Crow Lake: a book review

Author: Mary Lawson, 291 pgs.

One Amazon reviewer summed this book up pretty accurately, "If 'Crow Lake' was turned into a movie, it would be a melodrama on Lifetime or an after-school special. It would not be the 'gorgeous, slow-burning story' the cover claims it to be."

"Crow Lake" is the tragic story of the orphaned Morrison children (Luke, 19; Matt, 17; Kate, 7; and Bo, a toddler), left to fend somewhat for themselves in a northern Ontario farming community after their parents are killed in a car accident. Kate is the narrator, and the story is told through a series of flashbacks and flashforwards.

While the method of storytelling wasn't so much annoying by itself, I found the far too frequent suggestions of tragedy/scandal not-yet-revealed to be anti-climactic, repetitive and reminiscent of some of those trashy Danielle Steel novels I read as a teenager that were chock full of phrases like, "things would never be the same...and they both knew it..."

Quick synopsis: dreams were shattered, sacrifices made, resentments set in, and some flourished while others remained trapped in a past life.

Don't get me wrong, the book was entertaining and a quick read (much like the aforementioned D.S. novels), but I just wasn't drawn in. I found Kate to be one-dimensional, often annoying and self-pitying; even the fact that she lost her parents at age seven did not make me want to care about her.

Bo was a delightful character who added welcome comedic relief to an otherwise somber story. My favorite part was when Luke attempted to potty train her. As Luke trailed behind her screaming, "Do you want to wear diapers forever?!" she marched across the room and stuffed her toddler potty into the garbage. Luke, beside himself, sunk to the floor with his head in his hands. Bo turned suddenly, placed her hand on Luke's head and said, "Don't cry Luke," and padded off. Later Matt and Luke laughed when they realized "Don't cry Luke" was Bo's first complete sentence!

Upon finishing the book, I decided that the only character who could've narrated the story to my satisfaction was Matt. Matt was smart (the "cleverest" according to his teachers), compassionate and level-headed. He was wise beyond his years, and while I disliked Kate, I adored their relationship's part in the story. Very touching and sweet - Matt is the brother that every girl wishes she had.

At the end, I wondered, "Really? Is that it?" But I suppose the fact that I plucked this selection from my father's vast collection of random Costco purchases made me like it a little bit more than I should've...because it was free, yet brief entertainment.