The East End - Stylish and Comfortable Home Decor for Modern Living Rooms & Bedrooms

Jason Allen’s The East End is a gripping, wise novel that examines the buried secrets and social tensions that exist in the Haves-and-Have-Nots world of the Hamptons. On Memorial Day weekend, troubling incidents occur at the Sheffield mansion, ones that are inextricably linked to our eyes on the scene, high school senior Corey Halpern. Without giving too much away (since the novel is filled with many clever turns and surprises), let’s just say the pressure on billionaire Leo Sheffield will mount from many directions. But the exciting plot is only part of the allure in this novel. The lives of Corey and his mom Gina are ones of struggle and entrapment, especially during the Hamptons summer, when the two seem at the beck and call of the wealthy 24-hours a day. Their rough existence, punctuated by the menacing husband/stepdad Ray, has reached a boiling point with mother and son both groping for possibilities beyond this miserable existence. Allen is an eloquent writer prone to a nice turn of phrase. Take this description of the world-weary, self-medicated Gina: “The terry cloth robe felt softer against her skin than it had an hour ago, and her vision had a syrupy quality, as though she were looking at the living room furniture through a mason jar ….” Allen deftly shifts perspective from Corey to his burgeoning love interest Angelique to Gina to Leo, giving the novel breadth as well as depth. He even manages to evoke sympathy for Leo, who, despite a slew of his bad decisions, is burdened with a conscience. Corey’s voyeurism – watching the world of the wealthy from the shadows – takes on a larger allegorical quality throughout The End End, infusing the novel with a cinematic sparkle. As Angelique and Corey are described, “To a certain extent she and Corey no longer existed on the Sheffield property, but instead now hovered one dimension removed from his actions, experiencing this less as participants and more like moviegoers in theater seats.” This tasty stew of intrigue, characterization, and social commentary comes together nicely in the terrific climax. I highly recommend The East End, for the thorny Hamptons it inhabits, and the imaginative possibilities it delivers.