One thing I will never take for granted as an avid reader are those rare instances when a book comes out of nowhere and makes you feel so deeply connected and deeply cathartic. There is something really special about Pineville Trace that I can't stop thinking about.

Our main character is Frank, a prisoner who has escaped from a minimum security prison in Kentucky and is traveling up through the Midwest and into Canada with his cat named "Buffalo". Over the course of his travels, we get to hear Frank reflect on his life, the mistakes he's made, and how he feels about moving forward. This novella is filled with some extremely stunning prose that really took me by surprise. Wes Blake manages to pull off a level of philosophical writing that is easily digestible without coming off pretentious, and somehow is equally comforting and almost hypnotizing.
The language Blake uses to describe the nature setting throughout is vivid and warm which only added to the bittersweet feelings I walked away with after reading.

I have a tendency to get a little sappy when I finish a piece of writing that moved me in some way, and I must admit that many of the sentiments explored throughout this novella just completely punched me in the gut. Frank's relationship with his cat, Buffalo, felt so tangible and seeing how their relationship develops throughout was both beautiful and heartbreaking.

This is a slow paced novella that begs for you to take your time with it. Though the plot may appear deceptively simple, Frank's story leaves so much to be contemplated. If given the opportunity, I highly recommend listening to the audiobook as the narrator and production are both phenomenal.

Thank you NetGalley and Mindbuck Media Audio for access to an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars.

I didn't know what I was getting into when I requested this title on NetGalley.

It is a novella that follows escaped convict Frank on his search for the cabin he has held in his mind all of his life.
He travels with his cat, Buffalo, and has lots of bizarre escapades.

I kind of loved it and kind of hated it so it winds up smack in the middle. I did like the narration.

*with thanks to NetGalley for this honest review.

This one was really hard to listen and pay attention to on audio. I kept having to go back and re-listen to parts because it just did not keep my attention. And then I straight up fell asleep because the narrators voice was so calming. Great book to listen to before bed to help you go to sleep. But not a very entertaining or interesting one otherwise.

Novel Concept: 5/5
Execution of Novel Concept: 2/5

Title: 3/5
Characterization: 5/5
Dialogue: 1/5
Plot: 3/5
Atmosphere: 5/5
Theme: 4/5
Prose: 3/5

Does this pass the Bechdel Test: No

Title
Pineville I understand. The author is obsessed with the word pine. Trace? Lost on me. I didn't really understand this title or how it truly connected with the world itself.

Characterization
I am willing to give that the characterization is probably deep and connecting for the right audience, but I personally was struggling to connect with the narrative and the main character himself.

Dialogue
You could turn this into a drinking game for every time the author used the word pine. The repetition of words feels like it's trying to be poetic but in my opinion it doesn't really work. It just feels like we're saying the same thing three times in a row.

Plot
The main character doesn't really struggle? He just walks out of a prison like no big deal? There's never a feeling of threat or tension. The book is meandering and the main character is meandering and for me personally, I just don't find that interesting. I need things to happen. I need things to go wrong.

Atmosphere
I think the book really captured the idea of derealization. The main character doesn't' feel like he's real--more that he's a person being piloted by himself. The energy around this book is the inevitability of solitude in exchange for escaping the consequences of your actions.

Theme
The book is about regret and the way it pushes and pulls people apart and together. I think.

Prose
This book was hard to keep up with. I often found myself getting lost and just accepting that plot points had happened that I just missed. This book meanders and doesn't spend a lot of time on many key events, so it feels like a blink and you miss it kind of story.

Conclusion
I would not say this is a bad book--but I would say that I'm probably not the audience. I didn't connect with it in ways that others probably will.

I’m not even sure how to rate this. The audio was kind of boring, the narrators voice didn’t fit the story I dont think. For the first half I was Confused about what was even happening and by the second half I didn’t really care anymore. Maybe I just don’t “get it” which could be the case. I’m assuming I’m not the real reader for this so 3 stars. Thank you for an advanced copy of this audio book in exchange for an honest review.

This isn’t my typical read but I’m glad I stuck with it!
It took me a minute to adapt to the writing and narration style, but this passed after the first couple chapters. I enjoyed the folk tune for the chapter intros & outros - it felt like listening to very short podcast episodes of Franks life.

Overall, an atmospheric, introspective yet fast paced listen with a wholesome cat friendship. 3.5 stars

The Go-Between starts with the sentence 'The past is a foreign country.' In this book our protagonist Frank is headed towards a foreign country in the same way. He has taken his cat Buffalo and they are heading to Canada from the USA - but they are also journeying through Frank's past. This book is poetic, the narration soft spoken and replete with folk music to break up the chapters. Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC/audiobook.