Just finished reading "The Town That Forgot How to Breathe" by Kenneth J. Harvey. Thumbs up!
Overview: Something strange is happening in the seaside town
of Bareneed. Mythical creatures…are being pulled from the sea. Perfectly
preserved corpses of villager long ago lost at sea are being washed upon the
shore. And residents of the town are suddenly suffering from a mysterious
illness that is making them forget how to breathe. Joseph Blackwood returns to
his hometown to spend time with his daughter, but when the young girl begins
having visions and conversing with the spirit of a neighbor’s deceased child,
he knows that his daughter is suffering from a supernatural affliction. With
help from some colorful village residents, Joseph must unravel this paranormal
mystery to save his only child. (from book jacket)
Dawn’s Recommendation: 5 of 5 Stars
What I liked: The opening character, Miss Laracy, grabbed
me. Her colorful dialect pulled me in and I had to read on to get to know her
better.
Story line was very interesting. It had mystery, with a
touch of bizarre and creepy (supernatural), but not too scary. Perfect combination.
Pace was great. One part was so heart-pounding that I feared for
what Joseph might do and inside I was yelling, “No, don’t do it!”
The characters were colorful and really brought life to the
fishing village of Bareneed. From the whispy and tragic Claudia to the
straight-laced Lieutenant-Commander French, to the plump Dr. Thompson – I
really enjoyed the characters.
What I didn’t like: Nothing really --it was a satisfying
read, but....if you forced me to “find” something, I might have two little
things.
1. The dog – not sure what the dog meant to the story unless
it was just for bizarre effect.
2. The ending outcome of the bizarre events/sickness (can’t
spoil it for you). Not sure it completely works out in my head.
Overall: Really enjoyed the book and I’ll be looking to read
his other books ("Brud" and "Directions for an Opened Body").
