Daniel, a once famous artist, who sought and protects his now quiet life away from the turbulent 60’s, lives in a converted guest cottage owned by a movie star who is intent on re-awakening her flailing career. Her father, Jack, who has a bit of a nefarious past history of his own, lives there, taking care of his young grandson, Daniel can’t warm up to Jack ,who reminds Daniel of a period in his life he would just as soon forget, the reason he’s retreated from the public eye. An explosive twist that this reader didn’t see coming.

Mr. Ludington has delivered a well-written, compelling novel where the past collides with the present and which will stay with you long after reading the last page.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel pre-publication.

This was not the story for me with the scattered narrative and the drug use references. I am not able to recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to think about this book. In some ways it was a well written and engaging story, but in others, it was packed full of obscure words and jumped around so much it made my head hurt. I feel like this could’ve been done better. If this author had a better editor, some of the nonsense would’ve been stripped down, and the great parts would be left behind. I definitely don’t want to diminish from how great some parts of the book were. The characters were incredibly well done, and the overarching theme of the group was well done. I think it was mostly the descriptive areas that were faulty. I have a pretty big vocabulary, but had to look up at least 40 words in the story. I am all for some stretching yourself while reading, but it shouldn’t feel like a chore. All in all a good book, but should have been better edited.

In the 1970s, after his first stint in prison, Daniel created a magnificent piece of art. That eventually led to a second stretch in prison, after which … with the help of a good friend … Daniel began a new life.

In 2017 he is living in what was once the guest house for the property now owned by a famous actor. She has her own demons and is trying to build a life with her young son Dean and father Jack. Dean and Daniel become quite close.

Jack and Daniel have a casual friendship that turns sour. Jack is a decade older than Daniel, but both of their lives are inexorably tied to the counterculture of the 1960s. I would say, though, that the primary focus of the author (born in 1967) was on the hedonism of that era.

This is a novel that has much darkness: I kept hoping for survival and forgiveness.

I felt this was ok . I didn’t mind the darkness so much or the time period. I didn’t like the writing style .

You know, I really really wanted to love this book. I guess I live my life through rose colored glasses having grown up in the 60’s. I found myself pushing to get through this book with feelings of anger and anxiety. I could force myself no longer and put it down. Maybe I will try again at another time. .

“Thorn Tree” is by Max Ludington. I have really mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, this book should have been one I really liked - as it ticked a number of boxes I enjoy (Hollywood, the 1960s, artists). However, this book was a lot darker than I thought it would be - between the exploitation (on so many levels), the drug usage (yes, part of the sixties, but something that doesn’t sit well with me), and the darker side of the 1960s - this book just felt more depressing and upsetting opposed to an enjoyable read. This book may be great for some people, but it wasn’t my cup of tea.

A non-linear narrative that traces the story of a man who was once briefly famous for a scrap metal sculpture call Thorn Tree. The story tracks how he got the inspiration for the sculpture in a LSD haze to the present where we learn he is a retired school teacher. The story revolves around a person from his past and what may have happened to her.

This was a unique and thought provoking story that ultimately left me feeling more anxious than anything else. I’ve seen others describe the unfolding of this story as impending doom and I have to agree. Maybe I wasn’t the intended audience for this story but it wasn’t quite the enjoyable experience I was hoping for. Also would have liked more answers in the end.

This novel moved slowly for me. It got more interesting as it went along, but there is a distance between the story and the reader—even though significant things happened, I never felt emotionally pulled into any of it. It was like these major things that happened are being reported on by a distant outsider.

Part of the story happens today. Daniel lives in the guest house of a property. He was a big-deal artist for a while in the seventies, and part of the story is about the events of the late sixties and the seventies that turned Daniel into the retired schoolteacher he is today.

In the main house is an actress who is away shooting a lot of the time. She leaves her young son with her father and part-time nanny.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES APRIL 16, 2024.

Rounded up from 2.5 stars.

Why did "Thorn Tree" disappoint and even anger me so?

1) The descriptions of the characters' thoughts reminded me of technical writing: every detail spelled out, in language much more elevated than it needed to be. This is a book that uses "gravid" instead of "pregnant." Characters of very different backgrounds and education levels have their thoughts and feelings parsed in the same manner, with the exception of the seven-year-old boy.
2) Nobody speaks the way these characters do. So many philosophical debates. So much naval-gazing.
3) The female character who is at the heart of the characters' motivation is not just a tabula rasa but also an impossible creation, a paragon of femaleness that every man who gazes upon her cannot help but treasure.
4) Characters are introduced with abandon, for what seems to be little reason.

Some of the writing was lovely and evocative, and the depiction of the young boy spot-on. But overall, finishing this was a chore. Maybe I'm just not the book's target audience.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A thriller from start to finish, Thorn Tree starts with foreboding and the tension builds to an unresolved ending. Baby boomers will appreciate and identify with many of the musical and cultural references in the 60's time period. I was engrossed throughout the story but felt betrayed by the cliff hanging conclusion for many of the characters. I turned the page of the last chapter expecting an epilogue that would tie up loose ends.. I exclaimed out loud "What??!!?". Is there a sequel? This would be a five star read for me except for the ending.

Thorn Tree is a very well done novel. The author expertly navigates between different time periods and character perspectives, the enduring impact of trauma, and the creativity that drives artists. I would highly recommend this to readers who enjoy delving into the past in order to understand the present, and who can appreciate how and why people make both good and bad choices. The plot kept me interested, wondering what had happened, what was going to happen, and how the characters respond to each other. I enjoyed this book. Growing up in the 60’s, it brought back a lot of memories. My thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A sculpture is admired by the top art critics. It’s a thorn tree made from scrap pieces of metal with wild limbs in all directions. It has taken on a new meaning with this intriguing plot – one that you may find exciting and unusual.

The grandiose tree takes on a path of its own from the creator, Daniel, who remembered the love he had with his girlfriend, Rachel. This was the last place they were sitting together peacefully just south of Santa Cruz on one of the cliffs above the ocean. Rachel left to take a walk and when he woke up from a deep sleep, everything changed.

Life events can be unpredictable and this book is a prime example of how it can unravel when you think you have complete control of what’s ahead. We may meet someone who seems so familiar as described in the book -- like a reincarnated soul – and we try to make sense of it.

Max Ludington takes us into the drug scene of the late 60s with hippies living together at a mystical commune in California. For those living during this time, it could bring back some memories of this movement of free-spirited new-age love. I guess you can call this historical fiction for those that have to ask their parents or grandparents what this was all about.

The writing is engaging with a suspenseful plot and yet, the chapters are long without good breaking points. There are two stories that eventually merge into one and everything makes sense but can be confusing at first. Every character is well-thought out with vivid images to like or scorn with disgust. It’s a book like no other and I have a feeling that this story will linger in my head for a long time.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of April 16, 2024.

This was just not a book for me. I’m not sure if I like the writing style or not because the story was so offensive to me personally. I will not be recommending this.

Sorry, this book wasn’t for me. Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for providing an ARC to read and review.

This one wasn't hooking me into the story. I did like the writing style, but I realized I didn't get hooked on the characters. I am sure there will be readers who like this, as historical fiction is a popular genre. I would consider checking out other books by this author or future releases though.

Cinematic and immersive, and so spellbinding that I found myself forgetting to breathe. Whoa, Thorn Tree is soooo good.

The characters in Thorn Tree came of age in the Sixties with its drugs, sex, and rock and roll–and cults.

There is Daniel, who lost the woman he loved, accused of her murder but only found guilty and jailed for drug possession. After his release, he wandered into the desert and finds a place with an older man. Using junk metal, Daniel constructed a giant tree, the tree he was sitting under when his girlfriend took a walk and never returned. After selling the work, he destroys it, landing again in prison. Now in his sixties, he has a cottage next to a large estate owned by Hollywood star, Celia, who has a son, Dean.

And then there is Jack, who turned up late in his daughter’s life, taking on the role of caregiver grandfather to Dean while Celia is away filming the movie that could propel her career. When Jack is drunk, Dean wanders down to visit Daniel. Daniel is unaware that he has encountered Jack before.

When Jack returns to the philosophy he embraced at a commune in the Sixties, he indoctrinates Dean,an d the tension mounts.

There is murder and sexual abuse, drug use and alcoholism. The dark side of the Sixties leaves its impact on the characters.

Daniel’s creation of the Thorn Tree is beautifully presented. It is my favorite part of the story with its insight into the creative motivation and therapeutic healing behind art. I also enjoyed the character of Dean, who in the end is pivotal.

But the book is dominated by Jack in the later parts, which left me unsure. In the end, the story felt to be more about the impact of the cult on mentally unstable and unhealthy people than about art.

Readers who enjoy books about the Sixties will like this novel. The music of the Grateful Dead plays a part. Celia’s story takes readers into Hollywood and uncomfortable sexual exploitation.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book

This book is based on Daniel who captures grief at the height.

I loved the cult feel of this book and loved the hippie vibes. I like that it started in the 60s and goes to present day. That made it interesting to want to keep reading.

I found it compelling but longer than needed to be. The detail that it talks about with the LSD and other drug abuse def will be a trigger warning for some. The book contains murder and infidelity.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.