A review by emscji
Edisto by Padgett Powell

4.0

2/22/10: Edisto is often compared to Catcher in the Rye, as it is a story about a 12-year-old boy, written in the first person, about life and its mysteries (and adventures) But Simons Manigault is funnier, fresher, and more charming than Holden Caulfield, and coastal South Carolina, where Edisto is set (Edisto is the name of the town) is a fascinating place. Or at least Powell makes it sound that way. Simons is curious, wise, naive--eager to find answers to the big questions (which are, of course, about girls, sex, drinking, adulthood, and himself)--but never cynical. Sometimes laugh out loud funny, sometimes confusing, but most of the time poignant and even a bit painful, Edisto creates a memorable character in a memorable place.