even if that's not true, I know we've had plenty of Buckeye company).

Cassie is what I'd not so affectionately call a little snot, sassing her parents and, most times, bullying her timid little brother. Whit and his wife, Diane, are ostracized by their community because of something Diane did that put him in the hospital. They're living at The Paradise, the same motel in which Sara has been placed by the Feds to start her new life (and clearly isn't happy about it). Hank lives next door to the motel and pops in now and again.

Suddenly, all their lives are threatened by an oncoming hurricane - a regular occurrence in this neck of the woods to be sure, but this time it's rolling in amid dire predictions and a rush to evacuate. Whit heads for the mainland to help his aging parents, with the intent of returning in a few hours to pick up the kids. But the storm takes a nasty turn, putting the motel squarely in its sights. Feelling sorry for the kids, Sara - who's also eyeing a possible escape - puts them in her clunker of a car and heads for the bridge to the mainland - becoming the last car to be allowed to cross as the wind picks up steam and the water rises. Electricity and cell phone service are sketchy at best, so communication is virtually impossible (for Sara, a good thing; for the kids and their dad, not so much).

From this point on, I can't say more without spoiling things for others - so you'll just have to read it for yourself. The epilogue, I admit, left me with too many unanswered questions for my liking, but that didn't take away from the rest of the story. Highly recommended, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

The Liar's Child by Carla Buckley (Ballantine Books, March 2019); 288 pp.

STOP LICKING THAT

4.5 stars out of 5

No matter what the generation in which it happens, parenting ain't for sissies. My indoctrination - the first of two - happened way back in 1963. Unlike the author, we got one with outdoor plumbing and one with indoor; and they were nearly five years apart instead of just two. Still, with the exception of not having ultrasound readily available during pregnancy, many of her experiences with childbirth and rearing mirror mine - and, I suspect, those of most parents, at least if they're honest about it.

Right up front, though, I'll warn that this book isn't for everyone; the language is both colorful and frank. I know women, for instance, who would jump in a vat of hot oil before allowing their kids to watch them pee (or, for that matter, use the word "pee" in front of them). So if that describes you, well, perhaps you should skip this one. As for me, I was rocked by several belly-laughs throughout; like the author, I've got a mouth like a truck driver (with apologies to those drivers who are far more well-spoken than I). Also like the author, while I tried really hard to keep my lips zipped around our kids, sometimes (okay, make that fairly often), the heat of the moments got the better of me.

The book begins with a somewhat bawdy description of her pregnancy and then moves to some of the more, shall we say, enlightening mileposts that happened once her first kid made an appearance (somewhat rapidly followed by a second, bringing even more complications and yuck-yucks from me). And even when I couldn't identify with a specific behavior - honest to God, neither of my kids ever licked anything more potentially mess-making than a three-scoop ice cream cone - the concepts hit bullseyes for me just about every time. And always, the focus is on loving, nurturing and protecting her boys - how could any mother argue with that? 

There's a bit of more serious "stuff" sprinkled around, including dealing with her parents' split for a rather unconventional reason. She also emphasizes that the book really is about her, and how difficult, yet important, parenting is for her. The only time I took any issue at all is when she spanked one of her sons. Not a Martha Stewart good thing? Agreed. But it happened only once and she immediately concluded that spanking is a no-no. Now, though, it's way past time to stop dwelling on it; a one-and-done certainly won't scar the kid for life.

There's a helpful appendix with parenting tips here as well - making the whole thing both entertaining and educational. Thanks, Ms. Mitchell, for sending me a copy to read and review - good job!

Stop Licking That by Karin Mitchell (Amazon Digital Services LLC, February 2017); 277 pp.