Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Writing a masterpiece, but at what cost..., June 19, 2008
Gage is an English teacher who has wanted to write a novel as far back as he can remember. He agrees with his wife Beth that as soon as classes are over, he will go away to his parents' summer home in Crystal Bay to pen his masterpiece. Beth reluctantly agrees, not wanting to stand in the way of her husband's dreams. On the way there, Gage stops for a bite to eat and meets a dazzling woman by the name of Amanda. A few words are exchanged, and he is on his way. Imagine his surprise when he finds out the next morning that Amanda's got a house right next to his. One thing leads to another and before he realizes what's happened, he's in bed with her. What has he done? He could be throwing away his marriage. Suddenly, the writing comes easier and words flow on the page. Then he sleeps with Amanda again as if he were spellbound by her. What is wrong with him? In the meantime, the words keep pouring out of him, but he is ridden with guilt. Amanda has her sights on him, but there is more to her than meets the eye. Will Gage be able to resist her charm and save his marriage--and finish his novel? Amanda's got plans for him and she won't--can't--take no for an answer.
Crystal Bay is Brandon Ford's debut novel and what an introduction it is! It is a far better book than the average first novel. He shows a lot of maturity and avoids many of the trappings of a first novel. There are echoes of Richard Laymon in his writing, but Brandon's voice is very much his own. His dialogue is sharp, the tension constant throughout, and the few characters we encounter are very credible. These are folks you know and you've met many times in the course of your life. Buddy the annoying neighbor who's got a crush on Beth and doesn't let a trivial detail like the fact that she's married bother him. Tina, Beth's best friend and business partner, who's still single and a party animal yet would do anything for her friend. Gage and Beth are extremely well developed and you feel and worry for them.
I kept turning the pages and telling myself "one more chapter" until my eyes were too tired to go on. The story unfolds at a very good pace, moving back and forth between Gage at the summer house and Beth back in the city. The more you see what Amanda is about, the more you want Gage to get the hell out of there. Only he can't--even when everything around him is threatening to fall apart. This mysterious muse isn't that easy to leave.
Crystal Bay is a strong debut, one which I highly recommend. If you're a fan of Laymon's twisted stories or if you've ever been tempted to get away for a few months to write a bestselling novel, then you should definitely pick up this book. It is the perfect summer read.
Alan Draven,
Author of Bitternest
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Can't Put It Down, July 18, 2008
I could not put this book down. The suspense that breathes through these pages kept me at the edge of my seat. I highly reccommend this book to any fan of a good suspense or horror novel.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The Potential for Limitless Drama, June 24, 2008
All of us have a watched at least one movie at the theater and walked away wondering, "What was the point?" Weak characters, a meandering storyline and empty scenery never capture our interest. This often leads to an ending so predictable that you often walk out, angry that you wasted ten dollars. These are the fatal flaws that define a bad movie. Unfortunately, they are the same flaws that define a bad book.
Crystal Bay follows Gage, an English teacher who is tired of grading papers and wants to write his break out novel. To do this he plans a trip to his childhood lake house to spend some time alone and let the creativity flow. There he is confronted by a gorgeous woman who aggressively seeks to steal his youth through numerous sexual encounters. Meanwhile Gage's wife, Beth, is frantically calling because she misses him. Gage is caught between two women, and under the grip of duel jealousy, he starts to write like he never did before. So does he continue the affair in order to finish his book? Or will Beth find out the truth?
Within the plot is the potential for limitless drama but to my dismay it is never fully explored. If anything took center stage in this book, it would be the affair. Having been in a similar situation, I know what it feels like to draw inspiration from a tempting but damaged woman. Gage displays this conflict well by exhibiting the appropriate emotions for a man in that position. Other than that, Gage is a classic stereotype. He's an English teacher who never lived a real life but assumed that he had the ability to craft a great novel without so much as breaking a nail. Apparently, the author had the same idea because Crystal Bay takes no chances. It doesn't teach or explore any ideas at all. It doesn't compel or reflect. It doesn't chill or romance. After a sleepy and laborious read I was left wondering, "What was the point?"
In the modern marketplace, as thousands of new titles hit the shelves, every author must ask themselves a simple question: "What do I have to offer that is unique?" Brandon Ford was unable to answer that question and because of that, his book is likely to accumulate more dust than sales.
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