An esteemed man is confronted with all that he has tried to hide of his past when his ex-wife reappears and a registered sex-offender moves into his neighborhood.
Carpious Mightson is not who he appears to be, wearing the guise of a handsome leader of virtue. He seems friendly, loving, hard working, and God-fearing. Little do his neighbors, co-workers, and girlfriend know that he harbors a secret that compromises his integrity.
When Ian Kaplan, a registered sex-offender, moves into the family-friendly community of Mechi Lane, the HOA drafts Carpious to be the one to compel Ian to put his house back on the market and leave.
While Carpious is struggling to maintain his own secret, Alethea Mightson, Carpious's ex-wife, resurfaces in an attempt to extort money from him for what he assumes is her substance addiction. She threatens to expose his past if he doesn't comply.
A murder occurs and Carpious's composure begins to spiral out of his control, while all that he has built threatens to topple. Will the consequences of new sins expose the old ones?
Who are we to judge?
Just the name of the novel, Pious, was intriguing to me. The cover was a bit eerie to me, I decided to purchase on my new Kindle. Kenn Bivins (the author) took redemption to another level with his debut novel Pious. Carpious the character is dealing with a demon, yet a very loving human being. I truly was rooting for him throughout the entire novel. This novel is spiritually inclined well written and easy to read.
The surrounding cast is relatable and real. When Ian Kaplan arrives on Mechi Lane Carpious is force to deal with his demon. Just like you can't judge a book by its cover, humans are the same the way, just because their doing what is acceptable in society doesn't mean its all good. Pious is going to make you think about this world in which you live. Kudos Kenn on your debut I am a fan!
(reviewed by Khaleelah "Coast 2 Coast On Line Book Club)
Why
To say that protagonist Carpious Mightson is a complex individual would perhaps be this article's grandest understatement. He's an ordinary man living a simple life. Or is he?
Pious is Carpious Mightson's story, revealing an authentic character-driven tale that most people could identify with. That being said, the principle characters aren't exactly of your cardboard variety. Without giving away the juicy details, rest assured that Carpious takes the story (and its participants) into a completely and utterly surprising direction. The book is filled all the makings of a big-screen thriller; secrets, extortion, and murder are all part of the formula.
In fact, one could say that this book is downright scary. Not Halloween-scary, but chilling in that Carpious is someone you probably you know. There are instances in Pious where readers witness psychological disintegration more frightening than Jack's mental breakdown in The Shining.
Though Kenn Bivins is a black author, this isn't your stereotypical African American novel. When most people hear the term "African American fiction", images of spicy love scenes and scandalous urban intrigue come to mind. Fortunately, Bivins doesn't skimp on the action in this evenly paced novel, but introduces a diverse collection of characters that serve as pertinent pieces of a rather elaborate puzzle. He takes a different route with his book, making "blackness" more a meaningful coincidence instead of a militant declaration.
Another interesting thing to note is that Bivins doesn't bombard the reader with location, location, location. In fact, you never really think about exactly where the characters live. The streets and neighborhoods have odd, yet interesting names/monikers that are most certainly attached to a specific intention. These incidents take place in an environment that could easily be your neighborhood, effectively suspending your disbelief.
As out-of-control as things appear to become in Pious, they reveal Bivins' deft hand at fashioning all the circumstances into a believable tapestry. You realize that things have been set into motion from the beginning pages. Understanding how all those pieces fit together is only half the fun of reading Pious.
The novel isn't totally dependent upon lots of activity. Nonetheless, the fluid unraveling of events in the storyline does more than just move things along. Kenn crafts these scenarios (from various perspectives) in order to reveal important highlights about his characters. We know much more than we probably ever would, had he unveiled their innermost secrets in the first few chapters.
Familial responsibility, masculinity, sexuality, anger, and redemption are themes heavily emphasized in Pious. Yep, these sound like some pretty intense themes. In Pious, they most certainly are. Despite these significant moral themes, you're never hit over the head with condescending Public Service Announcements. Life in this novel is a brilliantly unpredictable experience. Indeed, Bivins makes sure that the concept of serendipity is well represented. Even after absorbing the story's conclusion, you may still wonder could something like this really happen? Turn on CNN, FOX, or any other preferred news source; chances are, it already has.
[Kenn Bivins is an Atlanta-based author, art designer, and illustrator. Pious is his first novel.]
Book Pick For December
Mechi Lane is a family oriented neighborhood that anyone would be proud to reside in.
The people in this close knit community look out for one another and are hardworking and sociable. However, behind the facades and closed doors, the citizens are not who they portray themselves to be.
Carpious Mightson is the cornerstone in this loving community. To his neighbors, he is a man of integrity. He is a role model and father figure to his girlfriend Sydney's eight-year old son, Solomon. He's even known to extend a helping hand with his neighbor's daughter Haleigh. But when his cunning ex wife Alethea returns, and a registered sex-offender move onto Mechi lane, Carpious well hidden past is in jeopardy of being exposed; and he will do whatever he must do in order to stop it.
Debut author, Kenn Bivins, has penned a solid, engaging novel. This book had me enthralled by the suspenseful cliffhangers. Just when I would be about to put the book down (Due to everyday life issues) something would occur that would keep me glued to the pages. I wanted to see how Mr. Bivins would tie everything up. At first, I did not understand why Carpious behaved in the manner that he did, but then the author gave us a glimpse into his turbulent past that was a real tear jerker. It made me understand why Carpious did what he did, no matter how heartless it seemed.
The secondary cast of characters was exciting to read about too. Alethea made me laugh with her realistic dialogue. I enjoyed the story with Lela too. I rooted for her and applauded her at the end of the novel for making the decisions she did. I do hope the author will bring Lela and Alethea back in another book so I can see what became of them.
I highly recommend Pious. It is an outstanding novel that will make you meditate on who you are, or are pretending to be long after the last word.
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