This riveting, fast-paced read from Different author Groover centers on three generations of women, in Texas and Tennessee, who see visions of future events. In the present, Jessica Atwood, the only person of color in a white household, is tired of being woken up by her mother Kat’s visions. But after her mother’s death, Jessica herself begins to have visions, too, just as her grandmother Anna Mae used to as well, and she’s not sure what to do about them. In short chapters narrated alternately from Jess and her grandmother’s perspective, The Reluctant Visionary maintains a brisk pace and never offers a dull moment. While Anna Mae is confident about the truth of her visions and acts on them without hesitation, Jess doubts their veracity and is confused how to put them to effective use to save lives and prevent crime.Meanwhile, Jess, her half-brother Kevin, and her stepfather Dave try to profitably run their farm, inherited from Kat’s uncle. Financial difficulties force them to sell a part of the farm to brothers Johnny and Carl Jenkins. But they are unaware of their evil activities and puzzled by the hostility of their potential new neighbors. Groover deftly handles the blend of regular lives and paranormal elements, and the characters are well-rounded and relatable. Even more than Jess, it’s Anna Mae who lingers in the reader’s mind, trudging determinedly through the woods to save a life, deliciously seducing a man with picnic lunches, or relentlessly bugging Sheriff Keene to free a wrongly arrested Hobo Bill.
Also skillfully entwined are the individual stories of granddaughter and grandmother, tying past and present together while keeping the mystery and tension alive. Groover’s dialogue rings true, both in the 1960s and the present day, and the prose throughout is crisp, clear, and charged with feeling.
Takeaway: An engrossing novel about three generations of women who dare to act on their visions of future events.
Great for fans of: Meg Cabot’s Safe House, Bernice Layton’s Finding Cade, Lisa McMann’s Wake.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
