Citrus County

Nobody in Citrus County seems to fit comfortably in the world. Mr. Hibma, a caustic middle-school geography teacher, burnt-out at twenty-nine and full of plots to kill another teacher. Toby and Shelby, students in the same school, adrift and friendless, except for each other. Both have lost their mothers, Shelby to an unnamed tragedy – and now her young sister has gone missing. “Her and her father’s lives were a series of injuries and insults to those injuries.”

Toby is actually fatherless too, and lives with his uncle, a hemlock-growing, banana-peel smoking misanthropic depressed hermit.

Few of the adults in their lives have set much an example: “Toby did not deny that Uncle Neal was crazy. But Shelby’s aunt sounded crazy. show more Her dad was crazy, now. Coach Scolle was an asshole. Mr. Hibma was a weirdo. In the northern part of the county there were churches full of Pentecostals who handled snakes.”

Like even normal adolescents, Toby and Shelby are even uneasy with each other: “You look flustered.” Shelby said. “Before I knew you, I never took you for such a flustered dude.”
“Before I knew you, I wasn’t,” said Toby.

Citrus County has a swampy air of tragedy, tempered with humor, humanity and vibrant writing. show less

Probably my biggest disappointment of the year, Citrus County by John Brandon was not the book I was hoping for. A confusing and convoluted story of two high school students. Shelby is a girl with a good reputation who gets good marks in school and is responsible and considerate. Toby comes from way beyond the tracks, has no family except a very strange suicidal uncle and is constantly in trouble, considered cunning rather than smart. Toby has plans however and before long he has abducted Shelby’s younger sister. Throughout the book we see how these two slowly reverse roles as Toby learns he has to stay out of trouble and be responsible for the child he has taken while Shelby struggles with her family falling apart and feeling like show more nothing is worthwhile. She rarely bothers to show up to school, lets her schoolwork slid and becomes surly and troublesome.

Meanwhile there is one other storyline to follow, that of Mr. Hibma. This geography teacher who hates teaching and spends his class time fantasizing about murdering Mrs, Conner, the rule orientated English teacher who regards Mr Hibma as a less than desirable addition to the school. He appears to be at a crossroad in his life but is lacking any interest in finding a direction to follow.

I never connected with the story or the characters in this book. I found the fact that the abducted little girl was never given a voice, was little more than a plot device rather distasteful. I have had Citrus County on my shelves for some time and was looking forward to it as it has received a great deal of praise from the critics and an Alex Award nomination, unfortunately this wasn’t a book for me. show less

Citrus County focuses on the lives of three main characters--Shelby, a new girl in school who finds the popular girls boring and wants to create her own life; Toby the rebellious young teen who is so fascinating to Shelby (one of my favorite descriptions is this: "Toby was addicted to petty hoodlism."); and Mr. Hibma, a 2nd year teacher who feels that he is just playing a role, and is not really a teacher at all (and he also hides a secret desire to make his life feel more real by committing a terrible crime). In clear, straightforward prose, Brandon tells their stories, and interweaves their lives. Both Toby and Shelby are motherless--Toby lives with his rather crazy Uncle Neal, and Shelby with her dad and little sister. When yet show more another tragedy strikes Shelby's family, she turns to Toby for solace and adventure, never dreaming the secrets he is hiding.

The setting, too, plays an important role in Brandon's novel. It's the part of Florida with no condos and no themeparks; no ocean and no tourists--just backwater, redneck woods where Toby spends much of his time.

It's a rare treat to get into the minds of these three fascinating characters! show less

Loved the writing - simple but with impact. Three people who don't fit in find themselves in Citrus County, rural down at the heels Florida. Toby is a native and Shelby and Mr. Hibma ended up there in an attempt to try and be someone else. Brandon draws you into their lives and when Toby kidnaps Kaley, Shelby's sister, it gets tense but Brandon draws it out to great effect. I loved that he didn't rush the ending.

3.5 A shocking plot in pointedly clean, unemotional prose. Brandon manages an engaging book with worthwhile characters out of a specifically boring world. A sort of inverse of [b:Crime and Punishment|11461040|Crime and Punishment|Fyodor Dostoevsky|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1308615629s/11461040.jpg|16395182], this book fits well with my idea of the danger of being loved. Worth it for Shelby.

I liked this book, but I did not like that the "bad guy" got away with it. Very creepy. I felt like the author gave him waaaay too much sympathy, which I didn't feel like he deserved. Still, it was interesting, and well written, so I can't complain too much.

fantastic novel of three characters in rural Florida who are seeking meaning and connections. I loved the middle school teacher who acknowledges that he is deficient-- "not a real teacher". And just as interesting, there are two motherless teenagers who rebel and think that perhaps a life of crime will garner them attention and the help they are desperately crying out for. terrific sense of place-- John Brandon is an author to watch.