Stephen now dreamed in music, a clamor of remembered voices, a density of souls in which no individual spoke the truth, but in which the accumulated layers of lies and loss gave way to a truth rare and great and capable of stripping wounds from a part of the world. (Page 274)

Author Christopher Rice writes about four childhood friends growing up in New Orleans. The novel explores the social tensions of the New Orleans elite and how these effected children moving through adolescence into adulthood.

If, like me, you had a rocky and quasi-traumatic high school experience, this book will ring many bells for you. Rice sets the stage nicely by introducing the main characters as 13-year-olds and then tracing their journey through high school and in the years following.

I found the characters were a bit uneven – some were better developed than others. The plot drew the reader in and I quickly found myself absorbed in the story. There were a few eye-rolling moments when a turn of the plot was just too ludicrous, or over-the-top, and I found this detracted from the flow of the story. On the other hand, this gave the book an almost surreal flavour and it could be argued that this is part of the author’s original style.

I particularly enjoyed Stephen, the gay character. His thoughts and story are offered with a great deal of sensitivity and a deep understanding. In fact, of all the characters, Stephen seemed most genuine to me, and despite the traumas he endures, he remains real to the end.

From a simple reader’s perspective, this book is a great read, thoroughly absorbing. The plot is skillfully guided to a powerful conclusion and in the last few chapters, I found it impossible to pull myself away. This a nice addition to any summer reading list.

Just an aside: I was particularly impressed with the way the author forged his own style, in light of his family connections. Read the author’s bio on the dustjacket if you’re curious to know more – I don’t want to spoil it.

Another audiobook—a heartwrenching mystery about four childhood friends and the tradegy that entwines their lives. I usually only listen to my audiobooks during the commute to/from work, but this story was so engrossing that I just couldn’t shut it off.