The Stars of Locust Ridge

by Craig Moody

Overview

The stars are moving over Locust Ridge, Tennessee, in early March 1973. Sixteen-year-old Genevieve Delany witnesses the odd phenomenon in the skies above the one-bedroom house she shares with her mother, Eva. A self-reliant girl often left alone by her workaholic mother, Genevieve starts to question her reality the night she first views the flitting orbs of golden light zipping across the Appalachian heavens. Discovered screaming and alone in the woods between her home and her Uncle John's nearby cabin, the young girl is haunted by a series of unexplainable night terror episodes. What is the cause of the often-violent hazy night encounters? Who are the shadowy and silent mysterious men seen peering out from just beyond the tree line?

The Stars of Locust Ridge captures the journey of one young woman's coming-of-age acceptance of family truths, the extraordinary bond between women, and the unbreakable ties of kinship, both blood and beyond.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781732896000
Publisher:	Vivid Imagery Publishing
Publication date:	11/23/2018
Pages:	242
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.55(d)

About the Author

Craig Moody was born and raised in Pembroke Pines, Florida, a suburban community that edges the beautiful Florida Everglades. Author of the acclaimed novels The '49 Indian and His Name Was Ezra, Craig currently resides in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with his boyfriend, Gable, and twenty-three-year-old cockatiel, Alley.

Editorial Reviews

US Review of Books:



"I couldn't believe the words that were coming out of Kenneth's mouth. He was abandoning me. He was through. Our loss was now only his."



Genevieve Delany lives a quiet life in the rural hills of Tennessee. She lives mostly on her own, as her mother spends most of her days out of town managing a motel. She has never known her father, but her Uncle John lives in the nearby cabin and acts as her guardian. As her life starts to take a turn for the positive with football star Kenneth Reynolds taking an interest in her, the rest of her life starts to spiral. Her childhood nemesis, Emily Watson, attends the same school and insists on making her life hell. Genevieve begins having night terrors and sleepwalking in the forest, screaming at the top of her lungs. These episodes coincide with an unspeakable violation of her body, and she must try to handle the aftermath of that--physically, emotionally, and socially.



Though the circumstances of Genevieve's life are more than most young women will have to contend with, the threat of danger that the protagonist endures is very real. This results in a coming-of-age story that reads at the extremes. On the one hand, it feels like Genevieve's life is so tragic that it must be a work of fiction, yet as the reader progresses, one realizes the constant threat of assault from figures of authority or power that women in general must constantly face. The author is a master at misdirecting his readers, opting never to take the obvious route in his narrative, yet giving them enough evidence as to eliminate any shred of doubt in their mind. With strong pacing, crisp dialogue, and repeated surprises, this book reads with snaps and punches of breathtaking imagery and heart-wrenching tragedy.



RECOMMENDED by the US Review

From the Publisher

2020-01-06
A young woman finds herself trapped in an unnatural crisis in Appalachia in this novel.

Walking through the woods one early spring night in 1973, 16-year-old Genevieve Delany witnesses a phenomenal scene: “Like flittering hummingbirds, seven stars flickered and darted over the night sky in unison.” Growing up with her single, working mother in a Tennessee town laden with poverty, Gen is often left under the limited supervision of her reclusive Uncle John. The night after her vision and throughout the following weeks, she becomes plagued by eerie and inexplicable events. John finds her in the woods at night, screaming and unaware of her surroundings, often with clothing askew and blood between her legs. The next day, she is always mentally disoriented. After an altercation leads to her expulsion from school, she is offered private tutoring sessions with a former teacher. Edna Stevens is a firm but kind elderly woman, forced into early retirement because of her relationship with her partner, Janice Everly. When Janice (whose behavior appears at times erratic and delusional) claims to have seen the same moving lights and attributes them to extraterrestrial visitations, Gen barely knows what to believe. Little does she know that her search for the truth will uncover not only dangerous new information, but dark secrets surrounding her family history as well. The insular setting of the Appalachian town provides rich material for this atmospheric mystery. Moody’s (His Name Was Ezra, 2018, etc.) descriptions of the surrounding woods are both beautiful and unnerving. Furthermore, the gender dynamics, social expectations, and power structures present in the tale create a telling reflection of the time period. Gen consistently proves herself to be a willful and capable character whose narration is a pleasure to read. The author captures the heat of teenage passion well and addresses the consequences with raw emotion. Although the story’s events are bizarre and sometimes disturbing, the delivery is riveting. The expert pacing will keep readers on edge from start to finish.

A suspenseful, pulse-quickening read that combines elements of psychological horror and cryptic folklore.

Kirkus Reviews