Overall, it's a pretty good book. I think it gets a little carried away with
trying to be "bleak" and "gritty" to a point where it almost verges on
feeling a little adolescent. However, even at its extremes, I felt as if it
was trying to be honest rather than reveling in the misery of the world.
Jack was an interesting protagonist but I personally found Billy to be more
compelling. I think that, together, they constitute an interesting
perspective whereas apart they feel a little lop-sided. I wish their
relationship lasted longer or was at least explored with more depth.
Jack works a lot better as a character when he has someone he likes to
bounce off of. This is probably why the part of the book I most enjoyed was
his relationship with Sally in the last third. I was surprised to find out
that Carpenter was able to express the feeling of being in love in a way the
resonated with me so much. Although, given the overall tone of the novel,
the way their relationship ended wasn't the gut-punch I think the author
expected it to be. I was painfully aware that Carpenter couldn't bring
himself to write a happy ending. Not that a happy ending could have been
right for this book, of course. Just that, the notion that one was possible
would have made the actual ending much more effective. I do wish Sally was a
little less cruel, though. So that must count for something.
Numericalratingsarefordorks/10