Review – Z – a novel by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Z (A Novel)
Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: TKA Distribution (March 14, 2012)
E-Book File Size: 338 KB
Print Length: 212 pages
ASIN: B007KFGSDQ

“A contemporary re-visioning of The Great Gatsby.”

Nix Carter comes home to Connecticut to help her grandfather care for her ailing father. As a writer she can work from anywhere. She starts to get reacquainted with her friends from high school and a few people that were not too friendly back in the day. But what really catches her eye is the window washer happens to live in a mansion, throw lavish parties, drives a horse drawn cart and he goes by the name of Zorro. He even wears a cape! Just who is this guy??

Dollycas’s Thoughts
I was totally into this story. The strange man from another time whose home had no electricity, phone or even indoor plumbing, and who didn’t show up in modern day pictures. Women would swoon whenever he was near and Nix was totally falling for him. He even righted wrongs leaving his big slash “Z” behind. Weird, crazy and unbelievable things happened when this man was around. Who was he? Was he real or a figment of Nix’s imagination or was he just a character for one of her stories? Did any of these events really take place??? The sex scenes sure read like they were really happening.

I was picking up on the Great Gatsby references but they just weren’t hitting right with me. This was the second book I have read in the past week that were based on works by great authors and I tried to put those references out of my head and just enjoy what I reading. It was working with this book. I was letting go and ready for where the author was taking us. Then it just ended abruptly. I am full of unanswered questions. Maybe that is what the author intended but it left me feeling cheated.

After reading the last line of the  story and contemplated it awhile I reached my own conclusion so I didn’t feel like the time I spent reading was wasted. Now as a reviewer the problem comes in – do I recommend that you read it so we can discuss it to see if you agree with my conclusion or help me understand what you thought of the story? Or do I tell you to stay away from a crazy story that left me confused and shaking me head. The good thing was I added this book to my Kindle some time ago because it was free and I always need a “Z” book for my A-Z Reading Challenge.  Let’s just go with 3 stars or o.k. by Amazon’s standards and I will let you decide 🙂

Find out more about this author on her webpage here.

This book was from my personal collection.