Eric Goodman (2)

What struck me most about this book was the love with which it was written. The narrator (mainly Jack) came through with great clarity, and it was obvious how much he cared about his family, which, in turn, made it easy for me to care too. But more than that, it seemed to me that the author felt an extreme compassion for his characters, even the antagonists, and made no move to pass judgment on their thoughts or actions, which I personally appreciated. Make no mistake: this is definitely a show more very raw novel, with an extremely blunt approach to topics like adultery, masturbation, underage sex and prostitution, but I think its strength lies in the fact that it refuses to pull any punches. [full review on my bloghref>] show less

Loved this book. Being in the area geographically, it was easy to be with the mother as she took her calming drives and as a child who grew up on the fringes of social groups, easy to relate to the pained adolescence. Having friends who are gay, I was sympatheic to the difficulties that the young man had to endure to be himself, but celebrated as he came through it to discover his true self.