Boom Town by Nic Stone (2025)
I was fully prepared to immerse myself in this book, but felt disappointed that its structural confusions often diluted its strength to keep me glued to the pages the way it should have.
For a twisty thriller, it does masterfully present a fascinating group of three female characters as well as an equally striking setting for them. The issues raised are powerful and universal.......the struggles for women of color to attain empowerment, independence and equality of treatment in a racially divisive society.
Lyriq, Lucky and Charm earn their living at a thriving Atlanta night spot, Boom Town,.......a so called 'gentlemen's club' featuring an array of exotic pole dancers and private VIP rooms for patrons who can afford command performances from the girls.
In simpler words, a classy strip joint. But among the men it attracts, there's an especially entitled and maybe deadly predator.
As the manager-supervisor of her dancers, Lyric faces a sea of troubles.....coping with surviving breast cancer, the dropping out of sight of her former friend and lover Lucky, and the threat from her enraged boss to retrieve a vast amount of cash stolen from the club's office.....or else. On top of all that, fledgling dancer Charm has suddenly disappeared.
In the midst of all the mystery, all three women have crossed paths with the vile, creepy Thomas McIntyre, a regular patron who particularly fixated and obsessed over Lucky and Charm. When Tom drops his mask of the affable, caring and well paying customer, it's clear he's capable of anything, including rape and just possibly murder.
Lyriq's search for her missing dancers reveals an endless tangle of toxic relationships between the Boom Town girls, Tom and his beautiful wife LeBrettany. Twists abound and it's a question as to who among these major characters are coming out of this story alive.
I ended up not liking this book anywhere near as much as I thought I would One major detriment - the author constantly alternating her character's names between their stage names, real names, or nicknames, depending on which chapter you're reading. And with the constant shifting of points of view, timelines and trying to remember which character is what name, , the book quickly turned into a chore to read.
While I appreciated author NIc Stone's vivid, cut-to-the-bone prose and her remarkable cast of characters, the book's construction was so messy, it felt like the storytelling couldn't get out of its own way. But much to admire and savor for readers who can muster up the patience for it.....which is why I'll round up my 2 & 1/2 stars to a 3. (***).
For a twisty thriller, it does masterfully present a fascinating group of three female characters as well as an equally striking setting for them. The issues raised are powerful and universal.......the struggles for women of color to attain empowerment, independence and equality of treatment in a racially divisive society.
Lyriq, Lucky and Charm earn their living at a thriving Atlanta night spot, Boom Town,.......a so called 'gentlemen's club' featuring an array of exotic pole dancers and private VIP rooms for patrons who can afford command performances from the girls.
In simpler words, a classy strip joint. But among the men it attracts, there's an especially entitled and maybe deadly predator.
As the manager-supervisor of her dancers, Lyric faces a sea of troubles.....coping with surviving breast cancer, the dropping out of sight of her former friend and lover Lucky, and the threat from her enraged boss to retrieve a vast amount of cash stolen from the club's office.....or else. On top of all that, fledgling dancer Charm has suddenly disappeared.
In the midst of all the mystery, all three women have crossed paths with the vile, creepy Thomas McIntyre, a regular patron who particularly fixated and obsessed over Lucky and Charm. When Tom drops his mask of the affable, caring and well paying customer, it's clear he's capable of anything, including rape and just possibly murder.
Lyriq's search for her missing dancers reveals an endless tangle of toxic relationships between the Boom Town girls, Tom and his beautiful wife LeBrettany. Twists abound and it's a question as to who among these major characters are coming out of this story alive.
I ended up not liking this book anywhere near as much as I thought I would One major detriment - the author constantly alternating her character's names between their stage names, real names, or nicknames, depending on which chapter you're reading. And with the constant shifting of points of view, timelines and trying to remember which character is what name, , the book quickly turned into a chore to read.
While I appreciated author NIc Stone's vivid, cut-to-the-bone prose and her remarkable cast of characters, the book's construction was so messy, it felt like the storytelling couldn't get out of its own way. But much to admire and savor for readers who can muster up the patience for it.....which is why I'll round up my 2 & 1/2 stars to a 3. (***).
No comments:
Post a Comment