Heather’s Bookshelf: Trainwreck Daughters
Author: Joshua Crosson
Released: 08/02/24
Genre: Thriller Novella
“Mike, casting a sour glance at Valerie, drove off with Mia. Valerie exhaled deeply and entered the apartment. She peeked into Becca’s room, watching her sister sleep soundly, grateful for the mundane yet reassuring sight amidst the lingering tension of the day.”
“Trainwreck Daughters” introduces Valerie Wolfe, a young woman who’s fighting the odds and getting her life on track after her volatile past.
Valerie’s stopped partying and traded in sex work for a 9-5 job. She’s in a healthy relationship and has an excellent caregiver for her sister who is living through the aftermath of a brutal attack and subsequent brain injury. They’ve got a routine and it’s working. It’s not easy, but it’s working until her old friend, Justine, calls.
Justine reaches out to Valerie, begging for help to repay the money she owes her lover and pimp. Valerie reluctantly returns to her old life to help her friend, but her decision leads to unintended consequences. Soon, Valerie loses her sister’s caregiver, her job, and her sense of self. Convinced she’s at least helping her friend, realization of hidden intentions forces her to rethink everything.
Trigger Warning: domestic violence, prostitution, adult language, alcohol abuse, sexual situations, murder, child abuse
Overall, I was a bit torn on this one. A broken protagonist who sinks further and further into terrible situations through circumstance and questionable choices. Valerie’s an interesting character. At times, I felt sorry for her and her circumstances - other times I wanted to scream at her through the pages. The situation with her sister truly resonated with me and provided a significant link to the more vulnerable side of Valerie. Unfortunately, the rest of the characters did not make the same impression and that was my main difficulty with the book. I just didn’t feel a connection to a great majority of the characters and therefore there was a lack of impact from what happened in the pages. There was also SO MUCH darkness that it was a bit overwhelming and resulted in a dulling to when things were revealed. The pacing of the story is done well with alternating POVs that push the story forward. The ending was both shocking and organic. It felt complete.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A thriller novella with a broken protagonist and terrible life situations. Dark and damaged, there’s not much light in this one and the lack of character connection is limiting.
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Joshua Crosson
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Find it for purchase here
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