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A Review of "The Never-Open Desert Diner"

The perfect novel for a rainy, cool spring day.  It takes place in the dry deserts of Utah along 117, the route that protagonist Ben Jones has driven for over twenty years.

Though driving through a desert may seem boring, the plot and characters are far from it.  They're unique, quirky, intriguing and enigmatic.  Loners, and they like it that way.

This book has a little bit of mystery, a little bit of love, and a lot of tragedy.  It's moving and heartbreaking in the same breath.  I enjoyed it and read it in two sittings.  Plus the cover feels amazingly soft, almost like leather or suede or something.  I loved how it felt in my hands. 

Anyway, I have lots of  positives to say, but this is my critique:

There are some characters who I think could have used more depth.  Like why, after twenty years, does one of the characters confess everything he'd been keeping secret for so long? He had no real need to do so since the main character didn't care to know.  It seems a bit out of the blue.  There is also a side character, Ginny, who seems only to exist to fill in a couple of random plot gaps, one of which seems really far fetched.  You'll know it when you read it.

This isn't a critique so much as a disclaimer:  the book contains some language and sexual references.  It also contains pretty graphic descriptions of horrific scenes.  They're part of what makes the book affect the reader so much.  They're gripping and disturbing, but might not be suitable for everyone to read.

I did enjoy this debut novel from James Anderson. I would encourage those who enjoy a good book without the fairy tale ending to give it a try, assuming you've read the disclaimer and know what you're in for.  Enjoy!

I received a complimentary copy of the book from bloggingforbooks.org in exchange for writing this honest review. All opinions are my own.




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