Laura’s Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Written by the author of Shutter Island, Mystic River was also made into a film starring Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon.
The Analysis:
Mystic River has three central characters: Dave Boyle, Sean Devine, and Jimmy Marcus. The three young boys are horsing around in the street one day when two men pull up in a car and start asking them questions about if the boys live nearby. Despite a lack of uniform or badge, the men claim to be policemen that need to take the boys home because they were fighting in the street. Dave goes with the men but Sean and Jimmy refuse to go. It turns out the men are child molesters who abuse Dave for days before he manages to escape and return home. Years later, as adults, the three men’s paths cross again, this time due to tragic loss.
This book is emotionally heavy, with little reprieve from tragic events or twisted relationships. Despite the dark tone, I very much enjoyed Lehane’s writing style. Character attitudes and motivations were well fleshed out and details were pieced together bit by bit. I was invested in the story and by the last third of the book, I could barely put it down.
My major issue with the book is that there are no likeable characters. People are selfish, violent, and cynical. Even the most redeemable characters were not people I would normally root for in a different book. While I think the characters fit the story and tone of the book, it can be hard to read something that offers little hope or redemption. I want to try a different book from the author to see if I can find a story I enjoy a bit more still written in a similar style.
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