A. M. Homes

Richard’s life is full of routine. So routine that life got tuned out. Then one day he got a health scare. His routine was broken. And so was forced to participate in life. To engage with people. Richard starts helping out people. So much so that he becomes known as the Good Samaritan, for the help he provided. Along the way he meets very interesting people who help him understand how to engage with others. But Richard also helps them. A cycle of positive reinforcement. What he learns from others helps him reconnect with his son. A moral lesson of the story is that even if you cannot help yourself, you can still help others. A book containing psychology and philosophy while experiencing a variety of strange events.

This is a very immersive story. Making the case that the expectations that people have of others does not mean that the expectations meet reality.… (more)

A. N. Homes wrote one of the most disturbing novels, I think, of all time-- one that takes you into the mind of two pedophiles and shows you their world and strange, sick logic. It is not for the faint of heart, not for the weak of spirit, and not for those who want to see a pedophile condemned.

It isn't five stars sheerly for the subject matter, and that's the same reason I write this review -- to warn those who might read this, not knowing what they're going to get into. I don't really feel like glorifying a work wrapped around a pedophile's life or the empathy one can find with him. Still, the writing was sound, the book engrossing -- much like a trainwreck is.… (more)