My initial reaction to the first book in Richard Paul Evans’ new series was unpleasant. Not because the plot was lacking or the prose was trite - quite the opposite actually - but because something in me is repelled by the tale of the good person getting crushed by the ugliness of circumstance. (I felt the same way about the first Harry Potter book.) Through the purposeful painting of sorrow at rock bottom, Evans brought me, his reader, along on Alan’s journey. Only through feeling the utter anguish of the fallen, could I understand the main character and his motivation. How else could I suspend my reality to justify a walk from Seattle to Key West? As always, Evans’ vibrant voice and simplistically real dialogue cast a spell that lured me into a page-turning trance.Book Chick Rating: YYYYY
