Book Review - The Ghost Trap by K. Stephens
Category Book Review K. Stephens The Ghost Trap
I'm trying to read a bit more out of my normal comfort zone when it comes to fiction, and as such I accepted the offer of a review copy of The Ghost Trap by K. Stephens. Centered around the life of a lobsterman in Maine struggling with a number of issues in his life, it definitely doesn't fall into my "action/adventure" category. :) But I'm glad I decided to read this debut novel, as the author did a very nice job on it. I definitely felt for the main character as he fought against all the external and internal pressures crushing him down.
Jamie Eugley comes from nine generations of lobstermen working the coast of Maine, harvesting lobsters to make a living. While out on his boat one day with his girlfriend Anja, she accidentally falls overboard and suffers brain damage from oxygen deprivation before she can be found and revived. Eugley feels a massive load of guilt for having that happen, and decides that he will care for her as she slowly works her way back to some form of a normal life. But her care is not cheap, she can't be left alone for long as she gets easily distracted, and Eugley wonders whether she ever will return to be the person he once loved. While this struggle with his commitment is raging in his life, he meets a young vivacious woman working a sailing ship catering to tourists. He wants desperately to fall in love with her and run off to the Florida Keys, but his duty to Anja keeps getting in the way. It's also not helping that a trap war has broken out in the area, and age-old rivalries and vendettas are about to erupt into actions that could cost Eugley his livelihood and possibly his life.
Keeping in mind I'm used to plots that are fast-paced and action-packed, I enjoyed this more than I though I might. Stephens can paint scenes and images with words very well, and getting into the characters wasn't a struggle in the least. I felt for Anja's pain as she tried to get back to what she once was, but was continually betrayed by her brain sending her off on various distractions. I could also empathize with Eugley, squeezed by tradition, duty, and financial pressure, tempted to just turn his back on it all and do something that *he* wanted for once. While I was enjoying her way with words, I *did* start to wonder about halfway through where the entire plot was going, as I seemed to be missing that point of conflict that was pushing the story forward. But it finally came together shortly after that, and things started working towards their conclusion.
Be warned... The Ghost Trap is *not* a "happy feel good" book. The characters are all flawed, and living happily ever after is not in the cards. Even so, Ghost Trap does get under your skin and pulls at you emotionally in ways not always common in today's literature.
Disclosure:
Obtained From: Publisher
Payment: Free
I'm trying to read a bit more out of my normal comfort zone when it comes to fiction, and as such I accepted the offer of a review copy of The Ghost Trap by K. Stephens. Centered around the life of a lobsterman in Maine struggling with a number of issues in his life, it definitely doesn't fall into my "action/adventure" category. :) But I'm glad I decided to read this debut novel, as the author did a very nice job on it. I definitely felt for the main character as he fought against all the external and internal pressures crushing him down.
Jamie Eugley comes from nine generations of lobstermen working the coast of Maine, harvesting lobsters to make a living. While out on his boat one day with his girlfriend Anja, she accidentally falls overboard and suffers brain damage from oxygen deprivation before she can be found and revived. Eugley feels a massive load of guilt for having that happen, and decides that he will care for her as she slowly works her way back to some form of a normal life. But her care is not cheap, she can't be left alone for long as she gets easily distracted, and Eugley wonders whether she ever will return to be the person he once loved. While this struggle with his commitment is raging in his life, he meets a young vivacious woman working a sailing ship catering to tourists. He wants desperately to fall in love with her and run off to the Florida Keys, but his duty to Anja keeps getting in the way. It's also not helping that a trap war has broken out in the area, and age-old rivalries and vendettas are about to erupt into actions that could cost Eugley his livelihood and possibly his life.
Keeping in mind I'm used to plots that are fast-paced and action-packed, I enjoyed this more than I though I might. Stephens can paint scenes and images with words very well, and getting into the characters wasn't a struggle in the least. I felt for Anja's pain as she tried to get back to what she once was, but was continually betrayed by her brain sending her off on various distractions. I could also empathize with Eugley, squeezed by tradition, duty, and financial pressure, tempted to just turn his back on it all and do something that *he* wanted for once. While I was enjoying her way with words, I *did* start to wonder about halfway through where the entire plot was going, as I seemed to be missing that point of conflict that was pushing the story forward. But it finally came together shortly after that, and things started working towards their conclusion.
Be warned... The Ghost Trap is *not* a "happy feel good" book. The characters are all flawed, and living happily ever after is not in the cards. Even so, Ghost Trap does get under your skin and pulls at you emotionally in ways not always common in today's literature.
Disclosure:
Obtained From: Publisher
Payment: Free
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