This is the final title from the Book Riot monthly subscription service; I am sad to see the service go, but I loved the books they chose and the surprise of monthly book mail while it lasted.
Title: Sweetland
Author: Michael Crummey
Year: 2014
Genre: Fiction
Setting: Sweetland, an island off of Newfoundland
Characters: Moses Sweetland (last islander to sign the resettlement package), Jesse (Moses’ great nephew, a teen with autism), Loveless (second-to-last to sign, owner of Mr. Fox), Mr. Fox (Loveless’ dog)
Plot: The government is offering generous resettlement packages to all of the islanders who live on Sweetland, a sparsely populated island off of Newfoundland. The island once thrived on fishing, but as the fish and the jobs left, so did many of the younger generations. Everyone chooses to sign the deal except for Loveless and Sweetland, two of the oldest islanders; however, all have to sign for the offer to go through. Loveless ends up signing, and finally, Sweetland signs, too. But when one of the islanders loses his life, Sweetland reconsiders his choice and instead fakes his death to stay on the island when the others leave. The rest of the novel follows Moses as he survives a winter on the vacated island, wondering if he’ll recognize when he’s lost his mind.
Verdict: Experiencing Newfoundland through Crummey’s vivid descriptions was worth the read; the island was a character as much as any person. The switch between past and present in Moses’ life in each chapter kept me turning the pages at bedtime, but the tension that was built from those shifts in time seemed to peter out toward the end of the book. I think I expected a more dramatic climax focused on the story behind the scars on Moses’ face, whereas the climax of the flashbacks related more to the history of the island. If you like fast plots and action, pass this one by. If you enjoy books rife with nature and character-building, or if you are considering the merits of becoming a recluse, spend a little time with Moses on his island. 7/10.
Joy Reads 