The Weight of Blood by Laura McHughMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.
The Weight of Blood is a story set in a small town called Henbane, located within the Ozarks and is about two women -- Lucy and Lily. Henbane is a small town where everyone knows everyone else. Being such a close-knit community, the people of Henbane tend to be very suspicious of strangers. Anyone not from Henbane who find themselves settling there find it hard to be accepted by the people of the town.
Lucy Dane is a 16 year old girl who lives with her father. Her mother, disappeared when she was still a baby. Lily was an orphan. She had been transferred from one foster home to another in Iowa and has been trying very hard to fend of sexual abuse from different people. In a bid to make a fresh new start on life, Lily found herself hired by a man named Crete Dane to work in the town of Henbane.
Lily works hard and is able to find a friend in a waitress named Gabby. She also finds herself the apple of a young man's eye. Crete likes Lily and is trying to get her attention but finds that it is his little brother that has charmed the girl. Rejection is not something Crete takes to lightly and Lily finds herself in a very complicated and dangerous situation.
Lucy is trying to find some clue about her friend, Cheri, who disappeared and was then found murdered. Because Cheri was somewhat of a misfit -- she was "slow-minded", Lucy finds herself being the poor girl's only friend. To complicate matters, Lucy's mother had also disappeared when she was still a baby and there had been no trace of her mother ever since.
While searching for clue, Lucy finds out things are not what they appear to be in Henbane. She also learns that her past is very much linked to what happened to her friend Cheri.
The Weight of Blood is an exciting read. The writer goes back and forth telling Lily's and Lucy's story in a manner that keeps the reader's attention. The book is all about love, trust, friendship and surviving life's toughest challenges. It is also about the weight of blood relationships and how people react and deal with the mistakes and sins of members of their family.
I would have given the book more stars if only the link between the two Dane brothers were not so predictable. I was able to see the connection from miles away. Although that did not stop me from wanting to keep reading until I finished the book.
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