Record Lows is the second book in the last week that I originally picked up due to the stunning cover and stayed around because of the fantastic storytelling. CJ Green crafts a gripping story about ordinary people with seemingly ordinary problems that end up being a bit more than expected. I judged a book by its cover and am sure glad I did.
It’s 1977 and in the town of Oneira, New York, a blizzard is gathering force…
Harmon Pond, editor-in-chief of the local newspaper, is struggling to keep afloat amid mounting debt and vanishing ad revenue. So when the creditor who’s been secretly funding him vanishes without a trace, Harmon thinks it’s his lucky break. Meanwhile, his eldest daughter, Teresa—the paper’s ambitious intern—sees a story that could make her name.
But for Harmon’s devout Italian American wife, Pauline, the disappearance stirs up memories of a childhood she has tried hard to put behind her, and secrets she would prefer to keep buried.
With the parents tangled in their own concerns and Teresa relentlessly searching for answers, no one notices that middle-child Fran has developed a habit of sneaking out at night, and Lonnie, the youngest, is taking dangerous risks of his own.
As the manhunt intensifies, and the snowstorm builds into one of the worst in history, the Pond family must find a way to accept the truth, and each other, before they lose themselves forever.
Like most families, Record Lows feature a dysfunctional one. We all think that we have things put together and are making it, until we aren’t and things go sideways. However, most of us don’t have it go the way Harmon Pond’s does in Green’s novel. This is what made it special. Seemingly ordinary people with seemingly ordinary problems…key word…seemingly.
While it might be possible for a story such as this to be set anytime, including present day, setting this story in the 1970s felt almost necessary. A fitting choice as it made the story hit a bit harder. This is in addition to the cold feeling the story has, only exacerbated by the fact a blizzard is brewing which adds a bit of tension and unsettling nature to the book.
Record Lows takes a but of stamina to read, as it takes to midway through the story for things really to start to explode. Having the willingness to be patient and wait turned into something truly worthwhile. The first portion of Record Lows is there to serve as a place for us to get to know these characters, developing them into those that we care for and can connect with even further. Seriously, the second half does not let up.
Green makes you look at your own life and how well we think we know those around us each and every day. We may not be fully understand those around you or even see them as we maybe should. Not just secrets, but who they are as people. It always makes a story have a bit more impact, even one with dark humor such as this, when it makes you look inward. The moments of levity are well timed and blend into the gripping story with ease.
Author CJ Green kicks things off right with his this debut novel, Record Lows. An easy-to-read story that pulls you in with great prose, well timed dark humor, and a dysfunctional family you can’t help but cheer for in the end. Record Lows grabbed me with its cover, but kept be around with wonderful storytelling.
Record Lows hits bookstores everywhere on January 5, 2027 from Cardinal Publishing. The audiobook, narrated by Rob Shapiro, is available via Libro.fm!
