Strange but True

Rating:
Summary: Part mystery, part tragedy, part comedy, part slice of life
Review: "As the night passes, the starless winter sky over the small Main Line township of Radnor turns to an inky, fathomless black. The roads become empty, drained of life. Even the highway on the outskirts of town is soundless.... And when it seems that it can't get any darker or quieter, the first bits of sunlight break on the horizon. The light comes slowly at first, then more quickly. You know what's coming next, but you don't know all of it."

Somewhere in the middle of this novel lies this wonderful paragraph that subtly describes what STRANGE BUT TRUE is really about. This book defies the rules, making it a challenge to fit it neatly into a genre --- it's part mystery, part tragedy, part comedy, and part simple slice of life. Well, not simple, really. Nothing about it is simple. Nothing at all.

Ronnie Chase died the night of his senior prom. His mom has never gotten over it, allowing herself to be overtaken by a meanness of spirit that drives his father into the arms of another woman and his older brother, Philip, into a new life in Manhattan. Five years later, Philip has returned home to convalesce, unable to survive in his fourth floor walkup with a full cast on his leg. In the middle of a snowy, bitter night back in Radnor, a call comes from Ronnie's high school sweetheart, Melissa Moody, a young woman still carrying the scars of the accident that claimed her boyfriend's life. She has a shocking revelation to share, and Philip and his mom react each in their own disparate ways. What follows is a gradual unfolding of a bizarre set of circumstances and the way each of the characters deals with its effect on their lives.

Searles develops one mystery and then starts teasing you with another, building it on top of the last. He has a unique style that dishes out a hearty helping of details, giving even the most insignificant bit player a healthy dose of dimension, yet somehow does not overburden the story. He slowly --- almost infuriatingly so --- feeds the tale to the reader; infuriating only in that the writing is too good to merely skim through to get to the action. It is at once a book of high drama followed by near maddening inaction; rampant emotion followed by an almost exasperating lethargy; searing intrigue followed by a falsely soothing calm before the next storm --- a storm you know is coming. But you have no inkling of the strength of it. Woven together are several lives in a small Pennsylvania town, their interactions causing varying degrees of harm and hope. Some merely cross paths, doing a smattering of damage to one another. But no one comes out unscathed in this darkly humorous novel full of human frailties.

In my reading of STRANGE BUT TRUE, I must have popped off an "Aha" at least five times --- normally a sure five-star Amazon.com rating, and it would have this time but for the ending, which seemed to fall short of Searles's daring excellence throughout the rest of the book. It seemed just a bit too tidy after a story of such startling depth.

--- Reviewed by Kate Ayers

Rating:
Summary: WOW!
Review: Although I am not quite finished the book just yet, I just couldn't help but say that this is one of the best books I have read in a LONG time. I can't wait to find out what happens to all the characters that the reader becomes a part of. When reading, I keep asking myself, "what's going to happen next?" and I love that! This book keeps your interest and entertains, as well. A must read for those who like a good mystery, powerful characters, and external and internal conflicts. Now, excuse me while I get back to the book! :-)

Rating:
Summary: Another great book
Review: I absolutely loved "Boy Still Missing" and couldn't wait to read "Strange But True". The other reviews have covered the story in depth, so I shan't repeat it again, but will add my two cents that the writing and character development are first rate. My only complaint with this book was the abrupt ending. It would have been nice if it had an epilogue chapter to wind up what happened to the main characters. For this, I almost gave it four stars, but decided the story overall was too good...so I give it 4 and 3/4 stars.

Rating:
Summary: WOW!
Review: I just finished this book and immediately had to come on here and give it a glowing recommendation! The story is riveting and the characters are just awesome! Everyone should read this book!

Rating:
Summary: Strange but Wonderful
Review: I loved John Searles first novel Boy Still Missing, and I am pleased to say that I was not disappointed with his second foray into fiction. Welcome to the unhappy world of the Chase family. The tragic death of the youngest son Ronnie five years earlier has shaken their lives to the core, but that's just the beginning of the bizarre path they are about to follow. I won't reiterate the plot, suffice to say the author keeps the reader so unsettled and engaged that it is difficult to put this one down. The characters here are beautifully drawn. It speaks to the author's talent that we come to care deeply not only about the main players, but also about the secondary characters, even though we are given only a brief glimpse into their lives. The only thing preventing me from giving this novel 5 stars was unfortunatly the ending felt somewhat rushed. That small issue aside, this is one of the best reads of 2004. 4.5 stars.

Rating:
Summary: John Searle's riveting read!
Review: I really enjoyed this book, my reading of it was interupted by car being stolen (with the book in it) and I was as anxious about finishing it as I was about the car, both have been returned now for which I am grateful. The reviews are on target on this one and it is hard to put down. If I were to be a bit critcal I could say the the turn around evidenced in the story concerning Charlene rings a bit sanguine, and the ending wraps everything up in a "sweet"package that may seem more of a fantasy than my reality, yet I wiah it were so that all the conflicts in my life resolved so nicely...nonetheless I ordered it for my mom for Christmas!

Rating:
Summary: Engrossing, fascinating, finest-kind of read
Review: I'm way, way up on a biblio high. Just finished John Searles' "Strange But True" which is part mystery, part teen-age romance turned tragic, part marriage mistakes and family politics, part rite of passage, part thriller, part tragey and wrecked people, part redemption and utterly fine reading not to mention all wonderful.

Searles' earlier novel, his first, "Boy Still Missing," is a good read but this, his second, novel is entirely engrossing and that rare combination of writing + story + plot = finest kind. This book makes a great gift for just about everyone you know except, perhaps, Lutheran ministers.

One complaint only; OK, it's not really a complaint but a reality moment: the book is a bit stern (and was meant to be), although that comes naturally with the story, the telling and the language. It's not a heavy/drowning book but it is a book that examines cause and effect with a strict minuteness that is superb. Meanwhile, thank goodness for the remarkable Donnelly Fiume and his variously scaled menagerie in East Village -- they lighten and enhance the reader's load.

Addendum: poets and poetry lovers may find a special affinity for this novel. And, anyone who is an Anne Sexton fan.




Rating:
Summary: couldn't put it down
Review: It's very rare that I can't put a book down...
but that was not the case with this book. It keeps you going you alert with going from the past to future.
An excellent read!!!

Rating:
Summary: Could it Really be True?
Review: Melissa Moody, nine-months pregnant, believes the father of her baby is a man who has been dead for almost five years, her high-school sweetheart, Ronnie Chase.

When Melissa shows up to share the news with Ronnie's family, a chain of events begins which changes the lives of all involved, including: Charlene Chase, Ronnie's mother; Philip, Ronnie's older brother; Melissa's landlords, Bill and Gail Erwin; and Ronnie's father, remarried Richard Chase.

Could it be true? Ronnie's surviving relatives don't think it's possible, but still, a small spark of hope is ignited that spurs Charlene out of the house to research the matter.

The gut-wrenching, somewhat horrific peek into the decline of Charlene, spurred by her unhealed grief, is perhaps the most fascinating character rendition in "Strange but True." Charlene is bitter, holding tight to hate, afraid of what she might find if she allows her heart to soften.

Philip finds himself a prisoner in Charlene's home, recovering from injuries he sustained from falling four flights onto a concrete sidewalk. He cannot wait to escape the grim household and the wrath of his mother whom he has nicknamed "M" for madwoman. He has never recovered from Charlene's announcement to him, "the wrong son died."

Landlady Gail Erwin, whose search for a flashlight turns up horrifying evidence of past crimes is forced to evict Melissa from the small cottage she and her husband have rented to the young girl. Her husband, ex-cop Bill Erwin, is bewildered by Gail's strange actions.

Richard Chase, ex-husband of Charlene, returns to town to explore the possibility that Melissa may be carrying his grandchild. He also hopes a secret he has carried since his son's death is not brought to life.

When Charlene leaves a message for Philip that she is going to see Melissa Moody to straighten things out once and for all, Philip fears what his mother might say to Melissa. His right leg in a cast, he manages to drive his brother's car to Melissa's where he finds a few surprises.

"Strange but True" is an enjoyable read, told in present and past tense, so the reader might learn of the before and after personalities that were touched by the death of one young man. The surprise twist at the end is fabulous and resolves many issues, leaving the reader satisfied that all loose ends are tied up.

Rating:
Summary: Heart pounding ending
Review: There are so many secrets to be unraveled in this stor. Once I finally reached the last few pages, I literally felt my heart beat quicker and harder. It was like watching a scary movie when you're just waiting for the villian to pop out and make you scream your head off. I have been struggling to find a good fictious read, and finally I found one again that kept me coming back to it night after night. I really felt for the characters, and it was not heard to "get into" the story. Right away I was engaged with the book. I forgot I was even reading a book. That is how well it is written. JUst like the times you watch a movie so compelling and enrapturing with editing so good you don't notice the editing that you forget it is all just a movie.