Robin Cain

Complex describes the novel, When Dreams Bleed by Robin Cain. Complex characters with complex relationships are threaded through lies and deception. The plot weaves a gripping story where people and events are not what they seem on the surface.

The book tells the story of Frank Campelletti’ s messy relationships with two women, Sadie and Citra, and the sad consequences that arise from the choices all three make. Their secrets lead to mysteries, violence and tragedy.

The story that unfolds on show more the pages is self-assured, artful and well crafted, but the characterizations are the true prize of this book. The author has created some authentic people, full of flaws, lies and bad choices. There are bold plot choices that truly resonate emotionally.

I had some quibbles with minor plot threads left unaddressed or that end abruptly, but none of these issues formed any gaping holes in structure. Overall, the book flows smoothly, engages your interest and you are inescapably drawn into the lives of these characters and all their troubles. I can happily recommend this book. show less

Life for a teenage girl is always, well, awkward. Out of school, nothing going on and wanting to solve the heavy problem of why her birth mother dumped her as a baby Sophie had little patience with the nosey new girl down the street. So to avoid explanations she couldn’t give answers too she announced her mother had been murdered. After all that was better than thinking she was a throw away.
Didn’t really help much though so as part of her exploration of why someone could just cast off show more another human being Sophie took a job at a local nursing home, a place where old people where dropped off and forgotten. Cain then takes us on an exploration through a world that is seen through the eyes of the care-givers that labor to help those less fortunate than most.
Set in the South, in the race-torn years of the 1970’s, we are treated to story where the color of your skin has no bearing on the status of your life, where thrown away people and adopted girls have little consequence as to what goes on in the daily lives of those who only live for today, not by their choice but by the hand of their creator. As the small town folks lives meld, Sophie learns that life is fragile but relationships are stronger, that we all have a place even if it is not what you hoped or imagined.
The community deals with death and divorce, adoption and adaption. In a story that is reminiscent of the similar-styled time and setting, Fried Green Tomatoes, we see a teenager become a young lady with depth and understanding, and we meet Miss Rabbit. The afore-mentioned secret keeper has a story to tell but has chosen to not speak for the last four years. Can Sophie and her secrets draw out what has been hidden for years and how will revelations from the past affect Sophie’s future journey.
The mystique of untold secrets and unsolvable pasts, have drawn us to stories for ever and this is no different. Cain has excelled in the presentation of her latest novel and I highly recommend taking the time to discover Miss Rabbit’s secrets. show less

Life for a teenage girl is always, well, awkward. Out of school, nothing going on and wanting to solve the heavy problem of why her birth mother dumped her as a baby Sophie had little patience with the nosey new girl down the street. So to avoid explanations she couldn’t give answers too she announced her mother had been murdered. After all that was better than thinking she was a throw away.
Didn’t really help much though so as part of her exploration of why someone could just cast off show more another human being Sophie took a job at a local nursing home, a place where old people where dropped off and forgotten. Cain then takes us on an exploration through a world that is seen through the eyes of the care-givers that labor to help those less fortunate than most.
Set in the South, in the race-torn years of the 1970’s, we are treated to story where the color of your skin has no bearing on the status of your life, where thrown away people and adopted girls have little consequence as to what goes on in the daily lives of those who only live for today, not by their choice but by the hand of their creator. As the small town folks lives meld, Sophie learns that life is fragile but relationships are stronger, that we all have a place even if it is not what you hoped or imagined.
The community deals with death and divorce, adoption and adaption. In a story that is reminiscent of the similar-styled time and setting, Fried Green Tomatoes, we see a teenager become a young lady with depth and understanding, and we meet Miss Rabbit. The afore-mentioned secret keeper has a story to tell but has chosen to not speak for the last four years. Can Sophie and her secrets draw out what has been hidden for years and how will revelations from the past affect Sophie’s future journey.
The mystique of untold secrets and unsolvable pasts, have drawn us to stories for ever and this is no different. Cain has excelled in the presentation of her latest novel and I highly recommend taking the time to discover Miss Rabbit’s secrets. show less

Robin Cain successfully weaves a path through the the high-profile buzz of Hollywood and the technology business world of California dot-coms to give us an in depth, behind the scenes view of high-profile business that we mere mortals normally only catch a glimpse at in the pages of People or US Weekly.

Frank Campelletti certainly has found the fame and fortune that eludes most of us as he heads up a successful software company, MineWare, in California's silicone valley. In this tale of show more obsession that we are introduced to the women in his life, Sadie and Citra. Both are powerful women in their own right and it is not long before they both stamp a presence on Frank, both in business and in bed.

The too-perfect world crumbles in delusion and as the affairs and the bodies stack up. Cain leads us through the mystery challenging our ability to hang in there and second guess her as her characters have their way with us and each other.

Cain's debut novel is a well told tale, leaving us with an understanding of her writing influences. We do get a little distracted by characters that she builds up only to not use again, Jean the waitress or Hank the security guard, but perhaps that is meant as somewhat of the red-herring or just her enthusiasm for building the complete picture. In any case it is not enough of a distraction to pull us from this tale of reaching for fame and fortune.

When Dreams Bleed will leave you gasping as the mystery deepens with every turn of the page, and give you enough of a twist in the end to make you look back through it for second read trying to find clues you missed the first time. show less