Fraternity of Fractures
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4.0 • 1 Rating
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- $4.99
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
Phoenix and Justin Sunder are master cat burglars and best friends until Dylan Panicosky enters their circle of hedonism and crime. Set in the blighted city of St. Louis in the ‘80s, Fraternity of Fractures is a love triangle played out in an urban setting full of nocturnal decadence and danger, with all the players fractured in their own way.
“To call Fraternity of Fractures a 'crime novel' or a 'novel of suspense' would be to do it an injustice. Embracing elements of different genres (mystery, suspense, crime) and yet rising above them all with a sense of purpose and atmosphere that satisfyingly wings its way above and beyond most genre reads, it's an involving and evolved piece that ultimately connects the changing courses of very different lives.
“Not for the mild-mannered reader in search of light entertainment, Fraternity of Fractures not only invites its readers to think - it demands it. The smoky backdrop of 1980s St. Louis in the midst of a crime wave is only one facet of a story about fractures, healing, and change: an exquisite standout in a world of fast and dirty crime scene whodunits that sketch their worlds without truly capturing their complexity.”
D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
The novel focuses more on the criminals than the crimes, providing readers with affable lawbreakers with engrossing backstories.
“It’s hard to miss a sense of gloom throughout, but Pannebecker doesn’t let it saturate the novel. The protagonists always cling to hope, earning readers’ sympathy along the way. Depressing at times but an emotionally charged story that animates its characters.”
Kirkus Reviews
Customer Reviews
I've never read anything like it
Fraternity of Fractures is bold, vivid, offbeat, and incomparable. I can truly say I've never read anything like it.
This book is meant for a more mature audience, with drug usage, criminal activity, sexual content, and obscene conversations. However, it doesn't feel in your face, but rather like an honest slice of life in the Midwest during the '80s.
The three main characters are all very well-developed: contemplative Justin with his Native American roots and love of architecture, bisexual Phoenix who's musical and multifaceted, and hotheaded Dylan with his family history full of motorcycles and tragedy. Even many of the secondary characters receive their own definitive traits that don't feel like tropes.
It's hard to pin a genre to this book. It revolves around robbery, but that's simply the thread that ties Justin, Phoenix, and Dylan together, not the entire story. There's a love triangle, but the trio's struggles go much deeper than just romance.
The tension simmers throughout Fraternity of Fractures until the last few chapters, when it gradually builds to a boil. Justin and Dylan are like two sides of the same coin - so then, what happens when the coin's in the air? It's definitely worth your while to dive into the heartbreak, strangeness, and soul-searching that this story holds.