Review: Brilliant. That is all.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 24, 2012
After much reflection on this story, I have come to one conclusion. I am conflicted.Terribly conflicted. I'm still thinking about this story. But, that's a good thing. There's nothing worse than reading something, spending your time getting to know characters and a storyline, and when it's all over and you've put it down, you've forgotten it. That cannot happen with "Just Past the Trees".What I loved about this story was the narrative. The narrator draws you in from the very beginning with his casual and often witty take on life and the people around him. This is the type of narrative that I have only seen done this well in a handful of books, all of them by best-selling Big Six authors. In this vein, Mr. Ratliff could easily be among them. Easily.When I started this story, I had no idea what I was in for and was looking forward to the journey. Fresh, engrossing and compelling, it moved quickly and when it was all over, I had to sit back, look at my e-reader and go, "What?" Not what I had expected, given the path I was forced to take.Mr. Ratliff's voice is far beyond this simple tale and that's what I found disappointing. Don't get me wrong, this is not a negative, nor a criticism of the author. In fact, it's the opposite. What I wanted was for this voice to take me into a complex storyline and lead me through page after page of this artfully crafted narrative, only to end up in a satisfying, thrilling read. But, that's not what this story is about. And it speaks to the talent of Mr. Ratliff that he made me want that. Made me want a plot that would hold its own against the power of the narrator's voice. This is not a fault of the author. This is his brilliance.This story is about the narrative, the journey of thought inside the mind of the main character. And what was written was, for lack of better words, really good. For me, the last third of the story, where things unfold, seemed to be just a foil for the author to bring things to a close. Another reader may disagree, perhaps the author himself, but this is what I took away from the story.I flipped pages with ease, absorbed into the voice of the main character. A voice that was vivid and clear and reminded me of the first-person narratives of Greg Iles in "Blood Memory" and "Dead Sleep". Engaging and gripping. I wanted more. I wanted more of Mr. Ratliff's perceptions and I wanted them entwined deeply into a story that was much longer and more detailed. This is the kind of voice that could make any genre into a great read.My conflictions are my own and should in no way be interpreted as negative. The only issue I had was that the overall story needed a tighter edit. There were one or two grammatical mistakes that actually jarred me out of reading because of the obvious error. However, that will not affect my rating, simply because what I loved outweighs them by a mile. Had it been any other story, the rating would have suffered. Another testament to Mr. Ratliff.Should, at any time in the future, Mr. Ratliff decide to pen a tale that is both longer and more complex, you can be sure it will be at the top of my reading list. I suggest you put it on yours. In the meantime, grab up your copy of "Just Past the Trees" and congratulate yourself. You've just discovered an author you will be following for years to come.