Review: Goodbye Paradise by Sarina Bowen
SYNOPSIS:
Most people called it a cult. But for twenty years, Josh and Caleb called it home.
In Paradise, there is no television. No fast food. Just long hours of farm work and prayer on a dusty Wyoming ranch, and nights in a crowded bunkhouse. The boys of the Compound are kept far from the sinners’ world.
But Joshua doesn’t need temptation to sin. His whole life, he’s wanted his best friend, Caleb. By day they work side by side. Only when Josh closes his eyes at night can they be together the way he craves.
It can never be. And his survival depends on keeping his terrible desires secret.
Caleb has always protected Josh against the worst of the bullying at the Compound. But he has secrets of his own, and a plan to get away — until it all backfires.
Josh finds himself homeless in a world that doesn’t want him. Can Caleb find him in time? And will they find a place of safety, where he can admit to Josh how he really feels?
REVIEW:
This is the first book in a while that I wasn’t excited to finish, as I read the the last page I just had a feeling of meh disappointment. This book had potential, I mean the plot is extremely unique, in fact I don’t think I’ve ever read anything with a similar story line. But my issues lie in the execution.
Josh and Caleb had the potential for an epic romance. They are childhood friends and have spent their entire lives together. But you don’t really get to see how their endless time together has forged a strong friendship because the relationship is so sexually driven. And while I understand the need for intimacy, it kind of came out of no where. One minute, Josh is lusting over Caleb in a one-sided fantasy and the next minute a blow-job is happening. As a reader, I needed to see tender moments between Josh and Caleb because otherwise their relationship was just sexual. I wanted them to talk through their trauma in Paradise, I wanted them to communicate better and develop a deeper understanding of each other.
This lack of communication is what makes everything feel so disconnected. Usually I can slip right into the world of a book and fully submerse myself in a story; however, I couldn’t do that with this story. My mind kept wondering and the story wasn’t holding my interest. As 68% I considered DNF-ing it, but I was already over half way done, so I decided to finish. But the ending felt like a struggle. After they left Paradise, for the most part, everything worked out. It felt like this could have been a short novella, but the author decided to drag in some unnecessary drama to lengthen the story.
Finally, there was a lack of transition and fluidity to the story. The words didn’t seem to effortlessly flow off the page. The narrative felt choppy with chunks of the story from Josh’s perspective and then small bits from Caleb. But even as the perspectives changed, the voice and emotions didn’t. Honestly, I couldn’t even describe what Caleb looks like other than having broad shoulders, and that pretty much sums up all I need to say about this book. Unique idea, too much focus on sexual chemistry, too little focus on character building, and the story could have been a novella.
LINKS:
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
