Assessment:
Plot: Krauss's smart, ghostly novel of family and piecing together the past, is quickly paced and sustains momentum throughout. From the second Art arrives in Enterprise to the end of the novel, readers will be engaged in the story and eager to learn what comes next.
Prose/Style: Krauss's prose is enjoyable and smooth, with a knack for evocative descriptions. The third-person narration is a strong choice.
Originality: The author artfully integrates elements of the supernatural, ensuring broad appeal for lovers of gothic tales and ghost stories. Art and his brother are distinctive personalities, and help elevate the work above standard fare, while the Alabama setting is notably well-established.
Character Development: Art and Butch are fascinating and developed characters that play well off one another. Art is a sometimes confusing individual with uncertain motivations, but his emotions are nonetheless deeply felt and established. Butch is the less compelling of the two, but in a way that enhances rather than detracts from his characterization.
Date Submitted: June 07, 2020
