Review: Not for everyone, but a good first novel.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 19, 2014
John Meany's fist attempt  at a novel is quite good.  I enjoy finding new authors and first novels, as it is quite thrilling to discover a new favorite.  This author and book did not let me down.It is the story of a single mother battling the demons of mental illness as seen through the eyes of her young son (age 10.)  The interesting twist is that we first see the narrator's mother as a woman with a bad temper, and only as the story progresses does it become clear that there is something just not right with her.I will state that this story involves the sexual abuse of the son.  It is a very sensitive subject, and many readers may want to avoid this book for that reason.  The author tackles a delicate subject head on, does it bravely, and handles it well.  Still, the abuse scene is rather detailed, and I think that a potential reader has the right to be aware of that before buying the book.I found myself drawn in, mainly because I wanted to understand the mother and her behavior, which always seemed off kilter, and often wrong for the immediate situation.  I wanted to know how she reacted to the abuse, and how the young boy/narrator described and reacted to it.  I do think the author captured both parts well.  (Note: As a former child welfare attorney, I have worked with kids who were sexually abused, and am aware of the range of emotions and responses to the abuse.  That's why this story piqued my interest.)Overall, a very interesting, quite different book.