By Sarah Pekkanen, Washington Square Press, $15.00, 323 pages
This novel will have you in suspense from the start, with very real, likable characters. It moves quickly from page one and builds hope for their success, and fear for the future as they encounter treachery and death. Their hopes and dreams are found and lost again and again. If you are in pursuit of the American Dream, this is a must-read story of what can happen. Told in the first person, reading this book is very much like living their lives. This exciting story will quickly draw the reader into the life of Julie and her boyfriend Michael, who leave their poor, dysfunctional families in a small town to move to a big city. They become very rich, beyond anything they ever could have imagined, but they find little time for each other. Be ready to travel on an emotional journey with Julia and Michael as they grow apart until a life-changing event strikes Michael. Readers will be held in suspense right up to the shocking end.
Reviewed by Fran Byram