"Liar's Bench" - Kim Michele Richardson

Hello fellow bibliophiles! I keep promising you that I will get back to posting 2-3 reviews a week and I know I keep letting you down. Because of that, I am starting a reading marathon for myself this weekend! I am kick-starting it off tonight with my most recent read, Liar's Bench by Kim Michele Richardson. I was able to read an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley. Thank you!

I gave this book a 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. The Liar's Bench is a bench (obviously) set in a small Kentucky town, made from the gallows of a slave that was charged with thievery by her son years after her death. The story itself though is set in 1972 from the point of view of a 17 year old girl named Mudas. Mudas has not had an easy upbringing for many different reasons. On her 17th birthday she discovers that her mother hung herself. Or that is what the police believe. Mudas sets out on a path of discovery for truth to what really happened to her mother. Along the way, parts of the past tie in and are centered around the Liar's Bench. While I did find the story itself interesting, what it lacked was depth. The book hurries through the story, moving quickly from one thing to the next. I would have liked more expansion on the different aspects that made up the story. I never felt connected to the characters which is what I think make or breaks a book. That's just my opinion. If there is no connection, its hard to feel for the characters and their struggles. I also would have liked more on the historical aspect of the story. History and slavery in the town were touched upon but never fully talked about. But this could just be me being a huge history nerd. Once again, just my opinion. Overall, a good read, just not a great read.

As always, feel free to share any comments, recommendations, or suggestions! I currently have a slew of ARC's and new books to get through but I am always up for adding new ones to my read-to list!

Happy reading fools :)