The highly anticipated new novel from the author whose debut was called “The smart summer thriller you’ve been waiting for…The novel you should be reading tonight” (NPR’s All Things Considered) and was named a Book of the Year by NPR and an Entertainment Weekly Must-List PickChristopher J. Yates’s cult hit Black Chalk introduced that rare writerly talent: a literary writer who could write a … literary writer who could write a plot with the intricacy of a brilliant mental puzzle, and with characters so absorbing that readers are immediately gripped. Yates’s new book does not disappoint.
Grist Mill Road is a dark, twisted, and expertly plotted Rashomon-style tale. The year is 1982; the setting, an Edenic hamlet some ninety miles north of New York City. There, among the craggy rock cliffs and glacial ponds of timeworn mountains, three friends–Patrick, Matthew, and Hannah–are bound together by a terrible and seemingly senseless crime. Twenty-six years later, in New York City, living lives their younger selves never could have predicted, the three meet again–with even more devastating results.
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This book was written by Christopher Yates, who wrote Black Chalk. That is a great book, if you haven’t read it.
On to Grist Mill Road – I became so involved with the characters, I’m sad to have finished the book. I consider this a haunting tale/love story/psychological mystery. Wow – that’s crossing a lot of genre.
This is the story of three teens, Andrew, Hannah, and Matthew. It begins with a bloody scene in the barren mountains of upstate New York, 1982, and jumps forward to present time, (Manhattan 2008), and back and forth. What happened that day in 1982 makes little sense until you read each person’s POV as the story unwinds.
At first, it was hard for me to get into the rhythm of the writing. Once it clicked, however, I couldn’t stop reading, so be patient. He’s a heck of a writer!
It is 1982 and three teenagers are going to be a part of something which will shape and change their future lives. Teenagers Hannah, Patrick, and Matthew are tied together by a horrific crime which happens in their small town north of New York City. In 2008 the three are in New York and what slowly comes to light about what led up to the crime in 1982 will have you reading to the end to find out what really happened on that fateful day. A good story told by Hannah, Patrick, and Matthew in 1982 and 2008 with skillful twists.
Grist Mill Road was not really the “thriller” I was expecting. It was a rather strange story.
Told in the past and present, centered around a vicious event that involves three teenagers, the story starts out very gruesome. The author isn’t shy about describing the grizzly details of the incident, so beware if you can’t stomach graphic details.
One of the main characters has a cooking blog and talks about cooking a lot…and I mean a lot! Another character adds a considerable amount of rock formation facts. While they were interesting, I didn’t intend to take a geology lesson, lol. I felt like too much time was spent on unneeded details, which distracted from the story.
I listened to the audio version of this book and the narration was fantastic. It was well-written, the characters were detailed and parts of this story were 5 stars. But I felt let down by other parts of the book. And the ending was bizarre. Did I miss something?
My Rating: 3 ’s
Published: January 9th 2018 by Picador USA
Recommended: It’s well-written and parts of it were really good. A let down for me, but a lot of others enjoyed it.
The author has a great ability to weave different viewpoints into the story. The audiobook version is great.
All the characters in this book are so flawed, and the action is so bloody, that the book was dark and creepy, not enjoyable (although I didn’t give up — wanted to see how it would end).
½
Humans are flawed and complex. We make decisions that both heal and harm, and are full of consequence. But because we are so multifaceted, it is rare that a wrong is committed without an antecedent. There is no truer example of the domino effect than human behavior. There is always something that prompts internal emotion and thought within us which ultimately leads to how we choose to externally direct it. Yes, ultimately behavior is a choice, but there is a whole stack of disheveled playing cards underneath full of the remnants.
Grist Mill Road is a stunning example of how little and big things pile up until it nearly breaks a person. The author Christopher J. Yates starts out with a jaw-dropping scene of horrific actions and then uses alternating time frames and perspectives for a slow reveal of all the supporting dysfunction behind it. Mr. Yates never justifies the wrong-doing but rather allows the reader to understand that the responsibility for harm is often at the hands of many, even if it’s just one person pulling the trigger. Likewise, he reinforces the beauty of redemption and guilt-ridden innocence, and shows how damage can follow and change and take on a life of its own. This was my first reading experience with this author but it will certainly not be my last. Check it out.
My favorite quote:
“Labels are for soup cans…”