Canadian author Ali Bryan has a real winner in her newest novel that centers on Karoak e. This book, all of which takes place on the night of the regional Karoake Championships is centered not so much on Karaoke as it is on the lives of those who are involved in this event.
The author uses this event to take us into the lives of some contestants, the judges, the town mayor, employees of the regional correctional facility and a prison break. It allows this skilled writer to examine so many different people. Their lives, and loves, challenges and disappointments, as she does not use a single narrator but rather 5 different persons to give their thoughts, hopes, dreams and problems. We even follow the escaped prisoner, who definitely appears to be bi-polar, as his escape also becomes enmeshed with so many of the people in the book. And then there is Dale, a firefighter who died one year ago, and how he casts such a huge shadow over the lives of those in Crow Valley.
When contestant Molly says to herself, “Motherhood is a con. Motherhood is a thief.” You can see the anguish and unfulfilled dreams of this lady. And we get insights from and about so many different characters that we feel their pain, as well as so many dashed hopes and dreams.
Who wins and who loses? Well I am not going to give this away, but suffice it to say that you will be a winner after you finish this wonderful book. This is a 4.5**** for me! Great job, Ali!!
