No Road Home – John Fram
After being wowed by the depths of John Fram’s depravity in “The Bright Lands,” I hoped that “No Road Home” would deliver the same levels of WTF-ness. While not a terrible read, I was a bit let down that it ended up a relatively standard thriller with a few nice touches of gothic atmosphere and a dash of the supernatural.
The less you know going in the better, but the broad strokes of the plot involve single father Toby trying to protect his (likely) nonbinary child, Luca, from their new in-laws — the televangelist Wright family — during a fraught weekend at their Texas compound.
The first half of “Home” is a slow burn, reminiscent of a game of Clue. After patriarch Jerome is found stabbed to death, all fingers point to outsider Toby, and he must solve the mystery before the police arrive. The foreshadowing is heavy-handed, but it's balanced with enough red herrings to keep you guessing and the pages turning.
Pretty quickly I grew tired of the half-baked bigotry mixed with family drama. Everything was over-the-top but in a grating and not groundbreaking way.
Through the Wrights, Fram created a proxy for every religious hypocrite, but each member of the extended family was written as a scheming, morally corrupt and greedy caricature. This approach dulled the impact of his attempted social commentary.
This is just one of several elements that hold the story back [some spoilers below]:
Outside of Toby, every single character is a plot device. The reliance on one-dimensional supporting characters is common in thrillers, sure, but framing characters solely as antagonists to hate felt lazy.
Take Alyssa, for example. As Toby's wife, she's the reason he's entangled in this mess, yet she disappears from the narrative after the initial chapters. We’re told her motivations, but without her perspective, I had a hard time buying what Fram was selling — specifically this was all a ruse to obtain a child so she could get access to her inheritance. Huh?
The pacing suffered from repetition. The "Memory Palace" concept, while interesting, became tiresome with excessive flashbacks for both Toby and Jerome. Plus, the search for the journal and family interviews could have benefited from streamlining. All told, there was way too much filler before entering the last act where — thankfully — Fram tied up most of the implausible loose ends.
The action is too convenient. While believability isn’t essential for enjoyability, the plot relied too heavily on convenient tropes. The blackmail scheme felt uninspired, and Toby's miraculous recovery from a debilitating knee injury and concussion within a day strained credulity. I know Fram is creative, so it’s disappointing he didn’t push originality a bit more. [minor spoilers ended]
Still there were plenty of things that I enjoyed [major spoilers below]:
The father/child relationship. Luca grapples with self-discovery, unsure of where he fits on the gender spectrum. Unlike most boys his age, he doesn't feel confined to traditional masculinity. Toby — who we learn is actually his uncle — offers unwavering love and fierce protection against outside forces looking to mold him into a heteronormative image. While not a queer novel, so to speak, it’s nice to see that Fram included positive portrayals of nonbinary and trans representation into the plot.
The Wrath of God. Despite my aversion to religious texts, I adore horror steeped in religious lore, like "The Exorcist" or "The Nun." Fram balanced Old Testament rage with a variety of intriguing concepts — like prophecy, omens and possession — that added a touch of novelty. Still, I wish this would’ve been the primary focus rather than taking a backseat to the whodunit plot. I particularly enjoyed how Jerome dabbled in black magic to bring his brother/lover back to life Lazarus-style.
Last act POVs. Though Toby serves as the main narrator, it felt like his story ran its course about half way through “Road.” Fram's decision to introduce multiple viewpoints in the final chapters, including Luca, Jerome, Richard and Julian, revitalized a text that had lost momentum. Just when I thought the story had reached a dead end, this shift in structure changed my opinion — and overall rating.
The twist(s). The reveal of Toby's connection to the Wrights was unexpected. I, truly, did not think Willow (his transgender sister and Toby’s mother) spent time at Camp Cleve — the Wright’s conversion therapy camp — where she (then living as William) was sexually abused by Jerome. This positioning of “Road” as an old fashioned, biblical revenge tale was a nice touch. However, Toby's naivete in believing he wouldn't be a suspect in a murder he intended to commit strained credulity. Also, I did not see the incest plots coming, and they were a doozy! [major spoilers ended]
The final verdict: “No Road Home” is a good read, but it’s not groundbreaking. Fans of religious-themed horror and dastardly families (think “Ready or Not”) will appreciate this more than most. Readers picking this up hoping for a queer-focused story, like “The Bright Lands,” may be let down. Shortcomings aside, I’d still give Fram another shot.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an advanced reader copy. This exchange of goods did not influence my review.
Rating (story): 3/5 stars
Rating (narration): N/A
Format: eBook (ARC)
Dates read: June 11 – June 30, 2024
Multi-tasking: N/A
