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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
A gritty look at the effects of the opioid epidemic, as seen through the eyes of a young boy, who has lost his mother to heroin, and takes refuge in an imaginary world of angels and demons. The arrival of a new teacher at school leads to hope, but in this story there are no easy answers, and no happy endings.
This book has a rather strong sense of place. You can feel the crushing effects of generational poverty on the boy and his family, as one uncle isolates himself from the world, while the other looks for a way out through dealing drugs. Violence is never far away, and there is a looming sense of despair and regret here.
The two main characters are the boy and another schoolteacher who attempts to help him after the first teacher is murdered. Both characters are sympathetic and engaging. The boy struggles to do what's right, while being pulled to away from that, bit by bit, bad decisions and bad luck piling up along the way. There is a third character with a voice, a volunteer firefighter who attempts to help solve the teacher's murder, but he ultimately disappears and is largely superfluous. Other characters in the book come and go, but none make too strong of an impression.
This is an immensely sad story. I read this as an audiobook, and the narrators gave a sensitive, emphathetic performance. Very moving.
This book has a rather strong sense of place. You can feel the crushing effects of generational poverty on the boy and his family, as one uncle isolates himself from the world, while the other looks for a way out through dealing drugs. Violence is never far away, and there is a looming sense of despair and regret here.
The two main characters are the boy and another schoolteacher who attempts to help him after the first teacher is murdered. Both characters are sympathetic and engaging. The boy struggles to do what's right, while being pulled to away from that, bit by bit, bad decisions and bad luck piling up along the way. There is a third character with a voice, a volunteer firefighter who attempts to help solve the teacher's murder, but he ultimately disappears and is largely superfluous. Other characters in the book come and go, but none make too strong of an impression.
This is an immensely sad story. I read this as an audiobook, and the narrators gave a sensitive, emphathetic performance. Very moving.
4.5
One of the first books that has kept my attention in a while. Beautiful writing, fully-recognized characters, but some of the plot points were a little too convenient for my taste.
Surprisingly different feel from Young’s first novel despite some similarities in the stories - this one felt very modern southwestern whereas her debut felt very 1930s/1990s New England (even though it was Minnesota…well, it felt cold). That impresses me, as so many authors get stuck in a setting that feels most comfortable for them and it feels repeated across their body of work.
One of the first books that has kept my attention in a while. Beautiful writing, fully-recognized characters, but some of the plot points were a little too convenient for my taste.
Surprisingly different feel from Young’s first novel despite some similarities in the stories - this one felt very modern southwestern whereas her debut felt very 1930s/1990s New England (even though it was Minnesota…well, it felt cold). That impresses me, as so many authors get stuck in a setting that feels most comfortable for them and it feels repeated across their body of work.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book after seeing it recommended in a Norwegian newspaper. I’ve never read anything by this author before. At first I expected the book to be about something supernatural because of the way it started. It turned out I was wrong about that. The story was told from three perspectives: Sal’s, Norah’s and Jake’s. the latter played a very small part and I didn’t really see the point of telling the story from his pow. Sal, the main character, whose mother killed herself on an overdose of heroin, was the most interesting character in the book but I he still lacked something. I think I was mostly disappointed by the ending of the book, it felt like it built up to something more than what came.
I don't normally fall for books involving drug rings, but this book is am amazing read, and as an educator, I love the fact the author instills a teacher does a lot more than teach academics.
Slow burn and not really for me. I wouldn’t recommend it either.
This book is excellently written. However, the content is *super* dark. I was looking for more suspense than anything, but there was a lot of disturbing content/imagery. Lots of despair & hopelessness, as well. Good book, overall, but not one that I’ll read again.
Would have been 5 stars right until the end, which just fell flat for me. Otherwise, this is a fantastic read. The mystery kept me engaged, the writing was gorgeous, and the characters all popped off the page, especially Sal.
