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3.26 AVERAGE
3.26 AVERAGE
This felt very "My Christ is pastde on YAY." Which is to say it is a novel that self-identifies as Christian, wherein the main character undergoes a religious re-affirmation- it just didn't feel organic to the story. Until the Jesus bit, the story reminded me of Dave Barry style hijinks, then BAM, Jesus! Church!
This novel is full of quirky characters--a little too quirky as I had trouble following their convoluted actions at times. Russell Fink, the main character, is a copier salesman with serious family issues, work/money issues, fiance issues, neighbor issues, and dog issues. It doesn't help that he feeds his dog dog biscuits soaked in liquor in the hopes that his dog's clairvoyant gift will give him guidance. Then when Russell's dog dies he is convinced someone killed him and goes off on a quest to find out what happened. He enlists a colorful cast of characters to do this, and along the way clears up his love life issues and his work issues and somehow manages to save his family from some sort of danger that I never fully understood.[return]The characters are fun and there are some good lines at times, but the plot is way too mish-mashed. I can't really recommend this.
Russell Fink is a man with many issues. He’s a hypochondriac. He sells office products for a living, a job he loathes. He’s engaged to a controlling actress wanna-be he's dated since high school. His mom is an alcoholic, his father a disgraced faith healer looking to re-enter the ministry and his brother has money problems, due to his gambling.
But the crux of Russell’s problems is the guilt he carries for the death of his twin sister years before and the anger he harbors toward God and his father, since neither one of them healed Katie. The grief over Katie’s death isn’t really buried in this family, but has wormed its way into their lives in destructive ways that still reverberate years later.
The only bright spots in his life are Geri, an old college friend he has secretly loved for years and his aging basset hound, Sonny. Both are two things Russell knows he can depend on in his chaotic world. But even those relationships change in drastic ways that leave Russell floundering to keep some sort of footing in his shifting world. Will he find solid footing once again or loose the only things that matter to him in this world?
This is the debut novel from author Michael Snyder and it’s a strong novel. He writes quirky characters with an off-kilter sense of humor. Some plot points and characters seem to evaporate as the book rollicks on, leaving the reader to wonder a bit about what happened, but not much.
My Name Is Russell Fink is a good debut novel and I look forward to reading more from this author.
But the crux of Russell’s problems is the guilt he carries for the death of his twin sister years before and the anger he harbors toward God and his father, since neither one of them healed Katie. The grief over Katie’s death isn’t really buried in this family, but has wormed its way into their lives in destructive ways that still reverberate years later.
The only bright spots in his life are Geri, an old college friend he has secretly loved for years and his aging basset hound, Sonny. Both are two things Russell knows he can depend on in his chaotic world. But even those relationships change in drastic ways that leave Russell floundering to keep some sort of footing in his shifting world. Will he find solid footing once again or loose the only things that matter to him in this world?
This is the debut novel from author Michael Snyder and it’s a strong novel. He writes quirky characters with an off-kilter sense of humor. Some plot points and characters seem to evaporate as the book rollicks on, leaving the reader to wonder a bit about what happened, but not much.
My Name Is Russell Fink is a good debut novel and I look forward to reading more from this author.
Solid read with a tale of faith journey as an integral part of the story. Russell's intimate experience with religion taints his view of Christ. Through family and friends he discovers his own relationship with God despite the short comings of modern day Christianity. This is a story of reconciliation and hope.
Michael Synder's first novel, My Name is Russell Fink, is dubbed "Christian Fiction" in some circles but don't let that dissuade you; it's quirky, neurotic, intense, and cleverly executed almost entirely throughout.
Let's introduce some characters to give you a full sense of what Synder does in this fun little book.
Russell Fink: Our hero and the teller of our tale. This young man has more issues than publishing clearinghouse. Seriously. I think they make medication for people like this. He is a hypochondriac who goes to the doctor almost as much as he actually shows up at his job - he's an office supply salesman and he isn't exactly happy about that either. He's an artist, of sorts, and like most artists, his muse is a woman. He lives with his parents. He blames himself for his twin sister's death (she died of cancer when they were young) and in addition to self-loathing, he has issues with his Bible-thumping TV evangelist father, alcoholic mother, gambler brother, and God. He loves his dog, Sonny, hates his neighbor, and has been head over heels for his college chum Geri for years.
Sonny: Old basset hound who prefers his dog biscuits soaked in vodka. He may or may not be clairvoyant. His murder sends Russell on a quest to find the culprit.
Alyssa: Russell's (ex) fiancee. Wannabe actress. Prom queen mentality. Every thing she does must be dramatic, including her on-again off-again relationship with Russell.
Peter Fink: Russell's older brother. Gambler (deeply in debt), coffee-shop owner, a bit shady, obsessed with winning a Pulitzer for his family memoirs. Hates Sonny. Subject of threatening letters.
Gary Fink: Russell's father. Pastor. Rose to fame when praying for a group of cancer-ridden patients, his daughter included. A large number of them were "healed" - his daughter was not one of the survivors. Desirous to be on TV.
Geri: Russell's best friend. Able to tell when the time zone changes whilst traveling. Makes her own clothes out of things like Canadian flags and Russell's old sweatshirts. Has a few secrets of her own.
Other characters include Russell's alcoholic mother, the neighbor who puts dog poop in the mailbox, Geri's cousin Dan - owner of the pet funeral home who tends to heat everything before eating it - including oranges, coworkers, a PI, and Russell's grandfather, a man who found Jesus while in prison for killing his wife.
The book runs quite smoothly until the end, where everything rushes into a neat and tidy conclusion, which does the book a disservice. But I would recommend it. Not a bad first novel. And certainly worthy of a beach read.
(This review originally appeared on my now defunct book review blog on 7/19/2012)
Let's introduce some characters to give you a full sense of what Synder does in this fun little book.
Russell Fink: Our hero and the teller of our tale. This young man has more issues than publishing clearinghouse. Seriously. I think they make medication for people like this. He is a hypochondriac who goes to the doctor almost as much as he actually shows up at his job - he's an office supply salesman and he isn't exactly happy about that either. He's an artist, of sorts, and like most artists, his muse is a woman. He lives with his parents. He blames himself for his twin sister's death (she died of cancer when they were young) and in addition to self-loathing, he has issues with his Bible-thumping TV evangelist father, alcoholic mother, gambler brother, and God. He loves his dog, Sonny, hates his neighbor, and has been head over heels for his college chum Geri for years.
Sonny: Old basset hound who prefers his dog biscuits soaked in vodka. He may or may not be clairvoyant. His murder sends Russell on a quest to find the culprit.
Alyssa: Russell's (ex) fiancee. Wannabe actress. Prom queen mentality. Every thing she does must be dramatic, including her on-again off-again relationship with Russell.
Peter Fink: Russell's older brother. Gambler (deeply in debt), coffee-shop owner, a bit shady, obsessed with winning a Pulitzer for his family memoirs. Hates Sonny. Subject of threatening letters.
Gary Fink: Russell's father. Pastor. Rose to fame when praying for a group of cancer-ridden patients, his daughter included. A large number of them were "healed" - his daughter was not one of the survivors. Desirous to be on TV.
Geri: Russell's best friend. Able to tell when the time zone changes whilst traveling. Makes her own clothes out of things like Canadian flags and Russell's old sweatshirts. Has a few secrets of her own.
Other characters include Russell's alcoholic mother, the neighbor who puts dog poop in the mailbox, Geri's cousin Dan - owner of the pet funeral home who tends to heat everything before eating it - including oranges, coworkers, a PI, and Russell's grandfather, a man who found Jesus while in prison for killing his wife.
The book runs quite smoothly until the end, where everything rushes into a neat and tidy conclusion, which does the book a disservice. But I would recommend it. Not a bad first novel. And certainly worthy of a beach read.
(This review originally appeared on my now defunct book review blog on 7/19/2012)