Michael Carroll (8)

Full disclosure -- I know the author, a little. But I wouldn't have kept reading if these stories hadn't grown on me more and more as I read. By halfway through, I was in that state where I resented everything that required me to put the book down. Perhaps because we are of an age, I really appreciated his approach and tone. The writing's good but not self-consciously literary, like it was written for an MFA workshop. They are sometimes grim but I didn't feel like that was for shock value or show more an effect. It came across like telling truths about individual lives, which is kind of the point of fiction, right? I hope this book gets the audience it deserves. show less