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missmree's review against another edition
4.0
Still not quite sure what I think of this book… Especially since it was a gift selected for me because of similarities in my own writing. Hm.
stephsj's review against another edition
5.0
I think I heard about Citrus County from a Buzz Feed-esque list containing “15 Examples of Modern Southern Gothic Literature.” Southern Gothic is one of my favorite things on Earth and I had just gotten back from a trip to Florida, so this seemed like the natural progression of things. I was nervous, however – I’ve got it in my head that something is not truly Southern Gothic unless it was written before 1963. This rule is arbitrary – I made it up – but it seems right, somehow.
I will be revising that rule thanks to John Brandon’s sophomore novel – Citrus County is so good.
The setting was vibrant and dangerous in all of the ways you want the backwoods of Florida to be. In an early college fiction workshop, a teacher told me that I needed to tone it down a bit – I was describing unfortunate scenarios and places so grotesquely that I was verging on the insensitive. This really stuck with me; the last thing I want to do is alienate or belittle readers. Brandon is a master of finding this balance. He can describe the forlorn, impoverished quality of Uncle Neal’s house without being offensive. He can describe the tacky neighborhood mall without seeming spiteful.
Sometimes the adolescent characters are more resolute than they should be. I was never really able to grasp how old Toby and Shelby are. We’re explicitly told what grade they’re in, but I don’t think that mattered. Sometimes they are simplistic and sometimes they are wise beyond their years. Perhaps this is the nature of of middle school though – a nonsensical combination of the complex and childlike. Toby and Shelby flit between adult conjectures and a child’s selfishness, often within the space of a sentence. If we are trying to stay within the Southern Gothic atmosphere, I would say that this characterization of Shelby and Toby as being serious, yet childlike fits well within the realm of the genre. Children and childlike figures are so prevalent in Southern Gothic literature (see: To Kill a Mockingbird, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter) – they allow us to explore the simple truths Southern Gothic is fixated on in an unbiased, uncorrupted way. Southern Gothic is all about exploring the nastiest, most horrendous things through the clearest lens. Shelby and Toby allow us to do that, but it is still unsettling to continually question how old our main characters are.
I also noticed that many websites classify this novel as YA. That really surprised me! I guess it could be YA – there are young characters, the writing is accessible, but I thought that calling this YA was like calling The Heart is a Lonely Hunter YA. I just wasn't seeing it.
What most impressed me about Citrus County was Brandon’s ability to rationalize the horrific. I felt like Toby was almost justified in kidnapping Kaley. I never felt that he was committing evil. Horror, to me, is when you find yourself sympathizing with the heinous. I felt like the crime Toby committed was a key aspect to his development into an adult. I felt that it was a good thing that he kidnapped a girl – it showed him how to be himself. It provided Uncle Neal (one of my favorite characters) an outlet, Somehow, this all seemed satisfying – it seemed right.
www.bookpuke.com
I will be revising that rule thanks to John Brandon’s sophomore novel – Citrus County is so good.
The setting was vibrant and dangerous in all of the ways you want the backwoods of Florida to be. In an early college fiction workshop, a teacher told me that I needed to tone it down a bit – I was describing unfortunate scenarios and places so grotesquely that I was verging on the insensitive. This really stuck with me; the last thing I want to do is alienate or belittle readers. Brandon is a master of finding this balance. He can describe the forlorn, impoverished quality of Uncle Neal’s house without being offensive. He can describe the tacky neighborhood mall without seeming spiteful.
Sometimes the adolescent characters are more resolute than they should be. I was never really able to grasp how old Toby and Shelby are. We’re explicitly told what grade they’re in, but I don’t think that mattered. Sometimes they are simplistic and sometimes they are wise beyond their years. Perhaps this is the nature of of middle school though – a nonsensical combination of the complex and childlike. Toby and Shelby flit between adult conjectures and a child’s selfishness, often within the space of a sentence. If we are trying to stay within the Southern Gothic atmosphere, I would say that this characterization of Shelby and Toby as being serious, yet childlike fits well within the realm of the genre. Children and childlike figures are so prevalent in Southern Gothic literature (see: To Kill a Mockingbird, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter) – they allow us to explore the simple truths Southern Gothic is fixated on in an unbiased, uncorrupted way. Southern Gothic is all about exploring the nastiest, most horrendous things through the clearest lens. Shelby and Toby allow us to do that, but it is still unsettling to continually question how old our main characters are.
I also noticed that many websites classify this novel as YA. That really surprised me! I guess it could be YA – there are young characters, the writing is accessible, but I thought that calling this YA was like calling The Heart is a Lonely Hunter YA. I just wasn't seeing it.
What most impressed me about Citrus County was Brandon’s ability to rationalize the horrific. I felt like Toby was almost justified in kidnapping Kaley. I never felt that he was committing evil. Horror, to me, is when you find yourself sympathizing with the heinous. I felt like the crime Toby committed was a key aspect to his development into an adult. I felt that it was a good thing that he kidnapped a girl – it showed him how to be himself. It provided Uncle Neal (one of my favorite characters) an outlet,
Spoiler
even though that outlet was death.www.bookpuke.com
lv00009's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
shawntowner's review against another edition
5.0
A book that I could literally not put down until I finished reading it. One of the main characters is a lazy, mediocre teacher who is plotting the murder of a veteran co-worker, so maybe that made it easy for me to identify with the novel.
woodlandglitter's review against another edition
3.0
This was beautifully written, but it was way too disturbing for me to really enjoy. I've been reading all sorts of books that deal with adolescent anomie, but none of them have been as convincing about it as this one, perhaps...
sarahcastic's review against another edition
4.0
More like a 3.5 probably, but I'll add a half for keepin' it bleak throughout.
hazelisreading's review against another edition
4.0
I called Second and Charles, a store of used books, CDs and other things. I wanted a copy of Citrus County, specifically a used, maybe even beat up, copy with yellowed pages. That's a requirement.
They didn't have it in stock, but the bookseller said, "Yea, I liked that book, but I'm not sure why."
Yes. That's how you explain this book. You like it, but you don't know why. This isn't a novel that you like per se. The story is just as it describes the entirety of Citrus County, Florida: unimpressive in a noteworthy way. But that's just it--it is impressive. It's subtly impressive. Unlike the last sort of Southern Gothic I read, The Serpent King, this novel doesn't spoon feed you meaning. It's just sitting there for you to pick up or ignore while captivating you with it's seemingly unremarkable though uncanny cast of characters. That's why I needed that yellowed copy because I have a borrowed digital copy I can't write notes in, but I want to pick up the meaning. I want to carve it out because this book was impressive in a noteworthy way, but I can't tell you exactly why.
Yet.
All I can say is that it's about life happening to *you* and all around *you* simultaneously for reasons that can't be comprehended because we live forwards instead of backwards, walking blindly into the future, just as we were (possibly) meant to no matter how unfair it seems.
They didn't have it in stock, but the bookseller said, "Yea, I liked that book, but I'm not sure why."
Yes. That's how you explain this book. You like it, but you don't know why. This isn't a novel that you like per se. The story is just as it describes the entirety of Citrus County, Florida: unimpressive in a noteworthy way. But that's just it--it is impressive. It's subtly impressive. Unlike the last sort of Southern Gothic I read, The Serpent King, this novel doesn't spoon feed you meaning. It's just sitting there for you to pick up or ignore while captivating you with it's seemingly unremarkable though uncanny cast of characters. That's why I needed that yellowed copy because I have a borrowed digital copy I can't write notes in, but I want to pick up the meaning. I want to carve it out because this book was impressive in a noteworthy way, but I can't tell you exactly why.
Yet.
All I can say is that it's about life happening to *you* and all around *you* simultaneously for reasons that can't be comprehended because we live forwards instead of backwards, walking blindly into the future, just as we were (possibly) meant to no matter how unfair it seems.
dbseattle's review against another edition
5.0
Having grown up in Citrus County, every page of this book was exciting to me. The story is outstanding, plot-wise. The characters are fully developed, which created perfect empathy. The setting captures the essence of life there - it's clear the author knew his surroundings. Sticker bushes, grasshoppers, weeds, walking the areas, small-town dynamics - all coming together so perfectly.
Additionally, the spirit of ennui is prevalent. This matches well with the sheer wall of limitations individuals experience there. No nearby metropolis. Swampy wilderness and typical fauna (and pests) are characters in and of themselves. It resonated to see a connection of ennui within each character's arc. Also a sense of purpose - an acceptance of their surroundings and fate. It removed much of the noise and uncertainty surrounding outsider thinking, and helped immerse the reader into the progression of events. I LOVED IT.
Additionally, the spirit of ennui is prevalent. This matches well with the sheer wall of limitations individuals experience there. No nearby metropolis. Swampy wilderness and typical fauna (and pests) are characters in and of themselves. It resonated to see a connection of ennui within each character's arc. Also a sense of purpose - an acceptance of their surroundings and fate. It removed much of the noise and uncertainty surrounding outsider thinking, and helped immerse the reader into the progression of events. I LOVED IT.