An often engaging and dramatic debut that will appeal to fans of romances and psychological thrillers.
Two young brothers struggle with complicated familial dynamics as they aim to take down their family’s corrupt dynasty in Scibetta’snovel.
Eighteen-year-old Theodore “Theo” Perkins and his 19-year-old sibling, Alexander (known as “Alè”), come from a British noble line. Residing in modern-day Milton, Ontario, they live in a luxurious mansion built by their father, Archibald, a mean, brutal man who often picks on Alè. The brothers despise the greed and the abuse of power that’s associated with their legacy. At one point, Alè even tries to change his surname to Dubois, his mother’s family name, but he’s forced by Archibald to abandon the idea. Alè and Archibald are always screaming at each other, and both brothers know their parents have hidden romantic relationships with other people. Theo, who’s gay, has only shared the fact of his sexual orientation with Alè and close friend Jade Lambert, and he worries about what might happen if his father ever found out. Then one night at a comedy show with Jade, he meets a young man named Wesley Summers, and the two immediately hit it off. But after tragedy strikes, will Theo be able to find happiness? Over the course of this novel, Scibetta’s skill with dialogue shines through in Theo and Wesley’s interactions. Their banter feels natural and genuine, as they share everything from their love of vinyl to inside jokes and nicknames for each other (Wesley, for instance, is very quickly the only person who calls Theo “T”). Overall, the story doesn’t follow a traditional narrative structure; instead, it’s a slice-of-life portrait of Theo’s life as he tries to balance new love and the weight of his family’s legacy. Plot points converge close to the midpoint, leaving Theo shaken and angry; the story effectively becomes one of his grappling with his feelings and with the knowledge of secrets and truths coming to light.
An often engaging and dramatic debut that will appeal to fans of romances and psychological thrillers.Pub Date: June 16, 2023
ISBN: 978-1738997534
Page Count: 254
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
The best-selling author of tearjerkers like Angel Falls (2000) serves up yet another mountain of mush, topped off with...
Talk-show queen takes tumble as millions jeer.
Nora Bridges is a wildly popular radio spokesperson for family-first virtues, but her loyal listeners don't know that she walked out on her husband and teenaged daughters years ago and didn't look back. Now that a former lover has sold racy pix of naked Nora and horny himself to a national tabloid, her estranged daughter Ruby, an unsuccessful stand-up comic in Los Angeles, has been approached to pen a tell-all. Greedy for the fat fee she's been promised, Ruby agrees and heads for the San Juan Islands, eager to get reacquainted with the mom she plans to betray. Once in the family homestead, nasty Ruby alternately sulks and glares at her mother, who is temporarily wheelchair-bound as a result of a post-scandal car crash. Uncaring, Ruby begins writing her side of the story when she's not strolling on the beach with former sweetheart Dean Sloan, the son of wealthy socialites who basically ignored him and his gay brother Eric. Eric, now dying of cancer and also in a wheelchair, has returned to the island. This dismal threesome catch up on old times, recalling their childhood idylls on the island. After Ruby's perfect big sister Caroline shows up, there's another round of heartfelt talk. Nora gradually reveals the truth about her unloving husband and her late father's alcoholism, which led her to seek the approval of others at the cost of her own peace of mind. And so on. Ruby is aghast to discover that she doesn't know everything after all, but Dean offers her subdued comfort. Happy endings await almost everyone—except for readers of this nobly preachy snifflefest.
The best-selling author of tearjerkers like Angel Falls (2000) serves up yet another mountain of mush, topped off with syrupy platitudes about life and love.Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-609-60737-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2001
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