Review of American River: Tributaries
Posted: 21 Sep 2021, 08:54
[Following is a volunteer review of "American River: Tributaries" by Mallory M. O'Connor.]
American River: Tributaries is the first installation of the American River Trilogy, written by Mallory M. O’Conner. It follows the individual, tragic lives of the McPhalan family. The novel is set in the 1960s and tackles complex themes such as: racial prejudice, homsexuality, self-discovery and substance abuse. Tributaries is characterized by scandalous affairs, a profound appreciation for the arts and The Mockingbird Valley Ranch - the starting point of each character’s journey. They separate, like birds from a nest, from the scenic oasis of the ranch and are confronted by the harsh realities of the real world.
Marian McPhalan leaves her family to pursue a career as an artist, unaware of the significant impacts this will have on her family. Her children and estranged husband struggle while she attempts to embrace her artistic talent, meeting a talented young musician named Carl in the process.
Tributaries is an absolutely enthralling novel; the plot is filled with gut-wrenching twists and turns, taking readers on an emotional journey. Each character has an intricate background along with their own hopes, passions and internal conflicts. It is interesting to discover how each life plays out. The characters are accurately captured in terms of their flaws, weaknesses, desires etc. The evocative writing as well as the gripping storyline made it hard for me to put Tributaries down!
Unfortunately, I did have one gripe regarding this novel. Too many characters are introduced which can be a little confusing and difficult to keep up with. Their stories are left hanging in the air as it gets lost within the plot. For instance, a potential love interest for Owen is introduced, however it seems to be forgotten about and dies down.
Tributaries is beautifully written and contains only a few minor grammatical errors. It is recommended for older audiences, particularly those who enjoy drama novels. Please note, sensitive topics such as addiction and familial abuse are mentioned as the novel progresses; therefore, readers who may feel triggered should avoid this book. There are also a few homophobic slurs mentioned.
While I do feel the book introduced too many characters, some of which turned out to be insignificant in the grander scheme of things, I still found Tributaries to be an astoundingly fabulous read! So much so, that I look forward to reading book two and three. I would recommend it to everyone and thus, I have to rate it a well-deserved 4 out of 4 stars.
******
American River: Tributaries
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
American River: Tributaries is the first installation of the American River Trilogy, written by Mallory M. O’Conner. It follows the individual, tragic lives of the McPhalan family. The novel is set in the 1960s and tackles complex themes such as: racial prejudice, homsexuality, self-discovery and substance abuse. Tributaries is characterized by scandalous affairs, a profound appreciation for the arts and The Mockingbird Valley Ranch - the starting point of each character’s journey. They separate, like birds from a nest, from the scenic oasis of the ranch and are confronted by the harsh realities of the real world.
Marian McPhalan leaves her family to pursue a career as an artist, unaware of the significant impacts this will have on her family. Her children and estranged husband struggle while she attempts to embrace her artistic talent, meeting a talented young musician named Carl in the process.
Tributaries is an absolutely enthralling novel; the plot is filled with gut-wrenching twists and turns, taking readers on an emotional journey. Each character has an intricate background along with their own hopes, passions and internal conflicts. It is interesting to discover how each life plays out. The characters are accurately captured in terms of their flaws, weaknesses, desires etc. The evocative writing as well as the gripping storyline made it hard for me to put Tributaries down!
Unfortunately, I did have one gripe regarding this novel. Too many characters are introduced which can be a little confusing and difficult to keep up with. Their stories are left hanging in the air as it gets lost within the plot. For instance, a potential love interest for Owen is introduced, however it seems to be forgotten about and dies down.
Tributaries is beautifully written and contains only a few minor grammatical errors. It is recommended for older audiences, particularly those who enjoy drama novels. Please note, sensitive topics such as addiction and familial abuse are mentioned as the novel progresses; therefore, readers who may feel triggered should avoid this book. There are also a few homophobic slurs mentioned.
While I do feel the book introduced too many characters, some of which turned out to be insignificant in the grander scheme of things, I still found Tributaries to be an astoundingly fabulous read! So much so, that I look forward to reading book two and three. I would recommend it to everyone and thus, I have to rate it a well-deserved 4 out of 4 stars.
******
American River: Tributaries
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon