Reviews

Dead Serious by Michael Malone

jimmiethekidd's review against another edition

4.5

Michael Malone, in his debut novel Dead Serious, takes a knife down his torso and holds a window for us to look through; courageously allowing the reader to peer in and see his beauty, pain, fear and journey of healing. It's brutally vulnerable, sprinkled with just enough humor to make it hard to put down. At times it's uncomfortable, but only from the identification you feel from some of the darker and honest places Malone is willing to share. Just when you think you might need a break, he catches you off guard with a literal laugh-out-loud (or at least an audible exhale), almost like he knows you're about to put the book down and says "It's alright, stay with me here" reminding you to remember you to laugh and "be in the moment." There's many beautiful passages and liners that can be used as a daily mantra or affirmation, but one that's stuck with me since finishing the book is "You can not compare the outside of others to the inside of you." 
Whether you're currently weathering a storm, feeling one coming ahead, or have calmed the clouds around you - you'll find value in this charming read.