Reviewed by Ambrea
DeClare,
Oklahoma, in 1972 is a poor, windswept town where anything noteworthy rarely happens—until
the murder of a young mother, Gaylene Harjo, and the disappearance of her son
rocks the community to its foundations.
Although investigators searched for the boy, Nicky Jack was nowhere to
be found and, as the years passed, his family lost hope he would ever be
located.
Thirty
years later, Nicky Jack mysteriously returns to DeClare. He has a new name, a new family, a new
identity, but he knows his roots lie in this small, dusty town and he knows the
answers to his past are located here. As
he tries to reconnect to his mother’s community and uncover her murderer, he
unearths long-buried memories and stirs up dashed hopes, desperate love, and
hidden secrets that may just tear DeClare—and Nicky Jack—apart.
Shoot the Moon
has an intriguing premise: a small,
American town turned upside down by a grisly murder; a boy returning home to
discover the truth of his past; a mystery and a secret buried deep beneath the
quiet façade of a seemingly amiable old town.
It has all the elements of a suspenseful, family drama, and I think it
succeeds in weaving together all these qualities to create an interesting
novel.
It’s
a murder-mystery, so parts of Billie Lett’s novel are unpleasant. Like the abusive, corrupt sheriff, for
example, or the mean-spirited and manipulative radio station owner. They both made my skin crawl (as they
probably should, given their repulsive qualities and their participation in the
debacle). There are good characters, of
course, like Teeve and her mother, and I even liked the caustic newspaper
reporter who has a bone to pick with DeClare; however, I found it’s sometimes
easy to let the bad things overrun the story.
Admittedly,
I wasn’t completely invested in Shoot the
Moon. I finished the book, because I
sought closure, but I wasn’t completely committed to it. I’m not knocking Letts’ novel. I mean, I found it thoughtful and
interesting. It’s a comprehensive
examination of human nature, a story of justice and redemption that sometimes
takes a circuitous route, a family drama that, ultimately, finds a happy
resolution. It’s a decent novel, but I
can truthfully say it isn’t a book I will pursue twice.
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