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Crown
Evanthia Bromiley
Publication Date: June 17th, 2025
Grove Atlantic | Grove Press
288 Pages
Amazon | Goodreads | Bookshop.org
Genre: General Fiction | Literary Fiction | Womenโs Fiction
I like this book a lot more than most. Jude has nine-year-old twins Evan and Virginia, and she is very pregnant with her third child. After being evicted from her trailer park home, she only has three days to move. Before sheโs finished packing, she has to go to the hospital because sheโs in labour. She leaves the nine-year-old twins alone in her car to hide out in a field. I love that we got three distinct points of view in this one, from Jude, Evan and Virginia; this provided the much-needed window into each of their worlds.
This is an amazing debut that was well written and very emotional, it captured my heart from the first page. It was a suspenseful read that takes place over three days. The author brilliantly weaves a story that is both gripping and touching in equal measure. The author writes about single motherhood, poverty and homelessness with compassion, but she also shows its brutality. We see the characters deal with hopes, fears, and love for each other, and it made me connect with them immediately. And as tense and suspenseful as this story was, it never left me feeling hopeless for the characters.
Overall, Crown is a wonderfully written story that is filled with suspense and heart. This story wasnโt just entertaining, it was educational, and I wonโt soon forget it. It reminded me that in the face of adversity, never let go of the power of hope. This story spoke to my heart and my soul.
This would have been a five-star read for me except for the ending, but Iโm rounding up anyway. Iโm wondering if thereโs going to be a sequel. I also like the title and the cover, as you know, crown can relate to being a royal, or it can mean the head crowns during birth. This was a very, very interesting and wonderful debut, and I look forward to what this author has coming up next.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
