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No Saints in Kansas by Amy Brashear fictionalizes how the teens in Holcomb reacted to the tragic events of the time. While it may seem like an interesting concept to focus on the teen perspective of the notorious Clutter family murders, No Saints in Kansas is an inadequate historical fiction novel that has an unrelatable main character, and is a true story that is better left alone.
Title: No Saints in KansasAuthor: Amy Brashear
Publisher: Soho Teen
Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: November 14, 2017
Rating:
A gripping reimagining of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood and the brutal murders that inspired it
November is usually quiet in Holcomb, Kansas, but in 1959, the town is shattered by the quadruple murder of the Clutter family. Suspicion falls on Nancy Clutter’s boyfriend, Bobby Rupp, the last one to see them alive.
New Yorker Carly Fleming, new to the small Midwestern town, is an outsider. She tutored Nancy, and (in private, at least) they were close. Carly and Bobby were the only ones who saw that Nancy was always performing, and that she was cracking under the pressure of being Holcomb’s golden girl. The secret connected Carly and Bobby. Now that Bobby is an outsider, too, they’re bound closer than ever.
Determined to clear Bobby’s name, Carly dives into the murder investigation and ends up in trouble with the local authorities. But that’s nothing compared to the wrath she faces from Holcomb once the real perpetrators are caught. When her father is appointed to defend the killers of the Clutter family, the entire town labels the Flemings as traitors. Now Carly must fight for what she knows is right.
❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃
Review: No Saints in Kansas by Amy Brashear
No Saints in Kansas is an historical fiction that is a poor attempt to retell Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood in a young adult voice. Many of the details surrounding the actual crime are included in this reimagined story, however there are many strange additions to this narrative that are unnecessary and at times disturbing. For example, there is an odd section in the book that details the slaughtering of an animal, which has no real connection to any of the facts or the plot. There are many random inclusions of characters as well, such as JFK, which just seems to add more confusion for the reader.
❀ Whiny and Unrealistic Main Character
Carly is a fictional character that Brashear has created to be the teen voice for No Saints in Kansas. Unfortunately, Carly is such a whiny, and unrealistic character that she just makes no sense at all. It is almost as though her character is trying to take on a Nancy Drew role in the novel. However, the behaviours Carly exhibits are impetuous and not well-planned. It really disappointed me as I was reading, just how ridiculous Carly’s character is.
❀ Disrepectful to Survivors
No Saints in Kansas by Amy Brashear is a book that, I have to admit, I was really excited for. I don’t know much about Bobby Rupp and his connection to Nancy Clutter, so my interest in this book was really piqued. While I was reading this book, I started searching the internet for details and was surprised to find that many of the individuals included in the narrative are still living, including Bobby. I also discovered that many of these people who lived through this horrifying time are still grieving. This information really made me stop to think about the difference between Capote’s non-fiction book versus the fictionalization of the facts in No Saints in Kansas by Amy Brashear. It saddens me that there are characters in this book that are still living and to have a fictional story written about them is just wrong.
Book Quotes: No Saints in Kansas by Amy Brashear
Book Beginning:
I can smell the kerosene. The police tape is the only thing that separates me from the men loading a pickup truck with the bloodstained blankets, sheets, pillows- even a couch. I grip the bicycle handlebars so tight my knuckles turn white.
Friday 56:
“Didn’t you tutor the girl in math?” Dad chimes in. I nod. And that’s it, really. Dad just answered the question for me. I’m always going to be known as Carly Fleming, the math tutor, and I don’t want that, because I don’t want to accept that.
About Lori
Avid reader. Contributor to The Candid Cover. Educator.
Oh no! So disapointing. I agree that to have a fictional story written about them while they are still grieving is wrong, worse still that it isn’t well written.
I’m sorry you didn’t love this book! The premise sounds very interesting though. Anyway, I hope you enjoy your next read!
This one just doesn’t hold any interest for me. I know I am a lame-o, and it actually sounds good, but I know I would start trying to read it, and not being able to finish it!
I’m really into true crime, but it’s never really hit me that a lot of the people who are affected by the crimes are still alive until I read this post. That adds a new depth to all the stories.
I had no idea that this was based on real events, or even that it was a retelling.