Toni Murphy, who grew up in Campbell River, British Columbia, was a rebellious teenager. Irritated by a mother who tried to rein in her behavior, Toni acted out by smoking cigarettes, toking marijuana, drinking, sneaking out to see her boyfriend Ryan after curfew, and engaging in mild criminal behavior.
Besides having problems at home, Toni was bullied by a vengeful girl named Shauna, who had been Toni's friend until they fell out over a boy. Since then, Shauna and her clique made Toni's life hell. They harassed her, lied about her, and turned all of Toni's friends against her.
Trying to rise above the fray, Toni and Ryan were optimistic about their future. After high school graduation, they planned to rent an apartment, get jobs, make money, and travel. They were even getting a head start by working part-time until school finished.
Toni was employed as a waitress in a local restaurant, which was fine unless Shauna and her cohorts dropped in and made trouble.
For a while, Toni's one ally was her younger sister Nicole, who tried to smooth the waters between Toni and her mom. When Nicole turned sixteen, however, she was drawn into Shauna's circle, thrilled to be one of the 'popular girls.' Nicole started drinking, sneaking out to be with older boys, and spending weekends at Shauna's house. Nicole even joined Shauna's coterie in taunting Toni at the restaurant.
Nicole's behavior became odder and more secretive until the unthinkable happened and she was killed. One night, when high school kids were partying at the lake, Nicole was bludgeoned to death. Toni and Ryan were convicted of the murder and sent to prison for 15 years.....though they loudly proclaimed their innocence.
The story, which is narrated by Toni, shifts back and forth between the past (starting in the late 1990s) and the present (2014). In the sections set in the past, Toni relates events preceding her incarceration.....and then her years in prison. In the chapters detailing the present, Toni talks about being released on parole and her activities afterwards. ALL of this is unutterably bleak and depressing.
Toni's description of her adolescent years reads like a young adult novel, recounting the intense teenage love between herself and Ryan, and the beastliness of the high school clique. I could have done with a good deal less of Toni and Ryan's infatuation.
In addition, I had little sympathy for Toni's rude, disrespectful conduct toward her mother and her deliberately delinquent behavior.
Toni's sister Nicole was no peach either, and the girls' parents were UNBELIEVABLY obtuse. They were blind to Nicole's misbehavior; refused to believe Shauna was a bully; and blamed Toni for ALL the friction in the household.
Toni's recollection of her time in jail - and then a halfway house prior to parole - is also grim, filled with ruffians and fights. Toni's worst nemesis is an awful woman named Helen, who'd rather kill Toni than look at her.
In fact, all the major protagonists in the book are unlikable, and the only sympathetic characters are secondary figures like Toni's employer, a few friends she makes in jail, and Captain (a pit bull).
Toni's current decisions also strike me as poor, since - once she's on full (but monitored) parole - she moves back to Campbell River. This is a place where everyone thinks she's a murderer and Shauna and her compatriots still live. However, Toni 'wants to find the real killer', which seems like asking for trouble. And trouble follows.
And then there's Ryan, also out on parole. Toni is forbidden - by the provisions of her parole - to see Ryan, but she still loves him just as fiercely as when she was a teenager. Is this believable? After more than fifteen years of a very tough life?
All this activity leads to an appropriately dramatic climax.
The book, though well written, feels overdone and not credible (to me). However, I can see the novel appealing to other readers.
Rating: 3 stars
Does any harm come to Captain the dog?
ReplyDeleteThe dog is not harmed. 🙂🌺🌼
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