Broiler

Wowza!

Gripping, tense, moving, and hard to put down! Eli Cranor first came on my radar with Don’t Know Tough and he continues to write books that are not only riveting but full of tension, vivid descriptions, intense scenes, intriguing characters, and fantastic plots.

In Broiler, Cranor has two couples: Gabriela (Gabby) Menchaca and Edwin Saucedo and Mimi Jackson, and Luke Jackson. Gabby and Edwin are workers at Luke’s Detmer Foods chicken plant. They are worked hard, they don’t get bathroom breaks (can you imagine having to wear adult diapers to work?), and never seen an ounce of overtime pay even though they work long hours. Luke Jackson is the plants manager. Luke and his wife Mimi live in a beautiful home and have a six-month-old son named Tucker.

When Luke fires Edwin, Edwin vows revenge, and all their lives are irrevocably changed. I felt for Gabby having to wear diapers to work and choosing not to drink water during her shift to try to avoid the shame of literally peeing in her pants. I felt for the workers and the horrible conditions in which they worked. The unfairness of life was on display in Broiler. I felt for Mimi, who feels she has no control in her life, has postpartum depression, and is married to Luke.

I loved how this book did not have a lot of characters. The plot was raw with all of its nerves exposed. This book is filled with bad decisions, poor judgement, consequences, raw emotion, and pain. This book looks at power, relationships, friendship, class, inhumanity, the dream of having a better life, and ambition.

I listened to the audiobook and felt the narrator did a fantastic job of bringing this book to life.

Wonderfully written, gripping, riveting and hard to put down! Eli Cranor has delivered another book that packs a hard punch! If you have not read his books yet, make a point to grab a copy!

Thank you to RBmedia and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.