Jude is pregnant and living in a trailer park, when she receives an eviction notice. She and her nine year old twins, Evan and Virginia, have three days to vacate the premises. When she goes into labor, she hides her car in a field and tells the twins to stay put until she comes for them.
I read this book in one sitting, it was a quick read. It kept me engrossed from the first page to the last. Highly recommended

* warning: may contain spoilers *

Crown is a book that I may describe like an indie movie. The book is a deep exploration of family bonds and survival set against the times of the pandemic - when the world was hit by the Corona Virus. It talks about a family of three, Jude the mother, Evan and Virginia the twins as they navigate the challenges of life during a time of crisis.

The novel employs a fragmented storytelling style, with multiple dialogues woven throughout the chapters. While this approach aims to provide depth, I had a hard time reading the dialogues in this book. Sorry! I found the dialogue challenging to follow, and the characters’ identities occasionally unclear—particularly with Evan and Jude's names creating moments of confusion ( or maybe it is just me )

Virginia 1/2 of the twins, characterized as hard headed and courageous, often takes the lead in challenging situations. Her determination is compelling, especially when she and Evan must fend for themselves while their mother is in labor. This moment highlights the siblings' bond and their struggle for autonomy amid chaos.

However, the background of the Sleepless Man, introduced as a mysterious figure, feels underdeveloped ( actually all of the characters in this book.) His abrupt shift to a helping role at the story's climax left me wanting more depth and context to understand his motivations fully. The ending is also a cliffhanger.

The narrative captures the harsh realities faced by families without homes and financial stability, making it a stark reflection of the pandemic's impact on vulnerable communities.

While the writing is beautiful and the imagery is strong, the book could use more character development and clearer dialogue to make it easier to engage with.

I received this book from Netgalley. Thanks to the publisher and author.

#Crown #NetGalley

I found this a hard read it was an interesting story but very heartbreaking and moving that being said it's well written with care and tenderness. It's the story as old as time a mother fighting against all the odds for her children told in memorable way that will stay with you. A very strong 3.5 star read

Very unusual story. Jude has twins and is pregnant with her third baby but they are being evicted from their home. With no job and little money, she has no idea what she’ll do or where they’ll live.

This could have been a depressing story about the lack of social support in America. Instead it is filled with the beauty of simple things and dreams of what could be. Although there were glimpses into how she felt, such as when Jude threw their belongings into the yard, I felt it downplayed the hopelessness someone would feel in that situation. The poetic style of the book made it more uplifting than it perhaps deserved to be as the book ends with the situation far from resolved.

The story is told through multiple voices - that of Jude and each of her children. It very quickly flits from one to the other.

I found this quite hard to read as there’s a lot of dialogue but no speech punctuation so I had to concentrate to follow the conversation. It’s not a style I particularly enjoyed.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review,

I thought this worked as a suspenseful novel and had that overall concept that I wanted from the description. The use of the trailer park worked with the story and I was hooked from the first page. Evanthia Bromiley has a great way of telling a story and making characters realistic.

A stunning debut novel. The weaving of the three perspectives created a unique and magical telling of an all too frequent, and tragic tale.

This was such an emotional book. I felt for this family and the hardships they faced. I feel like this is a look into the lives of real people though and that is what really triggered my heartbreak. There was just so many challenges the Woods faced and so hard to get out of them. I don't want to say anymore. This was a very thought provoking book.

Wow. This story is well-crafted, and it provoked thoughts about families that differ from mine. The challenges and heartbreak of young children and their mother. The heaviness of their situation. For a debut, this is going to do well. I think book clubs will love discussing what happens to the family Bromiley tells the story about. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.