THE DARKNESS OF “THE MASTER”
Well, it’s me. It’s him. It’s T.I.M. During my journey of filming my passion project, NAM (Naked Alien Massacre), I met Tamberly Mott. Upon learning we shared a love for writing, she gave me her book Being Still Again. In this article, I bring you my thoughts of it. When two
women escape their sex trafficking kidnapper, they embark on a journey to fit in with the norms of society. The problem, “The Master” wants them back and will attain it at all costs. Being Still Again is the debut novel for Mott in what will be a trilogy series. The book has 381 pages, 38 chapters, and is written in the third person. It is a female-driven narrative with an insight into a world many are not familiar with. My first impression, think ‘50 shades,’ but not as explicit, and a good thriller novel.
Every chapter features quotes from renowned individuals that provide a sense of peace and understanding, not only for the story itself but also for the chapters that follow. Mott does not sugarcoat the world of sex trafficking and what it can do to the psyche, if you can pick up on those reveals. It makes me wonder if she herself or someone close to her has experienced that life, as the connection between character and reader is thorough. She reveals the elephant in the room and doesn’t hold back on the reality of the situation or the outcome. It has its perks of description but lacks in execution. Let me explain. It roughly took to page 200 before the speed of the book picks up. A typical explanation of who the main characters are and how they adjust to society after escaping from their captor. Ariel goes through multiple name changes and gender identities before fulfilling a goal of becoming (what’s called a..) a live model. She’s paid to be beautiful at parties. It’s interesting how she escapes the world of slavery to then discover fitting into a world that sees her as a sex symbol. Lily takes over the life of a missing girl and lives her life in secret. She fully embodies the character, fooling everyone, but also finds a need for acceptance. It goes to show that you can never really leave your past behind.
Each girl you root for in seeking acceptance of their past, but never letting it define them. I gather that Lily is our main character because the majority of chapters are in her point of view. Mott has an insane ability of putting words on paper in a sophisticated and impressive manner. It is a mature read and definitely not for the faint of heart. The description of characters and backstory is well thought out and doesn’t leave anything to the imagination on their purpose or thoughts. We bounce between two POVs, with a lot of inner dialogue in the beginning, too much at times. During new character introduction scenes, their inner dialogue weaves within the chapter. Even though it is a smooth transition, every once in a while, you question who the inner dialogue belongs to. There is no break to separate it. Backstories for each character are overdone. I also wonder why Mott wrote some characters in. They don’t help move the story along. Unfortunately, that method weighs the story down. Here is one example: there is an older couple who have a dog. The dog is sent to this agency that helps to house and train dogs, but it all ties to “the Master,” the girls, sex trafficking, etc. It seems Mott wrote the folks in to introduce the agency. However, a scene with Donald, the husband, sees a commercial about it and notices his wife, Debbi with an i, is weirdly emotional because of it. That scene alone was enough to build the introduction to the agency and provide the necessary suspense. Some scenes didn’t connect the dots until multiple chapters later, and some dots didn’t need a connection. Throughout the story, oversharing and a play-by-play of every action a character does is the norm. It makes me think of Supernatural when ten episodes contribute to the story, but the rest are just fillers.
She builds on the hope that the two girls will one day have a reunion, but misses providing it for the reader. We witness a post office scene where Ariel sees Lily, thinking she is dead. In the last chapter, Ariel and Lily notice each other but don’t interact. Which means, as the reader, we won’t know if a reunion is in the sequel to get a payoff. It could be in the third novel for all we know. It was a letdown. Certain areas fell flat in terms of suspense when they were meant to deliver. A section would end with Debbi, with an i, for example, who was on the phone with her husband, and the phone call ends abruptly. The writing delivers, but in the next section, her husband, Donald, in his POV, says in the middle of the section, “Oh, sorry I dropped the call earlier.” Just like that, nonchalant. He just got out of the hospital for his heart acting up. Debbi’s concern has no buildup of emotion. No anger. No worry. It was disappointing. No resolution.
Overall, Mott’s delivery in telling a story is better than some books I’ve come across. One of my friends, who also took the time to read the story, says her favorite line in the book was, “I should never have trusted a system run by men with unchecked power.” Despite oversharing, her descriptions were spot on and gave a smooth transition from one sentence to the next. For the most part, the story is well thought out, hitting on points that give the reader a sense of understanding about the characters and their history, quirks, or issues. I could envision meeting these folks in real life and understanding why they are the way they are. However, my disappointment was in general. This story could have been summed up in one book. It was a lot to read through, and even though I was invested, I don’t know that many would commit to reading the other books to find out what happens. Being Still Again was released in 2022, and two and three aren’t available. I don’t know why authors insist on creating a trilogy but never finish the project within a specific timeframe. Maybe they should be released once all are completed? It doesn’t provide a payoff for the reader and eventually can lose credibility for the author. I like Tam and I appreciate how she helped with my indie movie shoot. She’s a talented person and a good human. I recommend her book, I’m going to show it to the chairperson for the Horror Writers Association in Las Vegas, I think she’ll like it too. I give Being Alive Again 4 out of 5 stars.
About Author
