"The Row"

J.R. Johansson's books include Insomnia, Paranoia, Mania, and Cut Me Free.

She applied the Page 69 Test to her latest novel, The Row, and reported the following:

I've never actually done this test before, but I'd say that this page is pretty representative of the raw emotion of the rest of the book even if it doesn't fully capture the mystery or suspense elements. In this scene, my main character, Riley, is reeling from some of the questions she has about the possible guilt or innocence of her own father.

Here are a couple of quotes from that page that perfectly capture what I'm referring to:

"The only way I can keep any friends is by lying to them, and I know from experience, the truth always comes out in the end. People keep you at a distance if they think killing runs in your blood."

"How many times has Daddy declared his innocence over the years? One hundred? One thousand? Were those the lies?...How many times can you lie to someone you love before everything you share becomes the lie?"

These are the underlying issues and questions she faces throughout the story, so I'd say this page is definitely a good representation of at least the big thematic elements of the book.

Visit J.R. Johansson's website.

--Marshal Zeringue