A review by alanfederman
Don't Skip Out on Me by Willy Vlautin

4.0

As always, the Nervous Breakdown Bookclub comes through with a powerful novel from a writer I've never before read - Willy Vlautin. It's a beautifully written, yet sparse novel about a troubled boy/young man who is adopted by a sheep rancher. The boy (Horace and sometimes Hector) has dreams of being a prize fighter but continually deals with his abandonment by his parents and his mixed heritage (half Native American/half Irish). His adopted father, Eldon Reese, is a kind man who does his best to bring out the best in Horace and help him find his way. No more on the plot - spoilers may occur.