I remember back in the 80's when Cabbage Patch Kids were all the rage. There were riots over those things! Were they ugly or cute? It seemed like no one could quite make up their mind. This is how I feel about "Cold Water" by Samuel Parker. Was it good or not? Can't decide.
At first, I was enthralled but about 3/4 of the way through, the redundant nature of the writing started to wear thin. The story line had so much potential but instead of exploring the nuances of each new discovery, the author replayed the inner workings of everyone's mind. Especially the main character's. Not only that, unless a paragraph was strictly moving the plot forward, it felt like one sentence told 3 or 8 different ways.
For example:
There was no escaping it. It was inevitable. The choice he had made as a child was a constant variable in each and every action he would commit. The world would not allow otherwise. He would never be able to wipe the slate clean and start as a new creature untainted by past crimes, just as the spider hatchling would never question the devouring appetite that spurred it on in its feast.
The future was set in stone. Hardwired.
Written alone, the above paragraph might not seem so bad but look at it again. And then imagine this sort of redundant writing on every other page of the book. And always about how dark and inescapable the past is.
I also finished the book thinking - What did I just read? I felt that way after reading another of Samuel Parker's books, "Purgatory Road". It's as though he's trying too hard to be allegorical. When the characters were actually doing something or interacting with each other, it was great. I suppose that's why I'm back to the whole Cabbage Patch Kid dilemma. Was it good or not?
I guess I'll let you decide but I can't completely recommend this book. It just didn't quite hit the nail on the head.
"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
