Bloodroot [Hardcover]

MAY BE SPOILERS WITHIN: I am a big fan of Bill Loehfelm's, having read and reviewed his first novel, "Fresh Kills." Unfortunately, I could not develop the same interest in the characters in this, his second, novel. While Loehfelm's writing style remains very readable and his descriptions of life on Staten Island still strike a chord in me, the characters just do not feel genuine, the story is choppy, and there are just too many convenient coincidences.


Danny, the prodigal brother, has badly hurt his relationships with his brother Kevin and his parents, with his drug abuse. He has returned home after a prolonged absence, claiming to be a year "sober' but now involved in all manner of shady business. Danny seems to have an immediate though unexplained need to involve Kevin in his activities. Kevin, an intellectual yet somewhat shallow college professor. is understandably reluctant to let Danny back into his life, particularly given the fragile state of their mother's health. But, overwhelmed with brotherly love, Kevin joins Danny in a number of dangerous and downright criminal activities, for reasons that are never explained.

Both brothers have demons to exorcise: Kevin's are related to his past inability to protect his brother from the seduction of the needle. Danny's are more bizarre: he has remembered, apparently while in a drug-induced haze, that he was once a resident of the infamous Bloodroot, a residential hospital for handicapped children, which was shut down for child abuse. Indeed, Danny has also somehow remembered that he was actually adopted into Kevin's family at a young age, having been rescued by Danny's mother. Danny's mother now admits that he was adopted, but denies he was ever at Bloodroot, claiming instead that he was rescued from an emergency room after his birth mother died of a heroin overdose. This conflict is never resolved, at least not in my reading.

The memories and experiences (real or imagined) of the brothers perhaps explain many of their character traits, but they really do not begin to explain their somewhat extreme conduct as this story unfolds.

Hanging about the serrated edges of the pages of this novel is the mysterious Bloodroot, which apparently had an impact on most of the characters in this story, though we never learn why or to what extent. Bloodroot has been the shameful scene of some of the most gruesome tales of child abuse, at least if Danny's "memories" are to be believed. Danny's need to destroy every last remaining remnant of Bloodroot, including someone who is trying to "preserve" the building, takes over the story at some point, and instead of being a "thriller", it becomes more of a tale of bloodlust. While the ending may leave some feeling satisfied, to me it felt overly dramatic and overdone.

With that, it is still not a terrible read.

I just adopted a puppy, so my reading time has been significantly less (read: none). However, Bloodroot really got me back in the fold and I could not stop reading it. For those of you who know how time consuming a puppy is this should mean a lot.

Bloodroot examines the idea of brotherhood and what people would go through in order to save those closest to us. Bloodroot follows Kevin who has recently come back in contact with his recovering heroin addicted brother, Danny. All seems well until Kevin gets involved in some of Danny's "business ventures" which begin to unravel the past to the harrowing end. How far will Kevin go to help his brother and his family? Does he have it in him to do what is necessary, no matter how right or how wrong it seems to him?

Bill Loehfelm has crafted a magnificent tale of family and brotherhood, with darkness around every corner. The plot may seem to some to move slowly at times, but in these moments are the most significant in terms of character development and personal insight. Following Kevin and Danny is a journey into the heart of family values, brotherhood, and sacrifice with stops in the darkest corners of their souls. The way Loehfelm unravels these characters is nothing short of perfect, weaving a tale that is impossible to resist.

If you liked Starvation Lake by Bryan Gruley then you will most certainly enjoy Bloodroot.

Good reading,

J.Stoner

First thing I have to say is that the book really didn't come across to me as the thriller that the book's blurb promised. For that matter, I also expected the nightmarish institution of Bloodroot to come more into play than it did.

The book's main character is, for lack of a better description, a somewhat whiny and washed up professor (Kevin) who spends most of his nights barely existing. He's not happy in his job but does nothing about it. He desires a beautiful coworker but is too afraid to pursue her. He broods over how he could have done more to save his junkie brother Danny but fails to see that there really wasn't much more he could have done. It's not until his suddenly clean brother returns that his life begins to change & Kevin finds himself entangled in much more than he should be when he agrees to help his brother with his new line of "work".

To be honest, I didn't really like the character of Kevin. He was a bit drab & I found him to be a bit whiny. The whiny part I can deal with because it really emphasized how much of a rut he was in. I did enjoy the character of Danny for the most part & I really wished that the book had followed him more so I could become more familiar with his overall character. I also wish that the titular Bloodroot had been further explored & explained. We're told that all of these horrible things happened in it, but for something that's affected so many & is such a drive for Danny & others' motivations it is woefully underdone. There's also another thing- the whole "truth about Danny" thing. It's never resolved & I found that a little irritating. Like another reviewer said, there's just too many coincidences in this book- Danny's past, his sudden appearance in his brother's life after so long a time... Heck, I also wondered where Danny got the education in advanced computers & hacking. The last time his brother had seen him he'd been a junkie & that was 3 years before he reappears. It would have been nice learning a little bit more about what Danny had been doing in that time & where he'd learned all of these things.

Overall, this wasn't a terrible read. I just really wasn't as in love with it as I'd hoped I would be. The ending was fine enough, although I agree with others when I say that it was a teensy bit dissapointing. This would make for a great beach read or for something to casually read. It's just not really the "edge of your seat thriller" that I thought it was going to be. Still, it's not bad. I did enjoy it for the most part, but it's not something I would recommend people running out & buying straight away.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 30 reviews  3.7 out of 5 stars