Review: Yawatta Hosby's review on "Season of Lies"
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 19, 2012
***I received a free copy in exchange for a book review.***I loved this 27 chapter book. It was told through Robin's first person point-of-view. What is someone's biggest fear? Imagine waking up, not knowing where you are. Imagine realizing you've been admitted to the Killish County Mental Hospital. Not only that, but your brother has been murdered. That's what happened to Robin. Throughout the story, the mystery she tries to solve is what had happened to her last night.My favorite lines: 1) When he sat, his weight made a valley in the couch, rolling me towards him. 2) Underneath the fear and suffering, there was something else, something I'd seen in my own eyes-the look of disgust that comes from knowing someone less than you has turned your life to absolute sh*t. 3) I don't believe in killing, but I'm not above kicking someone's butt. 4) I'd always believed that respect-from all living creatures-was something you had to earn, not steal away at  gunpoint. `Course I didn't need any respect at the moment, just answers. 5) Their egos are too fragile to entertain opposing ideas.The creepiness kept me on my toes. After awhile, readers get the real deal of how wicked her brother and father were. Sometimes people have a habit of idealizing a loved one's reputation once they're gone-not with Martin. I loved all the suspense. When Robin and a deer family were stalked (and hunted) in the woods, it gave me chills. Particularly because of the culprit. This happened after she found a video tape. Talk about a dysfunctional family. It helped that Robin was a self-proclaimed redneck. The character's voice never trailed off course from that tone, adding to the realism.Monica Shaughnessy had a brilliant talent with scenes (point-of-view, characterization, description, plot, etc). The images she discussed helped me get lost in the story. It felt like I took the crazy journey with Robin. I enjoyed seeing her make friends at the mental institution-Levi (worked there), Patty (another patient), and Dr. G. When he diagnosed her with schizophrenia, I thought that may be true. But then the truth came out. I'm not an animal lover, but I managed to care for the deer in the story. The animals as well as the people were three-dimensional.It was a fast read. Loving the mystery (questions kept being raised), I couldn't put the book down. The twists at the end were very satisfying. The truth behind Martin's murder was very clever.I RECOMMEND this book to read.