Though slow to start, I did enjoy The Driftless Area a considerable amount. I don't mind slow openings, and this one was not bad. For about the first 5 chapters (there are only 10, so roughly half the book) there is no mystery or noir of any real sort. There is however alcoholism, romance/sex, and a brief near-death experience. Once the plot started rolling, however, it went. Drury's novel did keep me entertained the whole read and had an interesting plot/characters; however, my biggest problem with the novel was a supernatural twist thrown in around the end of chapter 7. True, it did tie into the novel (I won't say what, who or how for a spoiler free review), but it still felt totally out of left field and a bit unnecessary. Once you look past this though, it was a nice, short and fun read.

Also a side note: Drury's "sex scene" (if you will) was exceedingly well written, in my opinion. It was not graphic in any sense. The actual act of sex is not described, but the description of the scene and the two lonely people looking for someone to understand them and love them was absolutely phenomenal. I felt the character's connection to each other and what their actions meant on a deeper, spiritual level, not just physical.