Because of all the buzz about Kate Atkinson and the great reviews my GR friends gave this book, I decided to give Started Early, Took My Dog a spin. I couldn't decide if the title was a turn on or off. I was pleasantly surprised.
In the beginning, I couldn't tell who the main character was. I'm still not absolutely sure. Everyone talks about Jackson Brodie, so I'll make a safe bet on him, though Tracey is pretty important as well.
I 'm counting four conflicts, though they're all variations on a theme, so I guess we could call them foils. Each set of characters are conflicted by children who have been kidnapped or stolen. That's not exactly true. Some characters are raised in biological home environments, but these homes were so bereft that their childhoods were stolen, even if they weren't.
The stolen children all turn out better than I would have expected. I'm not sure how Courtney will manage with Tracey,but as long as Courtney has her magic wand, I'm betting she'll prevail.
The structure kept me reading. The confusion abated quickly. The stories wove in and out and then in again.
My greatest concern is whether I should read the first three in the set or just jump on the bandwagon and read her highly acclaimed new novel.
