Becky Hagenston - The Lake
I thought Hagenston did a really nice job of developing the character of the
protagonist, David. I found my opinion of him changing throughout the
story and in a more surprising way than I might have thought when I first
started reading it. Without giving too much away, I think she really
deftly handled his relationship with his father and how the reader might feel
about them both throughout.
Aaron Burch
I definitely agree. I'll echo your hesitation to give too much away, but I too think how she handled the relationship between David and his father is really what makes this story. The writing is obviously very, very strong and I found myself sucked in from the get-go but, especially on initial read, I remember thinking something along the lines of, "where is this going to go?" "The Lake" feels like it could have very easily become a well-written story that never quite fully stuck with me, or at the very least it wouldn't have seemed like a Hobart-story, but it takes a turn that is both surprising and that great kind of "almost over the top, did that really just happen?, moment while never actually snapping that line of believability" in a way that makes the story. I also love the possibility of some kind of monster-like creature and its kind of "does it/doesn't it?" existence and how that is handled in a similar nonjudgmental way. Hagenston really pulls a lot off here, a lot that I think probably feels so easy and natural.
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