Blacklands by Belinda Bauer
by Jenners • 09/28/2011 • 3.5 Stars, B Authors, B Titles, Fiction, Mystery/Thriller • 42 Comments
Blacklands by Belinda BauerPublisher: Corgi Books, 2010
Pages: 346
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
My Rating: 3.5 stars
This was the second book I read for the RIP VI Challenge. Because I don’t want to get too far behind writing these reviews, I’m reviewing all my RIP books by answering the 5Ws―Who, What, When, Where, Why. Plus I’ve included my patented Scare-O-Meter Rating system so you can decide if you can handle the level of fright induced by the book.
Scare-O-Meter Rating: 6 screams out of 10. The book cover alone accounts for 2 screams, while the creep factor (pedophile/serial killer) is very high. In place of screams, you could replace it with “skin crawling disgust.”
WHAT is this book about?
A 12-year-old boy named Steven Lamb lives a sad life in a family that was broken long before he was born. Years ago, his Uncle Billy (age 11) was abducted and murdered by a serial killer. At least that is what everyone thinks happened. Billy’s body has never been found, and the killer never admitted that Billy was one of his victims. Broken by the loss of her beloved son, Steven’s Nan is the only one who never believed that Billy was murdered. She still waits for him every day, looking out the window for hours at a time. This distance and preoccupation with Billy led to the neglect of her other child, Steven’s mother Lettie. Now, Lettie has brought her two young sons, Steven and Davey, to live with her mother. Yet the family dynamics of anger, sadness, emotional distance and instability are so strong that even young Steven can sense it. He feels that if he can just find Billy’s bones, he will be able to fix what is wrong with his family.
This is why Steven has spent the last three years digging up Exmoor, the moor that surrounds his home in the small village of Shipcott. Exmoor (known locally as the Blacklands) is where the bodies of other victims were found, and Steven is sure that if he digs long enough, he’ll find his uncle’s bones and bring peace to his family. His obsession with this quest has resulted in an isolated existence—causing tension with his best (and only) friend Lewis. But Steven cannot let go, despite his realization that his quest may well be impossible. One day, Steven has an epiphany. There is one person who knows exactly where his uncle’s body is buried―the person who buried it. So Steven writes a letter to the killer in prison―triggering a dangerous game of cat and mouse between him and the killer.
WHO do we meet?
- Steven Lamb is the young boy who is doggedly trying to fix all that is wrong in his family. I found his courage and determination so touching and sad. He knows that there is something wrong in his family, and he’s trying everything in his power to fix it. This kind of naivete and innocence makes Steven’s sad and lonely life pierce the reader’s heart. For me, the best chapters were those told from Steven’s point of view. Whether he is avoiding the bullies that constantly dog him, trying to please “Uncle Jude” (one of his mother’s boyfriends) so he’ll stay, or attempting to keep his friendship with Lewis on an even keel, Steven is the kind of child that you can just imagine falling through the cracks. When his own teacher can’t quite place him (except as the child who smells like mildew and once wrote a good letter), I just wanted to reach out and give him a big hug.
- Arnold Avery is the pedophile/serial killer who has been biding his time in prison ever since his capture. Striving to be a model prisoner so he can reduce his sentence and resume hunting children, Avery has made peace with his incarceration. That is, until Steven’s letter arrives and sparks Avery’s imagination. Interested by the possibilities that Steven’s letters conjure up, Avery becomes even more involved and motivated when he discovers that Steven is a young boy. This realization ignites Avery’s long dormant base instincts and motivates him to win this particular game no matter what the cost.
WHEN and WHERE does the book take place?
The setting of the book is Somerset (located in South West England), with the action taking place primarily on the moors, Steven’s village and Avery’s prison located in Dartmoor (south Devon, England). The setting is the present day, with Avery’s occasionally flashing back to his “glory” days two decades before.
WHY should you read this book?
For me, the heart and soul of the book is Steven Lamb. He just broke my heart. His struggles to fit in and save his family just ripped at my heart. Every maternal instinct in me wanted to pluck him from the pages of the book and take him home with me. This is a child who is “benignly” neglected and living a secret life that becomes very dangerous without anyone having the faintest idea. Bauer, alternating narrations primarily between Steven and Avery (with occasional forays into the minds of Lettie, Steven’s teacher and Lewis), ratchets up the tension as we learn of Avery’s increasing interest in Steven. Reading the book is very much like watching a horror movie where you know the hero is in big trouble but he continues on, oblivious and clueless to the danger lurking around him. You want to yell “Watch out! Don’t go there!” but, of course, you can’t.
Although Steven made the book worth reading, I did struggle with some of Bauer’s decisions. First of all, (and I’m doing my best to avoid spoilers here), there is a wild bit of coincidence in the last part of the book that I found completely distracting and unnecessary. Why Bauer made this particular decision (a bit of “karma is a bitch and can repeat herself in each generation”) is beyond me. I didn’t think the story required it, and it took me right out of the narrative.
My other issue was with the Arnold Avery character. Obviously, he is unlikable and horrid. In addition, he is full of himself―fancying himself to be very smart and clever. Although Bauer is giving us Avery’s view of himself, I felt unsure about Avery’s true character. Was he criminal mastermind who just happened to get caught? Is he as clever as he thinks? There are a few indications that Avery is not quite the genius he makes himself out to be, but Bauer’s vagueness on this point led to some frustration on my part. Is he a “Hannibal Lecter” type or more of a “garden variety” pedophile/killer who is ruled by his desires rather than his intellect? It makes a difference, and I started to think Avery was less menacing than he should have been. It began to feel less like a “cat and mouse” game and more like a “slightly smarter rat and mouse” game, if that makes any sense.
Still, the book goes by quickly, and you definitely want to find out what is going to happen next. Despite its flaws, I thought it was a decent read and perfect choice for the RIP Challenge. This was Bauer’s first book, and I think she has definite potential. I’d be willing to read her second book, Darkside
What are other bloggers saying about this book? You can find out at the Book Blogs Search Engine. However, I happen to know that Kelly at Kelly’s Thoughts and Ramblings wrote a review that is, not only much shorter than this one, but will definitely make you want to read the book.
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I’d definiteley recommend Darkside. It’s based in the same area as Blacklands and one or two of the same characters pop up in it too. I’m awaiting Belinda Bauer’s third book, due out early next year.
Thanks for the info. Seems like she is settling into a certain area and bringing back some characters. I like when authors do that!!
Wow! I won this book in a giveaway bug had forgotten what it was about. Now I’m super intrigued and am thinking I should read it soon! I’m not officially participating in the RIP challenge but am still trying to read some spookier type books this month.
This is a good October read. And I remember seeing it around on blogs forever, requested it from Paperback Swap and then forgot all about it until I was looking for RIP books. She has a new one out too I’m curious about.
I’m infinitely amused by the fact that I turned you on to this challenge but our choices for it are so incredibly different. I would never read this book in a million years!
I know!!! We could do the same challenges all the time and never have any crossover in our reading, I suspect!!! It is amusing, isn’t it?
The alternating narrations does sound interesting. I like that tension evoking approach, but I wonder if I have to wait on any thriller these days. I’m tense enough!!! Thanks for the review Jenners
Hope all is well with you and your family.
Yeah … you don’t need this type of book right now. We’re doing pretty good. I hope you guys are all right. You sound like you’re hanging in there … but barely! Hope that poison ivy is gone finally!
Sounds like a riveting story. I am often drawn to stories where the protagonist is young and fighting for his survival or the survival of his family. I get so wrapped up in the story and find myself cheering and urging them on to victory. Those kind of stories usually leave me drained.
I know what you mean. It is draining when kids are fighting for their lives in a book. You do find yourself turning into a cheerleader!
I’ve got so many books to read so I’ll probably skip this one.
If the description didn’t grab you, probably a good choice!
I enjoyed reading your review. For now, I think I have read enough of the broken home, abused and troubled youth scenario; too many of these stories and I can forget what a wonderful and warm world we actually live in
The setting, Somerset moors, sounds interesting.
I know what you mean. Sometimes if you read too many books about these types of lives, you forget that not everything is like this. That there is sunshine and warmth and love!
This book sounds interesting. I saw her newest book and really wanted to read it so maybe I’ll pick this one up as well. Nice review!
I’m curious about her new one as well. One of my impressions was that she was good writer but needed a bit more “seasoning” so I suspect her second book might be even better than this one — and this one wasn’t too bad.
Just from reading this review I can totally see how Steven would “break your heart”. What a nasty business! This is definitely going on the to-read list.
Isn’t is so sad when you meet this poor fictional characters — but just know that there are kids just like them in the real world?
This one does sound good. Even though some of it was a bit off, overall it sounds like something I’d enjoy. That cover is creepy! I like your review.
And I really think that most people wouldn’t be put off by the same stuff I was put off by.
I wouldn’t hesitate to read this one. You say it is flawed but worth reading and that is good enough for me!
And what bothers me might not bother you! Lots of folks have really loved this one.
That cover is definitely worth a few screams. This one sounds good even if a bit depressing. I haven’t read anything really good and scary lately and I love a good scare once in a while.
This isn’t “jump out of your skin” scary but more “OH noooooo little boy. Don’t do that!” scary. It is good to be scared every so often I think.
This one looks perfect for the RIP challenge! And I think the cover could be worth 3 screams,
It is an ideal RIP read … and if you flip the cover over (at least on mine), you see a silhouette of a small boy with a shovel — Steven out trying to find his uncle’s bones.
I admit to reading this review with my whole body being clenched, as it sounds like a very dark and penetrating story. Though there were some slight flaws in the way the book played out, there seems to be enough tension in this book to cut with a knife, and I bet it would be something that I would alternately find fascinating and disturbing. I loved this review, and like a lot of the books you review, this one is going into my basket. Halloween is just around the corner, and I have also unofficially joined the R.I.P. challenge, so this book is just what I need! Thanks for the excellent review, as usual
The stuff with Steven is just so sad. His home life, in many ways, was almost scarier and more disturbing than the serial killer parts.
p.s. HEH. You’ll see from the review reference for my blog that today my post is about a book with a SERIAL KILLER. What else?!!!
Sounds very depressing. And what is with all the serial killers? You’d think from the output of mystery writers that the population was about 75% serial killers!
I know!!! If there were as many serial killers in real life as there are in books, we’d all be murdered and they’d have to hunt each other. Too funny that you too featured a serial killer book. What is it about them that is so fascinating?
At 6 out of 10 screams/skin crawling disgust this book is way to scary for me though as you say it does sound like a perfect read for this challenge.
It is an ideal RIP read. That is for sure!
This does sound horribly sad and Steven sounds like a character that sticks with you. I’ll have to think about it.
Well, I’ll tell you this: it ends on an upbeat note. That’s all I have to say.
Often I get caught up in a book and don’t let things bother me that probably should. Same way in movies. Poor Steven. He was such a pitiful little fellow! (thanks for the link)
Sometimes I let things go and sometimes I don’t. This book felt a little too simplistic to me for some reason. Maybe after coming off of Tana French, it suffered by comparison!
I enjoyed this one when I read it and hope to read her latest book soon. Sorry it was just ok for you.
For me, it was a decent fast read but didn’t set my world on fire or anything. I’d still want to check out her new book though.
OMG, this book sounds like it would thrust me into a malaise! I mean, yes maybe compelling but how sad for this poor little boy. Heather and I listened to Of Mice and Men on the way back from Charleston and that made me want to bang my head against the wall as well! Total RIP material!
Of Mice and Men is so awful isn’t it? Heartbreaking. A real downer. I remember reading it in high school and just sobbing. Did you see the Gary Sinise movie version? So well done. This book is nowhere near that level but you still want to rush in and stop what is going on.