Miracle Creek by Angie Kim

Star rating: 5/5

"Every human being was the result of a million different factors mixing together -- one of a million sperm arriving at the egg at exactly a certain time; even a millisecond off, and another entirely different person would result. Good things and bad -- every friendship and romance formed, every accident, every illness -- resulted from the conspiracy of hundreds of little things, in and of themselves inconsequential." 

Summary:

The Yoo family owns and runs an HBOT center - Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, used experimentally to treat a variety of disabilities. Here is what we know: one day while several patients are undergoing treatment, a fire is started outside the facility, resulting in an explosion and the death of one parent and one child, with several others injured. What we don't know is who started the fire, and why. This courtroom drama takes us through every character involved in the accident, exploring the delicate chain of events that led to this unspeakable tragedy. 

Review:

I am totally wow'ed by this book. While it gets off to a somewhat slow start and had me wondering "Where the heck is this going?" it picks up speed quickly and never stops. Kim's debut novel takes a hard look at familial love - the good, the bad, and the ugly - and what a parent will do to protect their child. The story is set up brilliantly and keeps the reader constantly guessing. The characters are all well-developed and imperfect. I love the emphasis on the "butterfly effect" on the chain of events - that everyone had some part to play in the story, that no one can be called completely innocent or guilty. I very much hope to read more from Kim in the future! I highly recommend Miracle Creek for fans of Jodi Picoult, Celeste Ng, and Liane Moriarty.