Matt – the Beginning by Viveca Benoir (Goodreads Author)
Karen Hrdlicka‘s review
Read in March, 2015
This was the first work of Viveca Benoir’s that I have read. I looked at the synopsis for To Murder Matt and wondered why the main character was so twisted and despised. After reading Matt-the Beginning I can more fully understand why Matt is such a tormented and hated character. I like Ms. Benoir’s style very much. The story is well paced and the action is rapid fire. So much happened in the first thirty pages, I found myself stopping to process what the poor young man was going through.This book begins with Matt’s tragic birth, along with a sister he never knew existed. The twins are sent to separate adoptive homes and live completely different lives, each never knowing the other lives nearby. Matt’s life is hardly ideal. His mother loves him intensely however, to say his father is an ass, is an understatement. The abuse Matt and his mother suffer is the driving force behind much of the development of Matt’s character. Throughout the story he is thrown curveball after curveball, molding him into an young man who uses sex for power and control. He is ambitious and headstrong and if someone crosses him there will be retaliation. No spoilers here, just be aware that Matt has seen a lot of crap in his life and except for his mother no one seems to have given him a fair shake. I am looking forward to reading other books by Ms. Benoir