is the story of one bad decision. One second. One reaction. And the many consequences that follow.It could happen to any one of us and perhaps that is what makes this novel so powerful. Get behind the wheel of a car and suddenly many of us seem to forget that there are other real people driving the other cars on the road. The dangerous driver speeding and weaving in and out of traffic on the freeway without a care for the safety of others can make us angry. How do you react?
In Long Drive Home, Glen gives in to his road rage. He only means to scare the reckless driver. His one quick action will cause a deadly reaction by the teenage driver and set in motion a series of events and decisions that will drastically change Glen and his family's lives.
Will Allison writes well and has the gift of brevity, which is nice for a change. His style is simple yet brilliant and he has a deep understanding of the human mind and conscience. It is a powerful, frightening and riveting tale.
In this novel, Allison created believable and realistic characters and puts them in a situation where one man's ethics, responsibility and honesty will be tested to the limits. A person's true character and values emerge in the crisis and the natural instincts to place blame, to escape, and to hide the truth can unfortunately replace a person's integrity. A person's actions have consequences that affect others.
Honestly, it was at times a painful novel to read but it did inspire a lot of thought about how I hope I would handle a similar situation. I've been talking with my husband about the various issues brought up in the book and because of the various topics to discuss, including roles and loyalty in marriage, Long Drive Home
would be an excellent choice for a book club.For those who care, this novel is also refreshingly free of possibly offensive material such as foul language and intimate scenes.
I received a free copy of the book from the publishers in return for my honest review. I received no additional compensation.
Ok, first, the idea that the exact same picture would be used for two different books published around the same time is just weird.
ReplyDeleteBut also, I wanted to mention that when you talk about how this book is about one bad decision, it reminded me of Atonement by Ian McEwan. I highly recommend both the book and the movie.
Enjoyed your review. I reviewed the book on my blog as well. It has been very interesting to read all the different reviews on the book. I am a new follower and I would love a follow on my blog. Please stop by to read my review. Donna
ReplyDeletehttp://mylife-in-stories.blogspot.com
Megan - I agree that the use of the same picture for two books is odd. A little more research about who is buying stock photos, I guess. Also, I loved Atonement--the novel and the movie.
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by and following my blog. We were in NYC visiting my daughter and I don't think the drivers there were as bad as on the bayou here in South Louisiana! We must all think we have the worst drivers. I don't remember Utah being any worse than anywhere else. We must have a real problem across the country! lol
ReplyDeleteHey, you wanna let me borrow it to read it...I've been looking for something for awhile and this sounds intriguing...
ReplyDeleteInteresting take and I didn't know it had the same picture as another book....I agree, that is just weird. I had a totally different opinion of this book . You can check it out at brendayoungerman.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteBTW I love your site!