Lucien
Lucien fits neatly into the genre of campus novel ... Thornton captures the college scene with witty ease ... Readers won’t be surprised that things end badly in Lucien but they may be surprised by what Christopher takes away from that ending, by Christopher’s enduring affection for Lucien and by what Lucien has to say about how friendships, even toxic ones, work.
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Although the book opens with a mystery—what happened to Lucien?—readers should expect more of a coming-of-age campus novel than a thriller. Its themes, though they skew a bit dark, are simple and emotionally moving. Thornton’s (Beautiful Country, 2016) snappy dialogue drives characterization and plot.
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Thornton’s well-oiled plot threatens to tip into melodrama. He saves the day with granular detail about life in the Ivy League and keen observations on the elaborate yet empty gestures of Lucien’s social circle. The result is a wild ride readers won’t soon forget.
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