Momentous

by J.C. Cole

As we grow up, we become the collectors of memories. We keep the ones that matter and throw out the ones that don’t. The choices we make in our life rely on how we interpret our past, and what significance or meaning that we give to those memories. Momentous follows the life of a boy and his family as they come face to face with the many challenges of life growing up in eighties and nineties America. Their journey helps to discover which events in our lives forever shape us and rock us to the core of the person we will grow into.

222 pages, Paperback

Published October 8, 2023

About the author

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, J. C. Cole spent most of his young adult life dearly holding on to the art and music scenes of Seattle, Washington. After finishing his degrees, he worked as a school teacher, focusing on helping kids and families find their path in life. He met his beautiful wife and mother to their future two sons in the most unlikely of circumstances. They quickly married, and with nothing but two suitcases and the clothes on his back, he flew to Amsterdam to be with her. It was there where he took on the project to write his first book "Beginnings," a short-story anthology, followed by an interactive children's book and an award winning memoir. He has now returned back with his family to the PNW were he released his new novel titled, "Leaving Seattle." He has recently released a young adult Science Fiction novel titled "Ordell's Constellation." Cole's writing has been both awarded and published in several literary magazines to include, Writer's Workshop, Vine Leaves Press, La Piccoletta Barca, Metaworker, the 50 Years of Hip-Hop Anthology, and Instant Noodles.

Reviews

[Merve · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a stranger to growing up in America, I did not expect to resonate so much with the stories and characters in this book. After all, no matter where we live, the human experience of growing up, the struggles of coming of age isn’t so different it seems.
The author tells the stories in an incredibly articulate way. Love it.

[Tanya Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good characters, good plot line, brought back part of my growing up years.

[Rita · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a Goodreads Giveaway win. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book!

This book unfortunately read like it was a first draft. Proofreading and editing are sorely needed. There were many compound words split apart; idioms and metaphors used incorrectly; different tenses used in same paragraph, etc. It was poorly written, in short.

Positives: The first one or two paragraphs of each section, before the writer goes into the individual stories, were written much better than the stories themselves. The stories were interesting but would have been better served with sharper writing.

One last note: The synopsis states this is a nominee for the Pulitzer Prize for 2024. I wonder if the writer meant he submitted the novel as an entrant for this year's prize, which doesn't mean it's automatically a nominee. The Pulitzer isn't even announced until May, when they announce the winner and finalists at the same time.

Again, thank you for the book.

[Samantha The · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story about a boy living through the crazy and often scary world of grown ups. Dark and funny.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fictional story about a creative and imaginative boy growing up in a troubled and dysfunctional family. There is very little plot; just a series of remembered life events which range from merely sad to highly disturbing.

[Sebastian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read for those who are looking for something both hilarious and dark at the same time. I couldn't help but relate with how this book compared to my own life growing up, and how our memories can be interpreted in different ways. Highly Recommend!

[Flo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of a boy growing up with a lot of daddy issues. Although it sounds cliche', its something I think a lot of us can resonate with. I especially enjoyed the beginning of each chapter, and how they led into the narrative.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a hard read for me. I know someone that had similar youth experiences but far from as many advantages as the author. It pained me to read how awful his treatment of Kevin was - one of the few people that seemed to be a positive influence. Yet he (the author) treated him far worse than his bio dad.
It doesn't surprise me that he resorted to negative activities to get attention - so fairly common behavior. It's amazing to me that he somehow pulled himself together to become a college grad with a family. At 17, he sure didn't look like it would happen.
Glad I had the opportunity to read this as it was a giveaway.

[Selen | talesbysel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 crack stars 🌟

Themes: literary fiction, family, coming-of-age, addiction

This is an auto biography style fictional book, very different storytelling vs my comfort zone reads. Storyteller is a little trouble maker with a lot of deep thoughts.

I really enjoyed how each chapter started, finding myself highlighting more and more text. Book triggered a lot of memories and challenged me to reflect on my moments.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Momentous brought me on a roller coaster of emotions. Their were parts I found myself laughing out loud, and others on the verge of tears. The writing reads like a memoir with little bits of the author's take on how our memories work. I couldn't help but going back and rereading.

[Reader Views · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Momentous” by J. C. Cole, is a powerful Pulitzer Prize-nominated work of literary fiction that can serve as a mirror to many of our lives. On the surface, it’s about a boy growing up in the United States in the 1980s and 1990s and how those decades shaped him. It’s also about his experiences with gay siblings and a family fraught with issues. But underneath, it’s about the choices we make that are derived from memories and life experiences, and how strong and influential these memories can be.

This young man’s life journey may reflect yours in some way, and the psychological drama may resonate with you. As a person matures, some memories are kept and other memories are discarded. Some mean more than others. The way we view our past can inform our present self, even our future self.

Cole has an impressive way of weaving details into the fabric of this work of fiction, which reads as if it could be a true autobiography. The style is personable and has a lot of scenes and phrases that will make readers think about how they interpret their own lives based on memories and choices. Throughout the book, you’ll find slice-of-life, coming-of-age scenarios, as well as some introspective ones, told mostly through the experiences of various family members, like Uncle Don. There is an undertone of dark humor that helps us grasp the characters and their experiences.

Some of the events depicted are dramatic and life-changing. The challenges the family faces include some that you may have encountered: an absent father, a traumatized mother, the Mormon religion, and drug addiction. There are some poignant passages in the novel that stay with you and cause you to reflect, such as the notion of going back in time to change memories to prevent something from happening in the future.

The author’s descriptions of the many siblings are so well-written, vivid, and detailed that you feel as if you could know these people. The writing style has an intimate feel, yet the themes can be understood almost universally. There are so many specific scenes that are alive with imagery. For example, when oldest brother David drops his little brother while spinning him and temporarily blinds him, the growing pains of first fights, and the traumatic abuse. Incidents such as these can lead victims to create alternate realities just to mentally survive. For an unforgettable reading experience, “Momentous” by J. C. Cole is a must-read.

[Helen Anttila · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very short book and I was not sure it had enough merit to read but after getting to the end I had to reread it all the way through again and copy down parts of it that I want to remember forever and pass down to my children and grandchildren. It just spoke to me and I needed to hear those words of wisdom. One does not have to be as dysfunctional as this family was to need these words of wisdom.

[Mark Bending · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for the Goodreads eBook giveaway.

I enjoyed reading this eBook, I didn't want to end. It brought back memories of my own childhood, some good and some bad. The choices in life and the things that we go through shape us into what we become as adults. I would recommend this eBook.

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down. It really made me think about my past in a very deep and personal level. This is a great coming of age book that has real substance.