Author: Seth C. Adams
There is some language in this book that might be very offensive to most people. But....let's be truthful here...there is no middle school or group of tweens/teens where at least some (or even all) of those words don't get used during a fight or disagreement. At times, those words are used in normal conversation even. In fact, I've heard those terms (and worse) used in the lyrics of songs that kids listen to. Wanting a more diverse and kind world is a great thing to strive for....but there is no magic wand you can wave and take hurtful words kids hurl at each other out of the mix. Fat kids are going to be called fat and be subjected to hurtful things. Kids are mean. Wanting them to not be that way doesn't take that magically away and leave middle school and those final years before adulthood a kind, nurturing, happy place and time. It has never been a perfect, happy place for anybody.....but it's a learning time, a place of lessons and memories that last a life time. Good and bad. And the strongest, best friendships, too. To rate down a book because it uses terms that kids actually use saying "It's 2018'' and a book shouldn't use those words.....that's akin to censorship and it's asking authors to make books based on a fake, cleansed picture of the world. Now....did the story get just a bit over-the-top and trope-y with a few of the characters like the racist, corrupt, disgusting sheriff ? Yes. But, do teen boys hear and say words like retarded, fat, gay, n*****, b*tch, and the like on a daily basis? Yes, they do. Do nerdy kids or those branded as "losers'' or fringe get picked on and targeted? Yes, they do. Wanting a kinder planet is unfortunately never going to take those words out of the English language and out of the arsenal that kids use against each other. Does it make those words the right thing to say? NEVER. But authors can't create stories based on a cleansed world that doesn't exist. Nothing good will come from that. Does that mean we have to accept and like words and actions like that? Of course not. But in writing a story about bullies and a group of kids outside the normal social circles, those words are realistic. If I sat in the center of my son's middle school at lunch time, I guarantee I would hear every single one of those words coming from kids in reference to other kids. It's unfortunate......but realistic. That being said....I think calling a character N***** Jim is going over the line. Really? I can tolerate that in Tom Sawyer because it's from another time. But in this book it was a cringe-worthy moment that pulled me out of the story. One step too far.
In fact, I felt this book went just that step too far several times. Events occurred that went just a step past reality towards melodramatic and bad trope. Actions and characters went just a step past believable towards ridiculous. The sheriff. The Collector. The bullies. Mobsters. Some portions of the story felt like a bad 1980's movie script.
I don't like it when books are marketed as "like Stephen King'' or "for lovers of" some bestseller or popular author. Nobody can pull off Stephen King plots but Stephen King. It was nothing like It or The Chalk Man. This book is just not up to that level of writing or story-telling. Is the story enjoyable? Most of it is. But at certain places, it failed....and failed hard.
All in all, this story was okay. I would read another book by this author. I think he needs to find his own voice and not strive to emulate his favorite authors. I'm giving it 3 stars based on the portions of the story I liked. The first half of the book was stronger than the last half.
**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Harper Impulse/Killer Reads via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
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