Find out the latest indie author news. For FREE.

ADVERTISEMENT

Jules Cooper
Author, Illustrator
Marcea of the Dust: The Lost Girls
Jules Cooper, author

Adult; General Fiction (including literary and historical); (Market)

Marcea of the Dust finds our heroine, Marcea, walking a fine moral line between the emotional trauma of her childhood sexual abuse at the hands of her father and her response to other young women, whom she stumbles across accidentally in the sex trade of Mexico. Marcea’s actions challenge the lives of those around her, especially those of Collo and Drayson, her loving, fearless stepparents. Seeking refuge with nine young female victims of the sex trade, she turns to her stepparents’ organic farm, worked in conjunction with a Gerson Therapy-like healing clinic, where big-name Americans go to receive alternative healing treatments for cancer. Teaching the young victims how to handle a firearm properly, Marcea empowers them to fight back against those who trampled their self-esteem, innocence, and beauty. Ultimately, the women find their true power in their love for each other, with the boundary-setting aid of their firearms. I believe that, with one in four women experiencing sexual abuse, and many of those at the hands of someone they trusted or wished to trust, many women and men will easily walk in the boots of my heroine. Marcea takes place in a small, rural town in northeastern Mexico in the 1970s. It is approximately 56,000 words long, and will grab readers and educate them while also forcing them to confront issues of shame and awkwardness central to the child sex trade.
Plot/Idea: 9 out of 10
Originality: 7 out of 10
Prose: 6 out of 10
Character/Execution: 7 out of 10
Overall: 7.25 out of 10

Assessment:

Despite glossing over some trickier plot points, Cooper's novel skillfully conveys the spirit and pain of Marcea and others who have been sexually abused. Although the book could be improved by slowing down the plot in a few places, this novel is well plotted and compelling, and it boasts an excellent sense of place and a strong and well-developed cast of characters.

Date Submitted: September 24, 2016

ADVERTISEMENT

Loading...