Hardcover: 288 pages
Review/TLC Book Tours

Adult- Thriller

Warnings: Violence, mild language, mild sexuality

3.5/5 Stars

To Sam Blount, meeting Julia is the best thing that has ever happened to him.

Working at the local college and unsuccessful in his previous relationships, he’d been feeling troubled about his approaching fortieth birthday, “a great beast of a birthday,” as he sees it, but being with Julia makes him feel young and hopeful. Julia Stilwell, a freshman trying to come to terms with a recent tragedy that has stripped her of her greatest talent, is flattered by Sam’s attention.

But their relationship is tested by a shy young man with a secret, Marcus Broley, who is also infatuated with Julia. Told in alternating points of view, The Preservationist is the riveting tale of Julia and Sam’s relationship, which begins to unravel as the threat of violence approaches—and Julia becomes less and less sure whom to trust.

Thoughts

Diving into Justin Kramon's The Preservationist had its challenge in the beginning half, the story which moved along nicely due to its leisure and simple style failed to connect me to any of the characters. Dialog felt flat and without knowing much about main character Julia, who for the most part acted very robotic in her display of emotions, left me feeling so disconnected......of course later on in the story once her relationship begins to develop deeply with Sam and reaching the exciting end that pulled the entire book together I was left eating crow.

In this case I perhaps judged the book to soon, the reasoning for disconnect and frustration with Julia as a character worked perfect after the reveal, it was truly a unique twisty read. Everything that frustrated me in the beginning was everything that tied the end together. I love psychological thrillers, but they are hard to review to the lack of info that can be shared, but what I can say is that the novel is quiet until almost the end, but those last 50 pages are the thrilling long fall after the climb to the top.

I would recommended this book to readers who enjoy illusive thrillers, the build up is long but the reveal is worth it. Fans of crime drama and mystery's will enjoy as well.

Justin Kramon is the author of the novels Finny (Random House, 2010) and The Preservationist (Pegasus, 2013).

A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, he has published stories in Glimmer Train, Story Quarterly, Boulevard, Fence,TriQuarterly, Alaska Quarterly Review, and others. He has received honors from the Michener-Copernicus Society of America, Best American Short Stories, the Hawthornden International Writers’ Fellowship, and the Bogliasco Foundation. Find out more about Justin at his website and connect with him on Facebook.

~Thanks to TLC Book Tours and Pegasus for review copy