Connections by Mary Lou Gediman

On his wedding day a note with a feather attached to it and
a series of numbers written on it is left taped to his front porch, clues for
him and his new bride to decipher. These are soon followed by more clues, more
notes, and more elusive numbers to figure out. What does it all mean? Neither
he nor his new bride knows what to make of it all. They soon discover that they
cannot ignore the notes and the clues because the fate of many lives ultimately
hangs in the balance. But, in order for him to save these people’s lives and
also the lives of many generations to come, he must first face the most
debilitating and dangerous challenge he has ever encountered. And it is a challenge
that shakes the very core of his Native American belief system.
The risks are great and the rewards are many, but for whom? And in the end,
what underlying force will ultimately prevail – altruism or greed?

My thoughts: It is very hard to write about this book. I want to love it but I can’t and here’s why.

The plot of this book is intricate and naturally, very well thought out. The fact that the writer has conducted a lot of research and built an engaging story around it is evident. Everything, right from the title to the illness, fits together like pieces of a fabulous puzzle. Connections is what the book is all about, bonds and family ties and the fact that sometimes all we can do is help. I love the way the writer has integrated a message in every part of the book and the story and what the characters have to face do leave a lasting impression on the reader.

And still, something is missing. I found the book a bit dull. It took me a long time to want to read further. I had to trudge on through the first few chapters, searching for the action that came too late. The characters are introduced in excruciating detail way too soon. The author tried to be amusing as she spent the entire first chapter describing the eccentric Pontiac, but the humour was lost on me. I thought the characters were a bit too specific and because I couldn’t relate to most of their typical traits, they bordered on seeming boring. At times, they even seemed inconsistent and even though I discovered many things about Pontiac and Maggie throughout the story, there didn’t seem to be a real character arc.

So the question I keep coming back to is whether I can love a book for the story, when I didn’t particularly like the characters. That is something you should find out for yourself! If you like thrillers, with mysterious pasts and codes and relationships and such, this is the book for you. Grab your copy right here!