Frightful Friday: Breed by Chase Novak

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Jenn

Frightful Friday is a weekly meme in which I feature a particularly scary or chilling book that I’ve read that week.

This week’s featured book is Breed by Chase Novak:

  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Mulholland Books (September 4, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 0316198560
  • Source: Publisher

Alex and Leslie Twisden have the perfect lives. Alex is a successful lawyer and Leslie works at a New York City children’s publishing house. They live in a gorgeous townhouse in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Their marriage is a passionate one, full of love and respect. Despite all the luxuries they have, they are still missing something: a child. They’ve tried every fertility procedure imaginable, visited endless doctors and specialists. Yet they have still been able to get pregnant. Out of desperation, they attend a support group for infertile couples in the basement of a local church. Someone there must have a suggestion or recommendation for something they haven’t tried yet. It is when they are walking home from group one night that they come across a couple who used to be members of the group. It doesn’t take long for Alex and Leslie to see why they have stopped attending: the woman is pregnant.

Reluctantly, after the husband has secured a job at Alex’s firm, he shares with Alex their secret: they visited a doctor, Doctor Kis,  in Slovenia who was able to grant their wish to become parents. Within a few days Alex & Leslie travel to see the doctor themselves and undergo a brutally painful procedure involving a number of injections. Kis doesn’t speak English so the couple is uncertain as to what the injections consist of. Leslie is reluctant to take part in the procedure; it is Alex that has been so adamant about having children of their own rather than adopting.  That said, her love for Alex is strong and, admittedly, she’s worried he will leave her if they can’t conceive.

The procedure is a success and Leslie quickly becomes pregnant. It isn’t long before she beings to have strange symptoms, the biggest one an dramatic increase in body hair. The doctor she visits, referred to her by Dr. Kis, insists that this is a natural side-effect of pregnancy. Leslie feels alien in her own body and looks forward to getting to the end of the pregnancy and to be rewarded with the gift for which they’ve worked so hard.  She doesn’t have to wait long for she is barely in her fifth month when she delivers triplets: two, a boy and a girl, survive.

Ten years later, twins Adam and Alice find themselves locked in their rooms each night. The sounds that come from their parents bedroom at night terrify them. Adam obtains an old baby monitor and eavesdrops on his parents, truly terrified from what he hears. They are fearful for their own lives, yet with the doors locked, prison bars on the windows, how can they escape? Eventually they are able to leave the prison they’ve inhabited their entire lives. When they escape, however, they soon learn just how dangerous their parents are and uncover the secret of their creation. After discovering a group of feral children in Central Park, the twins soon learn they aren’t alone, that there are dozens of children just like them…

On the surface, Breed is just another terrifying horror novel. Rich with terror and a fair amount of gruesome details, it fits perfectly in this genre. That said, in a sick and twisted way, it’s also a novel of parental love. Alex and Leslie honestly love their twins, yet the fate that has been dealt to them as a result of this medical procedure also has them craving them, hence the need to lock them up each night. They don’t want to harm their children, but their animal instincts, heightened due to the injections they received, are hard to resist. Adam and Alice remember the moments of love and happiness they infrequently experienced growing up, and are therefore torn between fleeing for their own safety and remaining, hopeful that the “good days” outweigh the bad.

Novak has created a truly dark and chilling novel, reminiscent of some of the classic horror novels like Rosemary’s Baby. That said, I think this novel is far more terrifying, because it isn’t the child(ren) to be feared in this case, but the parents who are supposed to take care of these children.

Breed is a truly unique, wholly terrifying read. The pacing is fast and the storyline is engaging, thereby producing a truly fantastic and original piece of horror fiction. Highly recommended (but not to those with a queasy stomach).

Posted in Frightful Friday, Horror, Mulholland Books, Review | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Review: Hemingway’s Girl by Erika Robuck

Posted on August 30, 2012 by Jenn

  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: NAL Trade (September 4, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 0451237889
  • Source: Publisher

Mariella Bennet is the the daughter of an American fisherman and a Cuban woman living in Key West during the Depression. Since her father passed away, Mariella is now the sole breadwinner of the family, doing menial labor to bring in a few dollars. Desperate to feed her mother and two young sisters, Mariella bets on a risky boxing match. Her actions catch the eyes of two men: famous author Ernest Hemingway and Gavin Murray, a WWI veteran.

Mariella is soon hired as a maid by Hemingway’s wife, Pauline. She is soon witness to the Hemingway’s lavish lifestyle and Hemingway’s own…predilection for young women. Hemingway, whom she refers to as “Papa” as many others do, doesn’t hide his attraction to the young and attractive Mariella. The only thing preventing Mariella to succumbing to Hemingway’s flirtations, other than her own morals, is the attractive Gavin Murray.

Gavin gives Mariella something others, including Hemingway, have not: the faith and courage to trust and seek out her own dreams. Having suffered his own loss and pain during the war, Gavin and Mariella quickly form a unique and genuine bond, each willing to help one another heal from the pain their lives have dealt them. Their love is a true and pure one, completely opposite of the fate Mariella would have been dealt had she succumbed to Hemingway’s flirtation.

When Mariella is asked to join the Hemingway family in their summer vacation to the to the island of Bimini, Mariella is torn between leaving her family behind and the opportunity such a duty would afford her. For the first time in her life, she is able to live like the “better half” does, enjoying luxuries she’s never had the opportunity to experience. This time away from her family allows her to reflect on the life she has, and the life she want, and really gives her the inspiration to seek out her dreams.

When Florida is hit by the Labor Day hurricane, one of the strongest storms to have ever make landfall in this country, Mariella fears she has lost everything she has ever loved. It is this final push that motivates her to have the life her father would have wanted and not necessarily the life she has been dealt.

Hemingway’s Girl is an incredibly descriptive, enormously addictive read. The manner in which Robuck creates the setting is truly remarkable, reeling the reader into a setting that, while technically a paradise on earth, is shadowed by pain and tragedy. She touches on a number of issues, including the fate of veterans after the war. The characters she builds are incredibly well-developed, so realistic. I found myself rooting for Mariella and Gavin, a couple that was dealt so much pain that they deserved to be happy together.

The build up to the climax is so expertly and perfectly timed, blowing in unexpectedly much like the hurricane that caused so much devastation. I wasn’t prepared for the emotions I felt or for the tears I shed, but in sadness and in happiness.

Robuck’s respect and adoration of Hemingway is also clear in her depictions of this renowned author. She doesn’t sugar-coat or hide any aspect of this man, accurately portraying him and his own decline into depression.

If you are looking for a novel full of rich historical detail, complex relationships and a completely mesmerizing setting, pick up a copy of Hemingway’s Girl. It’s been years since I have read any of Hemingway’s work, yet this novel has compelled me to reunite myself with the man everyone referred to with adoration as “Papa.”  Highly, highly recommended.

Posted in Historical Fiction, NAL, Review | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Review: A Killing in the Hills by Julia Keller

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Jenn

  • Hardcover: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (August 21, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 1250003482
  • Source: Publisher

In the small town of Acker’s Gap, Virgina, three elderly man are shot and killed as they drink their morning coffee in the town diner. Although most of the town was there to witness the act, no one saw the shooter. Or so they say, at least. One of the individuals in the diner at the time was Carla Elkins, daughter of Bell Elkins, the county’s prosecuting attorney. She and her mother don’t have the best of relationships. Carla is desperate to get out of the small town and doesn’t understand her mother’s reason for return after so many years of a seemingly happy life living in Washington D.C. The majority of her mother’s time and attention is now devoted to her job, making Carla feel neglected. This, and the usual conflict that arises between a mother and a teenage daughter causes a rift between Carla and her mother. Despite this, days after the shooting Carla believes she may know the identity of the shooter and embarks upon her own investigation.

The local authorities quickly launch their own investigation. Were the three men targeted or is the shooting somehow tied to the drug trade that has taken over the small town? Bell, already working on another murder case, has to divide her time between learning more about the motive for the shooting and the case of a young boy found dead in a neighbor’s basement, their mentally disabled son arrested for the crime. Adding to the stress already on Bell is the knowledge that someone is out to harm her. It starts with a reckless driver who attempts to force her vehicle off a treacherous mountain road and slowly hits closer to home, dealing Bell a blow that forces her to completely rethink her relationships with townspeople she thought were her friends.

A Killing in the Hills is truly an atmospheric thriller. Keller so expertly describes the setting: the lush mountains of West Virginia and the changing colors of fall. Growing up in West Virginia myself, I was instantly transported back to a part of the country that will always have a place in my heart. Her clear and accurate portrayal of the setting instantly takes the reader into a completely unique part of the country, an area that is devastated due to the decline of the economy and shortage of jobs. As Keller so eloquently explains, natives of the state already have one point against them as society at large seems to have preconceived notions about West Virginians. This commentary just adds to the overall atmosphere of the novel: a brutal, heartless killing that takes place one one of the most gorgeous parts of the country.

Additionally, the characters are so well fleshed out and developed that it is not difficult to bond and sympathize with them. They are truly genuine characters and readers will find it easy to recognize traits of their own friends and acquaintances in them. Without a doubt the character who stands out the most for me is Bell, a strong-willed, hard-headed woman who will stop at nothing, risk everything, to bring justice to this small town.  Her own history comes in to play, a truly dynamic character that has risen above the fate that was dealt to her.  The multiple story lines may sound complex and unwieldy, but Keller so expertly executes them that they flow together naturally, further accelerating the pacing of the novel.

I found myself immersed in the novel and the characters from the start, transported to a place I recognize from my own childhood. A truly remarkable debut to a new series, I can’t wait for more! Highly recommended!

Posted in Minotaur Books, Review, Thriller | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Review: Giving Up the Ghost: A Story about Friendship, 80s Rock, a Lost Scrap of Paper, and What It Means to Be Haunted by Eric Nuzum

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Jenn

  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Dial Press Trade Paperback (August 7, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 0385342438
  • Source: Publisher

Eric Nuzum grew up in Canton, OH in the 1980s. As a high school student, he never really fit in, an oddball of sorts. Not helping his situation were his strange dreams of a young girl, dressed in blue. She would attempt to communicate with him, but her words came out in a jumbled, indecipherable mess. He would relay his experiences with his small group of friends but they all dismissed him, believing this was just another means for him to garner attention. Unable to find anyone to confide in or understand him, Eric ended up in a mental ward, nearly ending his young life.

I was just a teenager, and I was already haunted. Haunted by my own disappointment. Haunted by a disconnection from the world around me. Haunted by a festering depression. Haunted by loneliness.

The one friend he had was Laura. A crush of sorts, she was the only thing that kept him grounded.

Years later, as an adult, Eric continued to have a fear of ghosts. He can’t stand the sight of closed doors, never knowing what awaits him on the other side. Just looking at closed doors fills him with an overwhelming feeling of dread. Not helping his state of mind are the memories of his youth. Recollecting on his memories of high school, he is saddened to realize that many of those close to him became ghosts themselves.

Desperate to face his fears, Eric recruits a motley group of individuals and travels to some of America’s most haunted places. After visiting a number of these locations, he begins to wonder if it is really ghosts that he is afraid of, or something much deeper. Was the girl in blue a true ghost, or a symptom of his weakened mental state? Is it possible that she is simply a visual representation of all the ghosts that reside within him?

On the surface, Giving Up the Ghost may appear to simply be a young man’s obsession with ghosts and their existence. Ultimately, however, it is much more than that. Instead, it is the author’s journey to discovering himself, accepting all his failures in life, perceived and actual. He skillfully portrays his emotional state of mind, the anguish and pain he suffers come seeping from the pages. A truly remarkable memoir, Nuzum doesn’t sugar coat anything, instead giving an honest and straight forward account of his youth.

In the end, what is most remarkable of all is how Nuzum flourished and excelled as an adult; he now works for NPR and has appeared on CNN. His success, in my opinion, can be a sign of hope, a light at the end of the tunnel, for others suffering as he did.

Bottom line: Giving Up the Ghost is a truly compelling, addictive, and yes, ultimately hopeful, memoir of a young man suffering from ghosts in his own closet. Highly recommended.

Check out the playlist Eric created to accompany his novel. As a child of the 80s, many of these songs were a blast from the past, taking me back to my own youth!

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing me the opportunity to review this book. Be sure to check out the other stops along the way!

Posted in Dial Press, Memoir, Review | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Adventures in Parenting: Top Ten Reasons I Love the First Day of School!

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Jenn

Today is the day I’ve been looking forward to since the beginning of summer break: the first day of school. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy a break from helping the boys with homework and all of their extra-curricular activities, I do. That said, in my opinion things are easier, at least for me, when the boys have things to do in the evening to entertain themselves and occupy their time…other than to bother me or one another.

When school is in session, I never hear “Mom, I’m bored” or “I have nothing to do.” Evenings are spent quietly curled up with a book (me) while the boys diligently (snicker, snicker) complete their homework. So, while reminiscing about my most memorable first day of school, I came up with the following top ten list:

Top Ten Reasons I Love the First Day of School!

1. Regaining a regular routine. Granted, our schedule is a busy one. In the summer, however, things pop up randomly and out of the blue. Our school season schedule is fairly regular. We know we have something to do every evening, who needs to do it, and when.

2. Back to School Supply Shopping! Hello, new pens, notebooks & post-its? Yes, please!

3. New Clothes Shopping! Yes, I’m one of those sick parents who actually likes taking her children clothes shopping. They both have their own individual personality and taste in clothes. And, despite the fact they are no longer babies or toddlers, I do like dressing them up in great outfits.

4. Reading Lists! Yep, I like these too. I especially like reading along with my boys.I’m especially excited about my oldest son’s English class this year. They have to pick a book outside what is assigned & do some sort of report about it. This report can be a comic strip, a video, a book review…as long as they are writing about the book they read the format is limitless!

5. Book Orders! Do you see a theme here? They’re back…I look forward to these all summer! I’ll never get too old for Scholastic Book Orders!

6. First Day of School Pictures! One of my favorite traditions; we take a picture of the boys on the first day of school, typically in front of their school. This year, I took one of the boys together just outside our house:

L-R: Justin (second grade) & John (seventh grade)

7. Enthusiasm! I’m lucky in that both of my boys were thrilled to go back to school. I love seeing the happiness in their eyes when they see their friends for the first time since school ended, the joy in walking around the school and meeting new teachers.

8.Witnessing Learning in Action! That moment when my boys discover something new, learn a new and exciting fact. The wonder and amazement in their eyes is breathtaking. Pure bliss.

9. Reliving my own school years.I’m not going to lie and state I had the best school years. I had some great ones as well as some not so great ones. Sharing these experiences with my children, however, make me more “human” to them…and they see me as a person, just not their Mom. I can sympathize with many of the things they are going through and we use these teachable moments as time to talk, one-on-one, further nurturing our relationship.

10. Watching my boys grow. Reflecting back on previous first day of school pictures, looking at school photos and the artwork they’ve produced over the years, I see my boys growing leaps and bounds before my very eyes. It is moments like this that I say to myself, and to my husband: We did it. We really did it. We ARE excellent parents.

So, what are some of your favorite back to school/first day of school memories or traditions?

Posted in Adventures in Parenting | Tagged | 7 Comments

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week?

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Jenn

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week? This is a weekly event to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read, and the books to be finish this week. It is hosted by Sheila from One Person’s Journey Through a World of  Books so stop by and join in!

Books Completed Last Week

A Killing in the Hills by Julia Keller
Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness (audio)
The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison (review)
The Midwife of Hope River by Patricia Harman

Currently Reading


Giving Up the Ghost: A Story about Friendship, 80s Rock, a Lost Scrap of Paper, and What It Means to Be Haunted by Eric Nuzum
Worth Dying for by Lee Child (audio)

Books to Complete This Week

Hemingway’s Girl by Erika Robuck
Seven Days by Deon Meyer
Breed by Chase Novak

What are you reading this week?

Posted in It's Monday What Are you Reading This Week | 6 Comments

Review: The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Jenn

  • Hardcover:288 pages
  • Publisher:Algonquin Books (August 28, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 1616200391
  • Source: Publisher

At thirty-nine, Benjamin Benjamin has nothing. He lost his wife and his children after a horrible tragedy. Desperate for a job, he enrolls in a night class called The Fundamentals of Caregiving. In addition to the medical aspect of caregiving, the course taught him how to maintain professionalism by keeping a physical and emotional barrier up when working with a client.

After Ben is assigned to his first client, a nineteen year old boy named Trevor suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, he quickly learns that his night course did little to prepare him to deal with the emotions faced by a client with such an illness. Eventually, Ben and Trev form a relationship that quickly crosses the boundaries of what would be acceptable, a close friendship. Together, Ben and Trev embark upon a cross-country van trip to visit Trev’s incapacitated father. Along the way they stop by several “must-see” local attractions. After meeting a few wayward individuals, their journey becomes quite the interesting adventure, including a birth and a several hundred mile pursuit by a Buick Skylark.

Ultimately, however, the trek across the country was more than just a physical journey, but a mental and emotional one for all characters involved. Seeing that he had a purpose in life, that his existence was meaningful, Ben learned to forgive himself for the accident that took his children from him. Trev experiences a sort of rebirth after forming a meaningful and rewarding relationship.  Additionally, the idea that his father, the man that left him and his mother after Trev’s illness got too difficult, was now too incapacitated truly healed the relationship between this father and son.

What truly makes this novel remarkable is the role vehicles have with Ben, one of the central characters. It was a vehicle that completely ruined his life and, years later, it is a vehicle that provides him the mechanism and opportunity to heal.

Evison has created a truly enriching novel filled to the brim with incredibly flawed, emotionally damaged characters. He uses flashbacks to reveal Ben’s history, but the act that truly altered his life isn’t revealed near the end of the novel. The timing of this added an intensity to the novel that compelled the reader to continue on. It wasn’t until Ben was mentally prepared to deal with the tragedy that it was revealed to readers.

What could have potentially been a truly down and depressing novel is instead a humorous, uplifting story filled with rich and quirky characters. Highly recommended.

Posted in Algonquin Books, Literary Fiction, Review | 2 Comments

Update your Feeds!

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Jenn
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After years of frustration and indications that Google will no longer support/run Feedburner, I took a leap and moved to FeedBlitz, a fee-based service. Please be sure to update your feed to this address:  http://feeds.feedblitz.com/feedburner/jennsbookshelves.  Clicking on this link will also allow you to subscribe to my blog via email, if you prefer.

I will shut down the Feedburner feed in early September so please be sure to make the switch before then so you can continue to receive updates!

 

Thanks!

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Review: Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Jenn

  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (August 21, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 125000621
  • Source: Publisher

Budo is the best friend of eight year old Max Delaney. A loyal friend, Budo is by Max’s side whenever he needs him. What sets Budo apart from a child’s typical friend is that he is imaginary, visible only to Max and other imaginary friends.

“…we are a different kind of real. It’s a kind of real that adults don’t understand, so they just assume we’re imaginary.”

Max, too, is different. He doesn’t like to be touched, even by his loving parents. Normal social situations are awkward for Max, causing him to “get stuck,” Budo the only individual that can calm him.  Some doctors say he as Aspergers, others say he’s “on the spectrum.” None of this matters to Budo, for Max is quite literally his sole purpose for existing. Budo protects Max from the school bully, comforts him when he gets “stuck,” scopes out the bathroom before Max enters.

While Max still attends a public school, due to his challenges he seeks assistance from a special learning center housed in his school. Budo joins him every day for his special sessions with Mrs. Patterson, the teacher who works with Max on a daily basis.  It’s Mrs. Patterson’s job to help Max, yet she takes this to a whole new level, abducting Max from the school. She doesn’t agree with how Max’s parents have been raising him and feels she is the only person qualified to care for him. It is up to Budo, and a host of other imaginary friends, to save Max and return him to the safety of his home.

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend is told from the viewpoint of Budo, a truly remarkable imaginary friend. At over five years of age, Budo is ancient in the world of imaginary friends. Others like him comment on how realistic, how human he looks. Despite being a  product of Max’s imagination, Budo is quite informed and intelligent. Since he is invisible to all adults he has the ability to see how they behave and interact, learning from their actions, picking up on the slightest differences and changes.  Though, always on the back of his mind is the point in time which Max will no longer need him and he will cease to exist.  He’s witnessed this happening to other imaginary friends; they start to fade and ultimately disappear. Unsure of what happens once an imaginary friend is no longer needed, Budo is terrified of his fate.

All of this is forgotten when Max, his person, is abducted.  He must overcome the challenges that come with being an invisible and imaginary friend to find and help rescue Max, despite the end results. He must prioritize the happiness of Max above his own wants and desires.

Reading the premise, one might think this is a silly, whimsical sort of novel. It is far, far more than that. Full of emotion and depth, this novel captured my heart instantly. There are quite a few bits of silliness (including an entire chapter revolving around poop) but the periods of overwhelming love and friendship are in the majority. Additionally, there are several suspense filled chapters, all in all forming a incredibly well-crafted novel. This novel, at just over 300 pages, tackles a number of incredibly “big” topics above that of Asperger’s, including the power of imagination, love, trust, friendship and more. Also paramount is the topic of letting go; not only does Budo have to learn to “let go” of Max when the time comes but Max’s parents, especially his father, have to “let go” and allow themselves to accept the uniqueness of their son.

Bottom line: Dicks has created a truly unique and rewarding novel in Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend. I have formed a bond with Budo and with Max, a seemingly unrealistic relationship considering they are fictional characters. Don’t scoff…but read the book and you’ll understand. This book is destined to top my favorites of 2012 list. My attempt to express my love for this novel in words can never truly capture just how much I adored this novel. Highly, highly recommended.

Thanks to the lovely people over at Macmillan audio, sample the audio book of this truly phenomenal novel.

 

Side note: I received a galley for review, which has a different cover than the one pictured above. I won’t get started on my preference, but when my oldest son saw it, he was inspired to draw his own picture of his “imaginary friend.” I couldn’t resist sharing it…

 

Posted in Review, St. Martin's Press | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Review: One Last Thing Before I Go by Jonathan Tropper

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Jenn

Preorder Now!

  • Hardcover: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Dutton Adult (August 21, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 0525952365
  • Source: Publisher

Drew Silver, once the drummer for a one-hit wonder of a band, now makes his living playing at weddings. Middle aged, he lives in an depressing apartment complex made up of other divorced men. His teenage daughter, Casey, despises him. He was the first to learn she was pregnant for he is the last one she is worried about disappointing. His ex-wife, Denise, is about to remarry, to a man Silver despises. All in all, Silver’s life sucks.

Then Silver learns he is dying…well, sort of. He has a tear in his aorta that causes him to experience a number of little strokes. Emergency surgery can repair this tear but Silver has no interest in it; why go through all the effort when he has no interest in continuing his life? Instead, he plans to continue living just as he had, waiting for the stroke that ends it all. He has good intentions, really.

His decision shocks his family, his daughter so concerned about his mental stability that she moves in with him. Silver embarks upon a “to-do” list of sorts, things he must do before he dies, including being a better man, a better father, to truly fall in love. Is it possible to do all of these things before he dies?

Don’t let this summary make this book sound like a dark and depressing novel, for it’s the complete opposite. Tropper does a tremendous job of capturing the dull and depressing life of a middle-age man, but in a truly genuine manner. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, but Tropper uses a great deal of humor to express the tragedy that has fallen upon Silver. The humor is witty, sometimes dark and sometimes a bit..crass, but it is so expertly balanced with spans of thoughtful moments in which Silver recounts the errors he made in the past.

Additionally, while the overall outcome is extremely predictable, it is the journey that Silver takes, and the reader alongside him, that makes the experience worthwhile. Silver goes from an incredibly crass, selfish and lonely man to a truly remarkable one. The path he takes on this journey is full of wrong turns, dead ends, etc., making the end result truly spectacular.

Silver’s character is one that, despite his many, many, many faults, you can’t help but sympathize with. He’s crass, annoying, belligerent…frankly, he’s an ass. That said, he’s an incredibly endearing ass…one that will make every reader look back and be thankful for the life they’ve been given.

This is one of those books that will have you laughing one moment, tears rolling down your cheeks the next. A truly phenomenal novel-highly recommended.

 

Posted in Dutton, General Fiction | Tagged , , | 3 Comments