My Non-Hunger Games Book Club: Serena: A Novel by Ron Rash

I'll be the first to admit that I may have gone a little overboard with my Hunger Games obsession. But what can I say? Is that not the very nature of obsessions? So it should come as no surprise that I had a little bit of separation anxiety when it came to leaving my friends Katniss, Peeta, and Gale behind for books that were, you know, actually written for adults. But it appears that I have finally shaken Panem's titanium grip and read a verified piece of adult fiction. Behold my first non-Hunger Games book club selection: Serena: A Novel by Ron Rash.

Serena film still. Photo courtesy of IMDB

Now you're probably thinking, wait a minute, Girl, isn't that just Katniss with a fox around her neck? And what does Bradley Cooper have to do with anything? And to that, I say that everyone has to start somewhere. And I may have started my non-Hunger Games book club by deciding to read only novels that are going to be made into movies starring Jennifer Lawrence. It's my prerogative, okay? Serena is currently filming and slated for a 2013 release. And let me tell you, when it is released, I will be ready!

So what is Serena: A Novel about?

 A New York Times notable book of the year

Award-winning and New York Times bestselling novelist Ron Rash conjures a gothic tale of greed, corruption, and revenge with a ruthless, powerful, and unforgettable woman at its heart, set amid the wilds of 1930s North Carolina and against the backdrop of America's burgeoning environmental movement. 

I'm not going to lie, I have never been more interested in eminent domain as I was while reading this novel. I literally had a "huh, so that's what the first semester of property was about" moment. I kind of considered property to be that 90 minute stretch of time I had to sit through before we could talk about the good stuff. Like the model penal code. But anyway . . . yes, Serena has some eminent domaininess in there. And some early environmentalism. And some killing. Yep, I said some killing. 

The reader is first introduced to Serena as she steps off of the train from Boston with her new husband, lumber baron, George Pemberton. Waiting for them on the train platform is Rachel Harmon, the girl Pemberton impregnated before meeting Serena, and Rachel's father, an employee of the Boston Lumber Company. When Rachel's father attempts to "talk" to Pemberton about his daughter's condition (and by "talk," I mean "stab with a large knife"), rather than back away, Serena tells Pemberton to "reason" with Mr. Harmon (and by "reason," I mean "stab with a large knife"). Upon Mr. Harmon's death, Serena hands his knife to the heavily pregnant Rachel and instructs her to sell it to support her soon-to-be child as Rachel will receive no further "charity" from the Pembertons. And with that gesture, Serena begins her reign over the North Carolina wilderness. Serena proves to be as knowledgeable, strong, fearless, and cunning as any man in the Boston Lumber Company, and quickly disposes of anyone with adverse interests. Serena provides a glimpse into a world where power is absolute and everyone and everything can be bought and sold for the right price.  

While Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games, Winter's Bone) seems to have some difficulty selecting roles that take her out of the wilderness, Serena will at least afford her a solid opportunity to play the bad girl. Or the crazy girl. Director Susanne Bier (Things We Lost in the Fire) will likely have to decide what she believes Serena's actual constitution is, as I'm not sure that the ambiguity between ruthlessness and insanity ever translates well on film (see Christoph Waltz's character in Water for Elephants). Bradley Cooper plays Boston Lumber Company owner, George Pemberton. Pemberton, while not as devious as Serena, is no less complex. Cooper, commonly known for his comedic chops, is an unlikely choice for the morally indeterminate Pemberton, but I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. I think that the real question will be if 21-year old Lawrence, who is known for playing teenage characters, can create some very adult on-screen chemistry with Cooper. That chemistry, described by Serena as "a kind of annihilation," is possibly the only the only thing about the Pembertons that I was certain of by the time I reached the novel's conclusion. 

If you are interested in getting your Serena fix, you can purchase the novel in paperback or on e-reader from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Or you can do what I did, and download the free sample on your Kindle and then check out the book from your local library. Whatevs. 

p.s. if you are down here in the LBC, they have really high-teched the Long Beach Public Library system. You can search for and reserve books at any Long Beach library branch online, and set up an online account where you can renew your books from the comfort of your couch. And the best part is that it is all free! 

Have you read Serena? If so, what did you think? Sound off in the comments below!  Pin It