Greetings From Asbury Park, by Daniel H. Turtel

dark emotional sad medium-paced

3.5 As a Jersey Girl, I enjoyed Greetings from Asbury Park for the vivid nostalgia of the Jersey Shore that I love. In particular I have lots of connection and memories with Long Branch, Asbury Park, and Ocean Grove all of which were prominent in this novel. There was a sense of honesty about underlying (and covert) racism, anti-semitism, and homophobia from the area but it never fully is addressed or confronted head on.

The story is well written about siblings in their early-mid 20s who are finding their way following the death of their abusive father. It is mostly tragic though there is possibility of redemption by the end. A lot of characters are introduced and I would have like to see them further developed.

A slight correction about Ocean Grove is that it is managed by the United Methodist Church (the correct name for the denomination – not Methodist Church). Also I’m not sure if it’s because I am reviewing an unedited copy but spelling God with a lower case g was strange to me and if intentional, should be explained. I have never in the last 30 years heard vacationers in the tent area of OG refer to themselves as pilgrims.

Thanks to Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC

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