book Review: Small Town Sins by Ken Jaworowski

Plot: 4⭐️ ; Audio Narration: 5⭐️

Set in the once thriving steelworks and coal mining small town of Locksburg in central Pennsylvania, population 5000, Small Town Sins by Ken Jaworowski follows the lives of three of its long-time residents as they try to navigate through a vicious cycle of financial struggles, personal demons, poor choices, and broken dreams.

Nathan Stultz, a middle-aged factory worker and volunteer firefighter finds a bag with a substantial amount of cash during a rescue operation in a burning building. Nathan dreams of leaving Locksburg with his wife Paula, a nurse, and believes that the money he found would be the solution to all his problems not realizing that his actions could have far-reaching consequences.

Callie is a kind-hearted nurse born with a cleft lip for which she has been on the receiving end of much unkindness all her life and suffers from low self-esteem. When she bonds with a terminally ill teenager under her care, she risks her reputation and her job to fulfill her patient’s dying wish.

Andy Devon is a former addict in his thirties who turned his life around after his special needs daughter was born. Reeling from a devastating loss, Andy is in a downward spiral. When he makes a shocking discovery that one of the respected townspeople in their midst is a predator targeting children, he sets out to expose the person and bring him to justice.

Small Town Sins by Ken Jaworowski is a powerful debut novel with compelling characters, an atmospheric setting and a gripping immersive narrative. The tone of these stories leans toward dark and depressing. Each of these characters and their stories are well-drawn and the author does an amazing job of describing the setting and dynamics of a small town. The narrative is presented from the perspectives of Nathan, Callie and Andy in alternating chapters. While there are elements of crime, reckless behavior and an element of suspense in each of the storylines, these stories are about much more than that, revolving around themes of family, poverty, addiction and recovery, greed, guilt and grief among others. Each of them hopes to change their circumstances but has been held back by a dearth of opportunity, secrets from their past and questionable judgment. The threads of these three storylines read more like three separate short stories set in the same small town rather than a novel in the true sense of the term but this does not detract from the overall reading experience. I was emotionally invested in these characters and was hooked till the very last page. The ending is not neatly tied up which may not work for some readers but I found the same incredibly impactful. I look forward to reading more from this talented new author.

I paired my reading with the full-cast audio narration by Chris Ciulla, Jennifer Blom and John Pirhalla, who have done an excellent job of breathing life into these characters and their stories, making for a riveting immersion reading experience.

I would definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy gritty and realistic character-driven fiction.

Many thanks to Henry Holt & Company, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the digital review copy and the ALC of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The book and audiobook are due to be released on August 1, 2023.