Assessment:
Plot/Idea: After divorced parents experience the unthinkable—losing their young son to a drunk driver—they begin an intricate plan to exact revenge on the heartless killer, who is the son of a mafia boss. When they join a support group to throw suspicion off of themselves, the therapy might just save them from a deadly decision. Hosek keeps readers intricately embroiled in the plot, as it hurtles towards an unseen—but satisfying—ending.
Prose: Hosek’s stark writing style mirrors the splintered existence of grief, unfurling the story of two bereaved parents with nothing to lose in short, grinding spurts.
Originality: Exploring the parents’ moral journey, peppered with a series of support group confessions, keeps this introspective story in motion, and the intimacy Hosek crafts between readers and characters is jolting.
Character/Execution: The two central leads are powerfully wrought, their anguish both haunting and galvanizing. Their therapy gently nudges them onto an unexpected path, and Hosek tenderly airs their motivations, trauma, and healing.
Date Submitted: August 15, 2024
