Book Reivew #9

Middle Son by Deborah Iida

I took this book home with me from the library for two reasons: it was an ALA Notable Book of the Year and it took place in Hawaii, where I'm going tomorrow for my honeymoon.

The book is a bit too raw for my tastes, and too depressing. I mean, I already read the newspaper this morning, I need a break. It's not like I want to watch CNN and then go read As I Lay Dying.

I got to about page 40 before I couldn't take it anymore. The narrator's mother is dying, he's coping with both the loss of his brother who died at age 12 and the wrenching event of his other brother given to an aunt when he was only a week old. Plus, it's dialogue heavy and the dialogue is pure broken-English which I am not that fluent in.

Length of time to read before banishing from my presence: A few hours
General consensus: Horribly depressing.