mountaincitybooks 's review for:

Goodnight, Nebraska by Tom McNeal

3.0

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Well, I feel bad that I didn't like this as much as other people did. Maybe if you are from a small town, it resonates more with you? I felt like some of the details didn't mean anything to the story but were there just for the sake of detail. I wanted this to have a big finish, that all the background I was reading up to that point would come together in some way as to mean something extraordinary. I am giving this 3 and 3/4 stars, I did really love Marcy's parents and their story, even though it ended so tragically. I was turned off by the kind of person Randy began to be and that he would be friends with the guys who hung out at The Eleventh Man bar. Based on his escaping such a dreadful life in Utah, I thought Randy was destined for a better life than that. I was just left with the feeling that living in a small town, you are doomed to live a dreadful life, which I don't think is true. I think the movie Tully, which is based on Tom McNeal's short story, does a much better job of helping you see the beauty of small town living. Having my brother in the movie helps, too (grin).