Sometimes the only way to tackle complex, multi-faceted issues like mental health and domestic violence is to dive right in, a fact exemplified by James T. Graham’s DARCY LANE. At the impossibly young age of seven, Elise Rose’s life is forever altered when she witnesses the murder of her mother, Grace. While Elise and her mother were no strangers to hard times, this horrific act proves to be too much for the young girl. Irrevocably scarred, she spends the remainder of her adolescence in a self-destructive tailspin that eventually lands her in a mental institution. When she’s finally released at the age of twenty, Elise sets out to construct a new life upon the foundation of her damaged youth, a journey that eventually leads her past the lonely house at the end of Darcy Lane. What follows is a complicated, anything-but-linear tale of redemption, one where Elise struggles to outrun her past and the impossibly long shadow it casts over her present. With her mother’s journal serving as her only guide, Darcy attempts to navigate through the uncharted waters of adulthood.

Given the bubble font and the heavily stylized image adorning its cover, one might be tempted to dismiss Graham’s novella as merely another ‘Afterschool-Special’ masquerading as a YA romp. But make no mistake, the only moral to this story is that life is rarely fair. Regardless of whether or not you identify with Elise’s circumstances, readers will undoubtedly be able to appreciate the ever-present conflict she carries with her at all times, a testament to Graham’s skill as a writer. By wielding his vivid, hyper-descriptive prose with the measured accuracy of a seasoned pro, Graham side steps one traditional pitfall after another, and in the process, succeeds in crafting a novella that consistently defies its status as a debut work. The sheer emotional depth that Graham manages to mine is awe-inspiring, regardless of the feelings it inspires. In fact, the somber, bleak tone blanketing DARCY LANE might be this novella’s only flaw, as some readers may have difficulty finding any light at the end of Elise’s tunnel. Regardless, Graham’s talent is undeniable.

To that point, it’s tempting to chide DARCY LANE’s brevity (the book checks in at barely one hundred and thirty pages), but given the heaviness of the subject matter involved, Graham’s decision to present Elise’s story as a novella ultimately feels like an astute choice. Sure, the narrative is both simple and linear, but the fact that Graham opts to avoid embellishing Elise’s struggle with a canned subplot or forced romance only adds to the potency of her story. Add to that the provocative imagery and a cast of complicated characters driven by shrouded intentions, and you have a work that packs an impressive punch.

Mining the messiness of middle-class malaise to great effect, DARCY LANE is an impressively affecting examination of the deep and lasting impact that violence can have on a developing mind through the eyes of a character for who readers can’t help but cheer.

~James Weiskittel for IndieReader