So Shall We Pass

by Michael Barrera

Seventeen-year-old Jacob is well aware of the commandment "Honor thy father and mother." But his mother has been dead for a year, and in order to protect his sister and himself, Jacob plans to kill his father. In Wharton, Texas, a rural and dilapidated town where cotton once made kings out of paupers, Jacob's mental health is rapidly deteriorating. He has to cope with the death of his mother, the responsibility of raising a younger sibling, and a deranged father who breeds ferocious fighting pit bulls and deals drug, all from the once-functioning and prosperous family farm. Jacob struggles to preserve his sister's naive worldview while searching for meaning and hope in the dismal circumstances that surround him. When intense supernatural visions begin to cripple Jacob's ability to live productively, desperation consumes him. Killing his father seems to be the only salvation from his rapidly crumbling world. A literary sketch of a failed moral calculus and madness at its inception, " So Shall We Pass " explores the ways in which an adolescent such as Jacob responds to the often overwhelming energies of life."

180 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2011

About the author

Lives in New Orleans. To learn more about Michael visit MichaelBarrera.org

Reviews

[Gil Dewey · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first the story had an awkward pace, but after page 60 or so it really started to flow. There was something about the extreme contrasts in detail (e.g., the main character names the fields, notices very peculiar details, etc.), and then sudden lack of any detail (e.g., some names of main characters and ages are never really revealed precisely, other characters are glossed over)that really interested me. I couldn't tell why there was such a difference between the suddenly descriptive pictures, and then the empty images. Either way, it is one of those things I found myself thinking about for a long time after I read the book. I also feel like there was some symbolism that I missed, but that's because I was too focused on the story. And I have a tendency to over-read and over-analyze.

Overall, highly recommended and a great piece of work.

[Readforlife · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was by far the best book I read in 2011. A friend of mine found this book while visiting New Orleans. She picked the book out primarily because it was written by a New Orleans author, and because it was short. She gave it to me when she got home.

I don't even know where to begin. The writing alone was worth the read. It was beautifully written. The words flowed from one sentence to the next. But it was the fact that the writing was so beautiful and the story so frightening. Basically, you just have to read this book to understand. It shouldn't take long, and believe me, it'll be worth it.

[Nola Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. I just wish it would've been a little longer and/or explained a few more things more clearly. Still loved it. Plus, it's very short and reads fast, but that only makes you want to read it again.

[Nancy Mentz · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you liked, "Other Voices, Other Rooms", by Truman Capote, you'll love this. It's like a totally shorter (and less, somewhat at least) verbose version of that book. Both are good southern gothic stories.

[Van Camp · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mom is a teacher and had a copy of this on her Kindle. I don't think she ever finished it, but I loved it. There were some pretty scary scenes, but you really started to cheer for Jacob to make it out of there. I don't think I understood it all, but I read it in a day so that was nice.

[Orrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great short story. The language flowed almost like a poem. I really felt like I was a passenger in Jacob's mind. I found myself haunted by Jacob's voice long after I put the book down.

[Carla C · Rating 5 out of 5]

More of a short story than a novel, but that is not meant in a bad way. Jacob is one of the more interesting young adult characters I've encountered in a while.