Today is the official release date for The Moment Before, the debut novel from Suzy Vitello. I was lucky enough to get an advance copy, and I read it in one sitting. Well, two sittings, because I read it on a flight home from Portland and had to change planes in Chicago, but the point remains: I really liked it.
So, since everything on the internet needs to be written in list format to get people to read it, here’s the top 5 reasons you should buy this book.
1. Suzy is a fantastic writer. I’m proud to have her on our regular roster of instructors at LitReactor, where her lectures and comments are incredibly enlightening. And as for the book: It’s funny and sad and mature and heartbreaking and beautifully written.
2. Suzy drinks martinis. Have you ever met a person who drinks martinis and isn’t cool? Seriously, think about that for a moment.
3. It’s important to read outside your wheelhouse. As someone who reads, writes, and publishes crime fiction, I know how important it is to pick up other genres. If you’re looking to try something a little different, this is perfect: It’s a YA title that’s mature and thoughtful.
4. The publisher, Diversion Books, looks like they’re doing some very cool stuff. And from their website, it seems they’re very pro-author. Which is great! As readers and writers, that’s the kind of behavior we should support.
So, this is cool: A few months back some dude asked me to blurb his book. I didn’t know him, but the plot summary was pretty cool, and I was in a good mood when I got the e-mail, so I figured, hell, let’s try this thing.
Rob Hart 