Scan barcode
A review by miam
Waylaid by Ed Lin
4.0
I read this book in less than a day because I couldn't put it down (and yes, it's also very short), but even as I devoured it, I couldn't decide how I felt about it. While it takes place in a fascinating world, I've never really loved these gritty coming-of-age stories about pre-teen boys whose lives seem to revolve around masturbation. (Maybe they're ruined by the fact that I have two younger brothers and I just don't like to think too hard about any of it.)
But this book is more than grit for the sake of grit. The narrator's unsentimental style makes his observations all the more poignant, and the last chapter--revelatory in a quiet, nothing-happens-but-everything-happens sort of way--brought everything together for a satisfying (and devastating) ending.
My only complaint by the end is that this book is (physically) so tightly bound that it's like a hand workout to keep it open wide enough to read. I'm glad Kaya's binding is different now!
But this book is more than grit for the sake of grit. The narrator's unsentimental style makes his observations all the more poignant, and the last chapter--revelatory in a quiet, nothing-happens-but-everything-happens sort of way--brought everything together for a satisfying (and devastating) ending.
My only complaint by the end is that this book is (physically) so tightly bound that it's like a hand workout to keep it open wide enough to read. I'm glad Kaya's binding is different now!