Customer Reviews

Someone to Blame: A Novel

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just don't understand the 2 star review I just read about this book. I absolutely love C.S. Lakin's writing style. I went to the trouble of tracking her down to send her an email to tell her that as a matter of fact. This says a lot considering the fact that I'm a very busy person. The lady can write! I'll be watching for her next release.

C.S. tackled some tough topics in this book, topics that unfortunately are part of human nature, such as how some individuals are always looking for someone to blame when things don't go their way. C.S. takes the reader to the edge in a suspenseful twist, showing us what can happen when things go too far.

Characters were very believable and three dimensional. I enjoyed the teenage girl, Casey, in the book because she seemed so real, not easy to pull off by an adult writer. My heart went out to Casey and struggled with her as she faced loss and attempted to find her place in the world. I honestly liked and identified with every character in the book because they were believable and well-rounded.

If you like suspenseful books that tackle mild psychological concepts, this one's for you...

First, a confession: I am not religious and have never read religious fiction before. I was offered to review this book and the presentation did not give indication that the book was religious fiction. So, I was skeptical: would I be able to get into the story? Would the book read as well as "secular" fiction?

Yes and yes. C.S. Lakin's Someone to Blame proved to be a very heartwarming and engrossing story. Primarily, it is a character study about a family - Irene and Matt Moore and their daughter Casey - who move to the small town of Breaker, CA in order to rebuild their lives after tragically losing two sons. What they find in this new town, though, is that the town has secrets and is full of as much anger and sadness as the Moore's are. Will this new town help them come to terms with the Moore's loss? Or will events in town prove too much for the Moore family to take?

First of all, the characters and the town itself are very easy to relate to. Lakin does a great job creating characters who have depth and a scenery that is vivid. The plot is a little slow in the beginning and first half (where we are primarily getting to know more and more about the characters in the town) , but picks up in the second half quite a bit.

If there is one negative about this book, it is that the plot is quite predictable from about the 3/4 point on. While the story is nonetheless intriguing enough that I didn't lose interest, I tended to know what would happen well before it actually happened. The book's pull is not due to any unpredictability in plot, but to the strength of the characters and Lakin's ability to let us in their heads.

All in all, this is a very heartwarming story about a family's ability to get through tragedy by relying on each other and their inner strength, and how people can lose their way but make it back. I strongly recommend it...even to those who aren't readers of religious fiction.

The Moore Family recently moved to Breakers, a small town in the Pacific Northwest, fleeing the heartache of lost loved ones. Their family is fragile, and one wave crashing them against the cliffs could break them - unless the walls around their individual hearts came down.

Billy Thurber has recently shown up in town, as well, selling firewood off the back of his pickup truck. When he arrives, so does trouble. The people of Breakers don't like the glare in his eyes or the attitude he carries. So when the trouble starts, all the fingers point to Billy...except for one.

Will one person's compassion set Billy's heart free from his past? Will the once-quiet town of Breakers find peace again?

In Someone to Blame, C.S. Lakin provides a full cast of characters with real issues. She provides just enough description for the readers mind to envision the coastal fishing town and the surrounding mountains, allowing the reader to imagine the rest. I enjoyed the small-town pace of the book. The action is just enough to keep one wondering what's coming next, if anything else could go wrong, and who's to blame for what the town is going through. Once the action peaks, it drops off again as evidence from the once sleepy town is revealed. But keep reading, because the end of the story is the best part of the book.

Lakin sprinkles revelations of God's love, grace, and forgiveness throughout the story. The tale she tells moved my heart more than once.

Someone to Blame is a fresh story filled with twists and turns resembling the coastal roads it is set against. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and I give it four out of five stars.

Always on the lookout for outstanding Christian novels, I was intrigued when I found Someone to Blame, a work of contemporary fiction by fantasy novelist C.S. Lakin. Its title and back cover synopsis were enough to draw me in...

Following the crushing losses of both their teenage sons, Matt and Irene Moore move with their daughter, 14-year-old Casey, to a small coastal Northwest town. In doing so, they hope to leave behind plaguing, guilt-ridden memories. Instead, trouble seems to follow them - trouble, most specifically, in the form of a young man named Billy Thurber, a drifter with a questionable past. His behavior provokes suspicion and anger from all those he meets - with one notable exception. Casey, hurting and impressionable, falls instantly under his spell. But her infatuation is no protection against the town's rising resentment, tilting toward murderous intent.

From first page to last, Someone to Blame shines. It contains neither sugar-coating nor preaching - only real-life drama lived out by ordinary characters made extraordinary by circumstance. Lakin introduces high conflict in the opening chapters and sustains page-turning tension without ever becoming melodramatic. Her complex interweaving of plotlines builds toward a satisfying conclusion, and though she has more POV characters than I've seen in a long time, each is credible, not cardboard. Best of all, the spiritual takeaway doesn't knock you over the head; instead, it blooms naturally from the story.

I liked this story so much, in fact, that after reading a borrowed copy from the library, I ordered my own from Amazon - which is where I learned that for this stand-alone, Lakin won the Zondervan First Novel contest at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. It's a well-deserved distinction. I found Someone to Blame one of the most compelling works of Christian fiction in recent memory - worthy of belonging in anyone's personal library.

Someone to Blame is a powerful novel told in a smooth, straightforward style. C.S. Lakin has combined deep themes with a gripping plot and believable, memorable characters. The story explores the emotions of a grieving family but never becomes sentimental or preachy.

Matt and Irene Moore have been dealt a hand of unfathomable guilt and grief. Casey, their hurting and defiant daughter, is only fourteen but seeks comfort from a twenty-something drifter named Billy Thurber, who's suspected of being behind a sudden rash of crimes. When small-town gossip pins the blame on Billy, the consequences spin out of control and can't be undone even by Irene's brave attempt to make things right. Lakin maintains a refreshing realism to the very end, where a twist adds the perfect grace note. I finished reading the story weeks ago, but I can't stop thinking about it, and I have re-read the ending several times just to savor it. This novel is definitely a keeper. I hope to see many more novels from C.S. Lakin.

How do you survive and find meaning, when the worst that can happen has happened? What do you do with the memories, visions, pain and suffering that follow you wherever you go, regardless of how many miles you've put between the tragedies and your self?

Those are the questions and circumstances facing the Moore family. Mother Irene, her husband Matt and their daughter Casey, make their way to a seemingly sleepy small town on the coast of Northern California called Breakers. The wonderful opening line sums up their feelings. "Irene once heard that if you fell off a cliff in your dream, you would always wake before smacking the ground. If only real life were that merciful."

The people and dialogue that inhabit Someone to Blame are well rounded, complex and keenly written. The author's understanding of the human condition and how we often react to suffering, are insightful and realistic. One of the many moving sentences in the story was, "She (Irene) drew Casey into her arms and released that love, swelling and overflowing, a torrent of need. Her daughter fell into those arms, like falling from a burning building into a safety net."

Whether you believe in God or not, this inspirational novel is a good temporary salve for one's daily experience and a beneficial exploration of what can cause our emotional pain to heal and/or fester.

Pastor Terry tried to comfort Matt by throwing out the oft used platitude about `God testing him.' Something about that statement just didn't seem to wash when his memory flashed back to the scene of the accident at "The Trap" when he saw his son Jesse lying dead on the ground. And then there was his other son, Daniel. He was gone too and that further convinced Matt that "God sure had some warped sense of purpose." Big time warped. Irene, his wife, escaped into her own little world and their daughter, Casey, had a shrine in honor of her brothers and often wore their clothing. They were going to escape the past and were moving Breakers, a small town in California, a town as far away from the memories as they could get.

Irene had taken a full-time job teaching third grade at Breakers Elementary while Matt worked on fixing up their rundown rental, the Salmonberry House. Casey was disgusted with everything and everyone and living in a Podunk town wasn't her cup of tea until she spotted Billy Thurber. A hunk in Podunk was a sight any fourteen-year-old girl would love, especially one so lost. She was the only one who thought the drifter was appealing. The trouble seemed to begin as soon as that boy stepped foot in Breakers offering up firewood for sale. Jerry Hubble, the owner of the dumpy Riptide Motel, watched that creep thinking, "This kid was trouble; there was no mistaking it." Soon many others would join his camp, including Matt Moore.

Irene began to think about "How empty her arms felt--arms that used to be full of laughing, wiggling children" when she saw Casey at her shrine. When she met Billy, a young man with attitude, she was reminded of Daniel. Were they both victims of "expected failure?" Billy, like Daniel was sullen and pushed everyone to their limits. Things started to go awry in Breakers and fingers began to point at him. Sheriff Joe Huff had no choice but to take notice. Things started to disappear. Mrs. Waverly's necklace was missing and someone broke into Matt's truck and stole some of his things. A suspicious fire broke out at the Riptide and the town began to go wild with suspicion. It was all because of that Billy Thurber. The best was yet to come when a body was found washed up on the bank of the Trinity River. Lee Chin never liked the look of Billy from the start and thought he portended stagnant chi." Was he right? Was the young drifter the cause of all this mess? Who was to blame for all this calamity? And just where had God disappeared to?

This is a heartbreaking, yet heartwarming tale of a family lost in the throes of grief. I was hooked from the first page to the last ... something that is often a difficult task for a writer to accomplish. The underpinnings of faith, however each character chose to define it, was woven through the tapestry of this book. Some characters heavily questioned whether God indeed existed as they struggled with the circumstances of their lives. This is Christian fiction (not at all preachy) but subtly does reach out and ask the reader to examine his or her own relationship with God. The theme is reminiscent of Kushner's "When Bad Things Happen to Good People," only this examination is in an excellent fictionalized format. "Someone to Blame" is not a heavy read, but rather a pensive one. This is the winner of the Zondervan First Novel contest and well worth the time to read!

This book courtesy of C.S. Lakin.

The Moore family has been hit hard by tragedy. In a desperate attempt to recover, they move to a small town near the water. No one knows their circumstances, and they hope to have a chance to finally heal.

But soon after they arrive, a young man shows up, causing a stir of hostility. Billy Thurber wears a chip on his shoulders that no one will knock off, and he doesn't intend to back down from anyone. Billy reminds Matt and Irene Moore of their son, Daniel, and their feelings are stirred up in their interactions with him.

Things finally come to a head with Billy and Irene faces a decision that could cost her life. But she does the only thing she knows to do, fully willing to risk the consequences.

Matt and Irene both have demons in their closets reminding them every day of their failings as parents and all they did wrong in raising their family. Now they're struggling with their faith, wondering what God plans to do with their pain and heartache and how He can use it for good.

Someone to Blame shows us our dark and sinful nature, while also reminding us that we have the light of God within us, if we remember to let it shine. I highly recommend this powerfully moving novel.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Sitting down with a great book is one of the few joys we have left. Finding a book that speaks to you and dangles in your mind during the course of the day is special. I loved dreaming about these characters and wondering what would happen next. That's what a great book does.....it takes you away from your ordinary worries.

I came to love the character *Billy Thurber* early in. I knew he'd have something to give us and he reminded me of so many men I've stumbled across in my own life. And then there was *Jerry.* Oh, how I wish I'd avoided meeting men like him. Such a tangled web of ego and pain. Who really was the *PUNK?* With so many to choose from, it was hard to decide. If I could give this book 6 stars, I would. It is now at the top of my list of fabulous novels and I will suggest this book to many. I thank the author for such a heartfelt, touching, realistic read and I look forward to your next adventure. Highly recommended !

Don't judge a book by its cover or title, truly, I've learned this about Someone to Blame which is bland on both counts. The plot line also seems overwhelmingly depressing. But since the book arrived at my house for a potential review, and when people send me books I at least crack the cover and read the first page, I felt I had to give it a chance. Within a few paragraphs I was hooked. What a fascinating study of characters, impressions, interpretations and the art of judging. Lakin writes compellingly. The characters are raw and realistic, descriptions are sense-rich, and the story is one that should make the reader stop and consider that there are indeed multiple sides to every story and every event, and even more motivations. The subject matter is heavy. This is not your escapist beach read. But it is a very well written, thought challenging story. This will not be my last Lakin novel.