Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Genre: fiction
Review: Essie's preacher father is the head of both his megachurch and his family, but it's Essie's mother who really runs the show. Literally. Essie's family stars in "Six for Hicks" a popular reality tv show focusing on their family and ministry. Essie's life has always come with cameras and production assistants. But her life isn't what millions of viewers might assume, and when a pregnancy test comes back positive, it's time for Essie to put in motion the plan she's been hatching for years to get herself out of the spotlight.
Essie is a great character. She's both determined and vulnerable, strong and nervous. She narrates her own story with a clear and convincing voice. Roarke, whose help she needs to get out, is also a great character, and his voice helps to make Essie's story fuller and more believable. On the other hand, Liberty Bell, the reporter to whom Essie entrusts her story, could have been the main character of her own book, but cramming her story into Essie's doesn't quite work, and she reads as more of a plot device than a fully-fleshed out character. Her presence is necessary, helping to illuminate parts of Essie's story that she couldn't give us on her own, but a simpler character, with less of a backstory might actually have served the novel as a whole better.
Still, with Essie's voice as the driving force of the narrative, this book is a success. I was rooting for Essie, and then for Essie and Roarke together, and was fully invested in their search to find the "right" path in a challenging situation.
FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.
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