Book Beginnings: We Can Be Heroes by Kyrie McCauley

For Book Beginnings, Rose City Reader invites us to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.

For Friday 56, Freda's Voice asks you to turn to Page 56 in your book or 56% on your e-reader and pick a sentence.

I have the Worst Cold Ever right now, everything hurts and I can't stop coughing. Not too sure I trust my negative PCR so I'm staying in despite the result. I had hoped to visit a bookshop this week with it being Bookshop Week but alas I cannot.

I am currently reading We Can Be Heroes by Kyrie McCauley (AD - gifted).

MERIT LOGAN: Welcome, listeners, to We Can Be Heroes, a podcast made for survivors of violence in the tradition of the "Take Back the Night" rallies that began in the 197s and continue to this day.

I was sent a free review copy of We Can Be Heroes by Kyrie McCauley

It's an interesting start. I'm not sure what I think about the podcast transcript, but it has piqued my interest.

I love the cover, I think it's gorgeous and clever.

I feel like this is going to be a pretty tense read, and uncomfortable at times. It's a story about the intersection of gun violence and misogyny - how could it not be uncomfortable? But I am looking forward to it.

MERIT LOGAN: What happened to Cassandra Queen? If you ask the sheriff of Bell, it was young love gone awry - and Nico Bell wasn't an abusive killer, but a lovesick Romeo.

This is from page 56 in my review copy.

OK, so I love the format of the story, the mix of podcast transcript and prose. It makes the book so quick to read, it gives so many different angles to the story.

I freaking love it. And I'm hoping to be punched in the feels.

About the Book

“Welcome to Bell, proud home of Bell Firearms for two hundred years, and where five months ago, the teen heir to the Bell fortune took his father’s guns to school and killed his ex-girlfriend, Cassandra Queen.” —WE CAN BE HEROES PODCAST

Beck and Vivian never could stand each other, but they always tried their best for their mutual friend, Cassie. After the town moves on from Cassie’s murder too fast, Beck and Vivian finally find common ground: vengeance. They memorialize Cassie by secretly painting murals of her around town, a message to the world that Cassie won’t be forgotten. But Beck and Vivian are keeping secrets, like the third passenger riding in Beck’s VW bus with them—Cassie’s ghost.

When their murals catch the attention of a podcaster covering Cassie’s case, they become the catalyst for a debate that Bell Firearms can no longer ignore. With law enforcement closing in on them, Beck and Vivian hurry to give Cassie the closure she needs—by delivering justice to those responsible for her death.

What are you reading this week?