Valentine
Books | Fiction / Thrillers / Legal
3.9
(398)
Elizabeth Wetmore
An instant New York Times Bestseller • Finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize • A Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick"A thrilling debut that deserves your attention." —Ron Charles, Washington Post“Exceptional. . . . Wetmore, like Harper Lee before her, has little interest in preserving the illusions of people who believe that justice and love will always prevail. . . . An incredibly moving and emotionally devastating piece of work.” — Houston ChronicleWritten with the haunting emotional power of Elizabeth Strout and Barbara Kingsolver, an astonishing debut novel that explores the lingering effects of a brutal crime on the women of one small Texas oil town in the 1970s.Mercy is hard in a place like this . . .It’s February 1976, and Odessa, Texas, stands on the cusp of the next great oil boom. While the town’s men embrace the coming prosperity, its women intimately know and fear the violence that always seems to follow.In the early hours of the morning after Valentine’s Day, fourteen-year-old Gloria Ramírez appears on the front porch of Mary Rose Whitehead’s ranch house, broken and barely alive. The teenager had been viciously attacked in a nearby oil field—an act of brutality that is tried in the churches and barrooms of Odessa before it can reach a court of law. When justice is evasive, the stage is set for a showdown with potentially devastating consequences.Valentine is a haunting exploration of the intersections of violence and race, class and region in a story that plumbs the depths of darkness and fear, yet offers a window into beauty and hope. Told through the alternating points of view of indelible characters who burrow deep in the reader’s heart, this fierce, unflinching, and surprisingly tender novel illuminates women’s strength and vulnerability, and reminds us that it is the stories we tell ourselves that keep us alive.
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Author
Elizabeth Wetmore
Pages
320
Publisher
HarperCollins
Published Date
2020-03-31
ISBN
006291328X 9780062913289
Community ReviewsSee all
"A quick and excellent read. I was impressed when I found out this was Wetmore’s first novel, but immediately disappointed, because I want to read so much more from her. It is evident that she has an intimate knowledge of west Texas (where the novel is set) and writes with such impressive detail that you’re immediately transported in place and time. The story itself is not the highlight of the novel but it is a vehicle that tethers the lives of these characters together, and I grew more fond of the them with every page. A beautiful and poignant portrayal of the hardships women endure but also of their remarkable strength. "
"This was my first audible book. I think this would have been a sold 4 stars if I had actually read the book instead of listening. For me, it is harder to absorb and retain the book if I am listening versus reading. The narrators were great and the action really ramped up towards the end. The most compelling characters were Corraline and Mary Rose. They were by far my favorite parts of the book. Since it is set in Texas in the 1970's, it pretty much confirmed everything I had previously thought about Texas in general - not a place I want to visit."
"This was a love/hate thing. The subject matter was grim, I was waiting for other shoe to drop, but the writing was superb! It's not often that you can feel the location and emotions of the characters so well. I would definitely read more from this author. "
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Pamela
"This story is told like gossip... a bit all over the place but it’s really a great read"
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Tara D.
"DISCLAIMER: this book has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the movie.<br/><br/>So...full disclosure. I love the movie “Valentine.” It is so awful and overdone and plotless but in the best ways. I was excited to read the novel that inspired it but, needless to say, was not expecting much. That being said...<br/><br/>THIS BOOK WAS AWESOME!<br/><br/>An amazing stalker thriller that kept me from putting the book down. Read this one in a heartbeat and loved every minute of the story. I thought the characters were well developed (even if I didn’t necessarily like them all *cough* Jillian *cough*). Great twist and a fun thriller I would recommend overall."