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Book Tour: The Preservationist by Justin Kramon

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The Preservationist by Justin Kramon

  • Method of Obtaining: I obtained my copy TLC Tours.
  • Published by:  Pegasus Books
  • Release Date:  10.10.2013

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To Sam Blount, meeting Julia is the best thing that has ever happened to him.

Working at the local college and unsuccessful in his previous relationships, he’d been feeling troubled about his approaching fortieth birthday, “a great beast of a birthday,” as he sees it, but being with Julia makes him feel young and hopeful. Julia Stilwell, a freshman trying to come to terms with a recent tragedy that has stripped her of her greatest talent, is flattered by Sam’s attention. But their relationship is tested by a shy young man with a secret, Marcus Broley, who is also infatuated with Julia.

Told in alternating points of view, The Preservationist is the riveting tale of Julia and Sam’s relationship, which begins to unravel as the threat of violence approaches and Julia becomes less and less sure whom she can trust.

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My Review:


I thoroughly loved Finny by Justin Kramon. I remember it surprising me but I don’t remember exactly why it did.  Maybe it was the cover.  Regardless, Kramon’s name, when it showed up on a tour offering, rang a bell and I remembered having a love affair with his writing in Finny.  So I signed up for The Preservationist and waited until the right time came along to read it.  Folks, I don’t know why I waited.  I inhaled this book in a single afternoon.  Everything flooded back to me – the style of writing; the dry, sarcastic humor; the dark themes – it’s all there.  And, the cherry on top?  Finally an author who can write about music, classical music and technique, in an intelligent way.

Kramon switches perspective throughout The Preservationist but it’s not the normal, run of the mill, put the name at the start of the chapter, type of switching.  He doesn’t insult his readers, he knows we’re smart enough to pick up on what he’s doing, and I thoroughly appreciated that as I moved from one perspective to the other.  So what does that trust in the reader mean for the actual story?  It allows for a thriller that doesn’t give away the mystery; it gave me goosebumps as I struggled to understand just who did what.  Sam, Julia, Marcus… all three characters have their back stories and all three are flawed – more human that any character I’ve read as of late, and the result was some of the best storytelling I’ve read this year.

I’ve been reading more of the thriller/suspense genre this year – mostly because the stuff being put out is better than the average cookie-cutter type stories.  But Kramon’s story in The Preservationist takes the thriller idea to a new level.  This is a psychologically impacting book, yes, but it’s also a character study, and in a way, an essay on the realities of college life today.  Having recently experienced college as an adult this time around, I can testify that Kramon was spot on with his descriptions.  I felt like I knew of Julia (a girl like Julia would not have been in my social circle really – or any, she kind of lives on the outskirts).  I could put a face to Sam, and I knew Marcus’ type.

This is a book that will not disappoint.  You will laugh out loud even as the hair raises on the back of your neck – at least, I did.  If anything, if you pick this book up (and you should) you will be highly entertained… and that’s one of the best gifts a story and its author can give.

About the Author


Justin Kramon

Justin Kramon

Justin Kramon is the author of the novels Finny (Random House, 2010) and The Preservationist (Pegasus, 2013).

A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, he has published stories in Glimmer Train, Story Quarterly, Boulevard, Fence, TriQuarterly, Alaska Quarterly Review, and others. He has received honors from the Michener-Copernicus Society of America, Best American Short Stories, the Hawthornden International Writers’ Fellowship, and the Bogliasco Foundation.

He has taught undergraduate and graduate fiction writing courses at Gotham Writers’ Workshop, Haverford College, the University of Iowa, Arcadia University, and elsewhere.

He lives in Philadelphia.

 

For more reviews on The Preservationist by Justin Kramon, please visit the book tour.


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