Book: Carousel Grift by David Lane Williams
Reviewed by Michele (spicysithreads)
Rating: 3.5/5
Thank you to the author and to Kate Rock Literary Services for the gifted advanced copy to read!
Carousel Grift follows the story of Callie, a woman who overcomes an abusive childhood to go on and become a single mother and owner of an unusual Texas amusement park.
What really hooked me about this book was the dynamic between Callie Wind—a single‑mom drifter just trying to keep her head above water—and her estranged daughter Sophie, a former televangelist turned full‑blown grifter. Their mother‑daughter feud runs through the whole book, so much resentment, snake oil, and all the messy, unfinished business families love to pretend isn’t there. The author infused the story with cons, swindles, and pyramid schemes that spin as fast as the carousel itself, yet the chaos always circles back to the flawed, very human people reaching—fumbling, sometimes failing—for something better. The image of grabbing the brass ring pops up again and again, a reminder of how we all chase that one thing we think will fix everything… only to realize we might not know what to do with it once it’s finally in our hands.
Carousel Grift has a wonderfully eccentric plot, and the author has a knack for writing lines that make you stop, laugh, or wince because they hit a little too close to home. And for some reason, I read the entire book in Holly Hunter's voice??!!! I had her pictured in my head as Callie the entire book!
This book was a refreshing break from my usual advanced copy reading, and I really enjoyed it.
4/5 stars
1/5 spice