The cover caught my eye first. This tasty looking little pastry leaking juicy red filling down a stark white background. The title flashed a spin prickling spark of curiousity inside me and I found myself picking up the book and carrying it with me on 2 rounds of our local Barnes and Noble before finally finding a chair hidden off behind the greeting cards section. I somehow had the notion that I would read a chapter or two as I waited for my dad to finish up the latest Car and Driver magazine, before heading off to lunch together.
20 minutes later, my dad finally located me. Knees drawn up onto the wooden chair (and in the agonizing pain of pins and needles that sitting too long in one state brings), coat bundled haphazardly onto my lap, not even looking up to acknowledge his arrival as I tore through the remaining pages of chapter 18. "Ready to go, kiddo? I'm getting hungry."
So was I, dad.
The remainder of that day was a blur of eating, reading, and then cursing the hardcover book for not being easier to balance in one hand when nature called. Needless to say, and as cliche as it sounds, I absolutely devoured this book. And not since Stephen King's "The Long Walk" has a book gripped me, gutted me, and then politely and smilingly handed me a napkin to clean my face.
Emmett was such a real and startingly raw character. I laughed at his sass and sarcasm. Empathized with his minimum wage Target job and his obnoxious little boss. All while the horrors of his past and present seared red hot into my thoughts. Each chapter seeped further and further through, sharp and cutting, then oozing and curdling.
An overall fantastic read that I cannot recommend enough! And to Mr. Dumas, I cannot thank you enough for reigniting my love of reading ❤️