I'm usually wary about reading books by authors I've only known about for a short time. But there's probably a reason why David Ryan Long is shoved in the back of people's minds.
Quinlin's Estate is a very long journal entry written by Eve Lawson, a woman who's obsessed with saving Gabriel Quinlin's condemned estate.
The estate was built the save the small town of Lowerton during the Great Depression, and now the town is divided over saving it.
Eve Lawson is a very complicated character at best. She often puts her story of trying to save the estate on hold to let the reader know background information about unknown characters or objects. To try to explain the plot structure would be to confuse you, so I won't go into any detail. While this odd plot style seems spastic, Long pulls it off very well.
There are multiple subplots going on portraying events in Eve past, her family's past, and the present. This kind of plot is the kind of plot that has to be character driven, and that's exactly what this book is. While the cast of characters is small, it's a good thing because Long had enough time to give each one personal attention.
While the end of this book isn't as shocking as the ends of some other books, it is still surprising and original nonetheless.
The market needs more authors like David Ryan Long.
4.5 stars
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