Center Street (April 3, 2012)
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, though I’ve heard good things about him for quite awhile. His writing style is different than my usual reading choices and although I quickly became attached to the characters and found myself engrossed in the story, I also found that by about 60 pages from the end I was not pleased with the direction the story seemed to be headed. This doesn’t necessarily mean it didn’t end the way I’d like it too or the way other readers would but that is something you’ll have to decide if you want to find out for yourselves by reading the book.
Regardless of what I found that I didn’t enjoy there was a good message to this book as well as many other things to recommend it as worthy of reading. Martin is an accomplished writer who brings to life the landscape and life of ranching and law enforcement in Texas. Though many might think of it as a dry barren area Martin quickly corrects this misunderstanding of a unique and beautiful ecosystem of our country. He also presents some very valuable lessons about our own personalities and self-protection mechanisms as they effect our relationships and influence future paths of our lives through the medium of fiction in a very effective fashion. The message doesn’t subtract from the story yet is relatable and practical for the average person. I feel the positive definitely outweigh the negative of the direction the story took that I didn’t care for towards the end. (ISBN#9781455503988, 368pp, $21.99)
Codicil:
Visit Charles’s website. Click the cover for more info and to purchase a copy. Read an excerpt. Thanks to Center Street for a review copy.
