Peter Brown Hoffmeister

Grades: 9-12
Literary Merit: Very Good
Characterization: Excellent

“Little” McCardell has never known his father, his mother is dead, his older brother JT is in jail, and his grandfather “Big” is missing. The local sheriff believes that Big was mixed up in something illegal, which Little knows is probably true, and he questions Little and threatens to make his life difficult if he can’t dig up information about Big’s whereabouts. Little’s life mostly revolves around taking care of show more his cousin Willa, who lives next door to him with her alcoholic parents, and making a half hearted attempt at high school, which is a constant struggle for him. He makes a cursory effort to question some of Big’s associates, but then JT’s release from jail and the reappearance of his ex-girlfriend Rowan complicate Little’s life even further.

Set in rural Idaho, Too Shattered for Mending, is a grim look at a slice of life not often examined in YA literature. Though it isn’t front and center, the opioid epidemic provides the backdrop for the story as it seems to be related to Big’s disappearance. Domestic violence, child neglect, and sexual abuse are all present though they don’t occur on the page nor are they described explicitly. Hoffmeister succeeds in creating realistic characters that cannot be defined as simply good or evil. JT, whose violence towards a loved one gets him thrown in jail, clearly loves his brothers and is willing to make sacrifices for him. Even Aunt Derlene, who mostly adheres to the stereotypical qualities of poor white trash, has her moment of humanity. For most of these characters, there is no hope for a better life, but Little might be able to find some happiness if only he can survive his family. Recommended for teens who have an interest in the dark underbelly of modern life. show less

While the non-linear flow may present some challenges for linear thinkers, it is well worth the pursuit. Tenaya lives in his memories almost as much as in his current world, but it is no wonder considering the traumatic event which affected his family about 12 years ago.
There are plenty of references to Yosemite NP landmarks and rock climbing for people who enjoy outdoor activities.
The main character, Tenaya, is named after an historic person of the Yosemiti tribe who resisted the white show more incursion.
I tagged this "Native American" even tho the author isn't identified as belonging to a tribe and it is not certain whether Tenaya belongs to a dispersed tribe or if it is just a construct in his father's mind. In any event, there is a minor theme of the conflict between the Miwoks and the Yosemitis (and how the Park Service conflates the 2 separate tribes). Chapters begin with a few paragraphs of the time of the original conflict and coming of the white soldiers. Likely Hoffmeister wrote these, tho he does give acknowledgement at the end to an historic account.
If you enjoyed the premise of Edward Abbey's "Monkeywrench Gang", you'll be cheering in this book, though Tenaya has no specific agenda for halting development in the park but gets carried away at a few moments. In fact, his impulsiveness, his lack of thought about consequences is one of the downsides of this tale for me. After 20? years (time isn't nailed down too firmly, tho he does admit to being 20 near the end)being an outsider observing tourist children & visitors he has one affair after another with 2 women who approach him. Of course, there are repercussions, but by the end I'm willing to believe they were meant to happen. The question of free will is another minor theme. show less

Hmmm. Disjointed and confusing. A grueling childhood and adolescence, which could have been well-told and interesting (and has been before in better memoirs), but wasn't. The best part for me was the afterword, which was tight, illuminating and redemptive.

Some creepy cache because the author lives and teaches in my town and his father is well-respected here, but otherwise, not very worthwhile.

Oof. This was, indeed, "A gripping—and gritty—literary mystery." Excellent writing, but also a good reminder why I don't read this type of book very often. Oof.