Tribulations by Tony Heck is the story of a dysfunctional family's fall from grace. Clare Chestwick is a headstrong nineteen-year-old who has had just about enough of her unstable family and her boyfriend. Seeking an apology from each of them, Clare ties up her father, mother, grandmother, and boyfriend on wooden chairs in the barn with nooses around their necks and their mouths gagged. One by one, the narrative follows each of her family members and shows their influence in shaping Clare as a person. Her father, Kelvin, is a serial cheater, and her mother, Rhonda, suffered from postpartum depression for years. Meanwhile, Clare's foster brother, Tristen, had developed an unhealthy obsession with her, and she led him on, leading to a shocking tragedy. Clare's boyfriend, Nick, is another victim of the circumstances.

Filled with heartache and family drama, Tribulations is a tragic tale that shows how parental neglect can lead to psychological trauma and change the course of a child's life. Dysfunctional home environments often do a lot of damage to a child's psyche and can create toxic personality traits due to repressed trauma. The Chestwicks are such a dysfunctional family in this story. Author Tony Heck has crafted a gripping narrative that keeps you hooked all the way through, and the plot is so unpredictable that you never know what's going to happen next. The characters have realistic personalities, with flaws and vulnerabilities that make you sympathize with their plight despite witnessing their mistakes. Clare's trauma is heartbreaking, but she never holds herself accountable for her actions, which makes her a fascinating character to follow. It's a fantastic character-driven drama, and I highly recommend it!

From a distance, the Chestwicks could easily pass for a well-knit family. Mrs. Edna Chestwick, the widowed matriarch of the Chestwick household, ensured the family kept up appearances in their small hometown in Illinois, actively attending church and participating in charity activities, including being a foster care home. But this was all a façade to hide the dysfunctional union between Edna’s son Kelvin and his wife Rhonda, who were only together thanks to an unexpected and early pregnancy. The couple’s daughter, nineteen-year-old Clare, has had enough of her family’s toxic relationships. She believes their selfish choices had led her to a moment she deeply resented in her life. Clare ties each of them up in an old barn to force them to acknowledge the hurt they had put her through and apologize. Will they budge? Grab Tony Heck’s Tribulations to discover how it all goes down.

Once you flip open this page-turner, you will be hooked from cover to cover. Tony Heck’s Tribulations is a must-read for lovers of literary fiction. Weaving an intriguing plot, Heck runs the storyline on a multi-perspective timeline, effortlessly giving it a beautiful flow. The edge-of-the-seat suspense and cliffhangers had me turning page after page. The incredible attention to detail and evocative depictions colorfully brought the scenes to life. Heck gives a tremendous dramatic touch to the storyline with a witty backdrop yet, at the same time, anchoring the story to the main themes being addressed. These include childhood trauma, early pregnancies, marriage, abortion, sex, emotional abuse, infidelity, and much more. The author uses refreshing conversations, introspection, and overt depictions to give depth to the cast’s emotions, conflicts, and traits, allowing me to connect with them. The story prompts us to question our choices and be wary of their impact on family. I loved it.