Boy Still Missing

by John Searles

It is June 1971 and Dominick Pindle, a tenderhearted but aimless Massachusetts teenager, spends his nights driving around with his mother and dragging his wayward father out of bars. Late one evening Dominick's search puts him face-to-face with his father's seductive mistress, Edie Kramer. Instantly in lust, he begins a forbidden relationship with this beautiful, mysterious woman. Before long, though, their erotic entanglement leads to a shocking death, and Dominick discovers that the mother he betrayed had secrets as dark and destructive as his own.

Rapt with confusion and guilt as the startling facts about his family begin to emerge, Dominick heads to New York City in search of retribution and the truth about his mother's disquieting past. He soon finds refuge with Jeanny Garvey, a young, soulful idealist who might save him from his dire fate, but not before he makes a desperate choice that endangers everything he holds clear -- and puts both their lives at risk.

Charged with the exhilarating narrative pace of a thriller and set during a complicated and explosive era, "Boy Still Missing" is a stunning debut novel. It renders a deeply affecting portrait of a boy whose passage into adulthood proves as complex and impassioned as the history that unfolds before his eyes.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Adult, Book Club, Contemporary

292 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

John Searles is the best-selling author of the novels Her Last Affair, Help for the Haunted, Strange but True and Boy Still Missing.

Hailed as “riveting” by The New York Times and “hypnotic” by Entertainment Weekly, Boy Still Missing, inspired Time magazine to name him a “Person to Watch,” and the New York Daily News to name him a “New Yorker to Watch.” His second novel, Strange but True was praised as “sinister and complex” by Janet Maslin of The New York Times, “extraordinary” by Publishers Weekly, and was named best novel of the year by Salon. John’s most recent novel, Help for the Haunted, was named a Boston Globe Best Crime Novel of the Year, an Entertainment Weekly Top 10 Must List, and won the American Library Association’s Alex Award.

In 2019, Strange But True was adapted for film by the producers of La La Land and released in theaters nationwide by Lionsgate. Now streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime, the film stars the award-winning ensemble cast of Amy Ryan, Greg Kinnear, Brian Cox, Blythe Danner, Nick Robinson and Margaret Qualley. The movie was praised as “suspenseful and haunting” by The Hollywood Reporter and “a twisty tale of tragic secrets” by the Los Angeles Times.

John has appeared regularly on morning programs like NBC’s Today Show, CBS This Morning, Live! With Regis & Kelly, NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross and CNN to discuss his books.

The longtime books editor of Cosmopolitan, John also served as the magazine’s brand director, executive editor, and editor-at-large. His personal and travel essays, book and restaurant reviews have been published in the New York Times, Washington Post and numerous other magazines, newspapers and websites. He has a master's degree in creative writing from New York University and lives in New York.

Reviews

[Dutchie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars….

I feel like nowadays I pick up a book and want to be wowed by a twist that I see coming a mile away. This time I’m like nope…want to read something more character driven and this was it.

Dominick’s dad is a barfly and his mother drives him around at night to try and figure out where dad is and once found makes him drag him out. One night they can’t find him at the usual watering holes but do find him at Edie’s house. Edie is his dads mistress/girlfriend and Dominick’s mom tasks him on dragging his dad out…not cool. Dominick as a 15 year old boy is enthralled by Edie and they strike up a relationship.

While this may seem to be a coming of age story it is not. This becomes more of Dominick wanting to be the teenager he is but circumstances make him grow up and have that family dynamic he always wanted. It’s kind of heartbreaking seeing the lengths he would go.

I have read this author before and never lets down on character driven plots. The main point of the story is really prevalent with current events. There were a few times I was like “oh no”….Leon’s revelation was one of them. It’s one of those things if there was one conversation had things would have turned out differently .

While not my fav by his author still super well written…

[Debra Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was going to be a nice little coming-of-age story, and that's how it started -- the familiar hormone-saturated teenage boy wanting to get rid of his virginity with an older woman. Boy meets older woman, boy lusts after older woman, older woman looks interested...and I settled down to a casual read. But things didn't go in the direction I expected and by the end of chapter two, the story had me by the throat and I could hardly put it down.
The narrative voice has music in its tones and yet the book has all the elements of a good thriller -- mystery, life and death choices, twists and turns. Set in the 1970s when abortion was illegal, it gives a compassionate look at the choices of real women, the decision to keep a baby, the decision to give one up, and the deadly choices that women sometimes feel driven to make regardless of the abortion laws. It is a story of a boy who hates his father for betraying his mother, a boy whose awakening lust is directed at the woman his father has been cheating with, a boy who then betrays his mother with a terrible consequence. It is a search for absolution and a story of forgiveness. Thank goodness there is a full circle sense at the end, or I would have never forgiven the author.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like this. The writing was very good but the story was unsatisfying. Fifteen year old Dominick has it rough. His father is a adulterous alcoholic and his mother clearly has mental problems. In fact, mom leans pretty heavily on Dominick, making him rouse his father out of bars and sending him into dad's mistress's house to find him. It's not surprising that Dominick's emotionally fragile but that hardly explains him starting up a relationship with Edie, the aforementioned mistress, or giving her most of the money his mother keeps hidden under the carpet.

In a book filled with sad sack losers, Dominick is the only likable character but he is so naive and does so many stupid things, I quickly grew tired of him, skimming the last half of the book just to get to the end.

Searle is trying to make a point about abortion, which I support. I just wish he'd done it with likable characters and a plot line that made sense.

[VLynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet, sad, and unexpected excellent story. This story is about a teenage boy whose life takes some incredible turns in the 1970's no teen should never have to face. The twist and turns in this book, are unexpected and yet incredibly honest and heartfelt. While this book is sad in some parts, I highly recommend it. It gripes your heart in a way you do not expect, and when you think you know what's going in the book you will be surprised.

[LARRY · Rating 4 out of 5]

As posted in [http://www.amazon.com]:

I've never heard of this book until a friend recommended this book to me while we were helping a friend move. The friend that was moving had set aside a box of books that she was going to donate. Of course, being the bookworms that we are, we couldn't resist the urge to rummage through. Thus, I was directed to this book.

I cannot believe that I had never heard of this book before. Most of the reviews give this book a high praise. While it isn't the best book that I've read, it's is one of the best books that I've read recently.

Like the Library Journal says, it's all about alcoholism, adultery, abortion, adoption and abduction. Dominick is a 15-year-old young man in Holedo, Massachusetts. He accompanies his mother at the end of the day, looking for his drunk father in bars. If his father is not found in any bars, there's only one other place he can be...at his mistress', Edie.

The thing is Dominick and Edie begin a secret and "innocent affair". Dominick feels responsible for her, especially after they discover that she's pregnant by his father. However, unknown to everyone, Dominick's mother is also pregnant.

The book moves somewhat slow but soon picks up the pace after Dominick's mother is found dead in a motel when she tried to do a homemade abortion. At the same time, Edie disappears. Dominick feels extremely guilty because he stole money from his mother to help out Edie. Edie promised to pay him back. Dominick is angry and decides revenge. But first, he must find her.

"Boy Still Missing" is a good read, filled with suspense and twists.

[Brookers · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's difficult to categorize this book. It's drama, with mystery, crime, and even a little bit of a ghost story element thrown in. With characters that are mostly unlikable, other than the protagonist, who is frustrating in his naivete regardless of the fact that he is only fifteen, it says something about Searles ability as a writer that I recommend this novel. It has a definite noirish feel to it. There is a twist midway through the book that I didn't see coming, and that's hard to pull off. The tone completely switches at that point. It can be off-putting when novels switch in tone like this one does, but somehow it works.
Other than a final act that beats the reader over the head with it's pro-choice message, it's a good read. A nice mix of drama, crime, and mystery, and the reader never knows what's going to happen next.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was sweet and tragic and beautiful in many ways. But, I did not need the dialogue to pound the point home that decisions are based on freedom of opportunity. The plot told me that. Life tells me that. I do not mind an agenda in a book. I am pretty good at picking those up and generally choose whether I will continue to read based on how the point is presented. I will read a book I disagree with if I find the argument is developed in an interesting way. I agree with Searles' argument in Boy Still Missing, so I continued to read. But, his dialogue was a rant at times. Let the character development speak in a subtle way. It is far more effective. Plus, he has a talent for character development and creating empathy for his characters. Without the heavy-handed dialogue, this would have been an easy four stars for me.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book took me an inordinately long time to read. It never progressed like that of "a fast-paced thriller" like the dust jacket touted. And I didn't have to worry about "saying goodbye to my friends and family" while reading this snore fest.

It was okay. The writing wasn't horrible, but the characters were SO underdeveloped - it was like you only got 1/2 the story or something. It was set in 1971 but it was almost like it was written then too. Just very, very, very anti-climatic. Nothing about the story made me raise my eyebrows and go "oh. I wasn't expecting that". It was all very easy to figure out.

Do I recommend? Not really. Can't think of one solid argument FOR reading this book...can think of lots of against...

[Rina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I almost want everyone to stop recommending books/authors. There's not enough time in the world to fulfill my "want to read" list. But John Searles is going on my fave author list. The characters and the story are a bit out of the ordinary but not quite quirky. Just a bunch of people whose minds go off track in every area. The boy protagonist is very insightful and thoughtful for a 15 year old. There are some people like that in the real world. The girl he sort of hooks up with later on in the book is the same but with different life experiences. I think this book is an excellent read. The twists and turns Dominick takes til the end are, to say the least, interesting. Read it!

[Alexander Elmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Searles' debut novel is, if anything, an engaging read. On the back cover, there is a quote from Frank McCourt (author of Angela's Ashes and 'Tis) that reads: "Once you get into this novel, you'll forget the world-the book is that seductive, that suspenseful." And Boy Still Missing is all that...and them some.

The novel tells the story of teenager Dominick Pindle who has to come to terms with the consequences that his actions have. It's a coming-of-age tale, but one that is told with so much grace, thoughtfulness, and heart that is doesn't read as some poorly-written, but incredibly popular YA novel. It feels like a real novel written by an understanding adult trying to pass on wisdom to a child. Yes, it's about teenagers, but not really for them.

Set in the 70's, the book follows Dominick as he enters into a secret relationship with his cheating father's young girlfriend. Without spoilers, the affair has consequences and sets Dominick on a journey that has innocent intentions, but spins wildly out of control. What is interesting about the plot is that, unlike many of coming of age stories, Dominick deals with an array of events that he is both the cause and victim of. Rather than being about a boy who learns who he is through the actions of those around him and events he cannot control, Searles makes Dominick an incredibly compelling, and more importantly, active protagonist. We watch him make decisions, bot good and bad (but mostly bad), and face the consequences of them. It's sort of like his entire journey is a series of trial and error to see what gets him to his goal.

For this, Boy Still Missing stands out. Not simply because the main character actually does something in his self-discovery, but also because the book makes itself something more through everything it implies. Strangely enough the book actually stay rather grounded in reality. Yes, it takes place in the 70's so it can actually do some things that today's world cannot because of internet and cell phones, but that's fine. As the novel barrels forward and continues to pick up speed, the scope of the novel expands and the story you are being told rapidly changes course and tone, but somehow Searles makes it all believable.

My hypothesis is that somehow, what makes the novel the gem that it is, is really the ending. The last chapter, or last two - three chapters (there are only ten, but when you read, you'll understand how they're all the end) take the novel to an entirely different level. Though this is where the book departs from the journey you've been going on and think you know the ending of, it makes the book something greater by asking the toughest questions about life, fate, justice and in some cases, religion and love. Rather than providing easy answers to all this and wrapping things in a nice bow, Searles lets the end unfold gradually, not in an action packed finale (in the coming of age traditional sense) and gives vague answers, if any at all.

There is where things go oh so right for the novel. It doesn't try to make sense of everything, or most things. It doesn't answer ever plot thread of over-explain itself and beat you in the head with a message. Instead, it stays focused on one boy's journey for life and redemption, but at the same time makes the reader think on a bigger scale. It's something that you can't really explain, but that all you can do is recommend the next person read it and feel it for themselves.

Yes, the book is impressive and yes, I'm sixteen years late to the party, but it bears repeating that the novel is amazing. Right now, I'm only giving Boy Still Missing a four star rating because I'm submerged in the period of time where all I think about is how awesome the book was and how much I loved it. The real test is to see if, in six months or a year from now, I think about it again or pick it up from the shelf and start reading Searles' well-crafted prose for a second time. Then, I can confidently change my rating to five stars. And I have a gut feeling that Boy Still Missing will pass the test with flying colors.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teenaged Dominick Pindle is the sole scion of a dysfunctional family in a Massachusetts small town: his father spends all his time boozing and fornicating while his mother tries to keep up a pretense of normalcy, even though many an evening must be spent cruising the local bars in search of hubby. Dad gets really serious about one of his mistresses, Edie, although the affair falls violently apart when Edie becomes pregnant — which is not before Dominick has met her and fallen violently in lust with her. Once Dad's out of the picture, and once it's clear Edie intends to have the baby anyway, she and Dominick enter a curious relationship that psychologically has a sexual foundation even though physically there's no sex involved. What is involved is theft, however: Edie needs money to get her through her pregnancy and set herself up in a new life in New York, and an infatuated Dominick lends it to her from his mother's hidden stashes of cash at home — her life savings.

But then there comes a time when his mother needs that money, and of course it isn't there. Out of the consequent disaster Dominick emerges intent on revenge against Edie, for disappearing without repaying the dough, and against his never-met stepbrother, illegally adopted by a wealthy family and now too snotty to acknowledge his real parentage.

But very little is truly as Dominick believes it to be. By the time the story's over he's discovered the love of his life and also his own adult self.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. Some of the writing is enormously self-indulgent, and should have received the attention of an editor. (Consider this partial piece of scene-setting for a wake: "On the kitchen table they had set out platters of food. Eggs with yolks whipped fluffy, sprinkled with a blood-colored spice. Lunch meats curled into finger-sized slices, fleshy and damp. Hard squares of cheese, orange as the sun . . ." And it goes on, laden with useful information for readers who've forgotten the color of American cheese.) I found myself frequently filled with a mixture of irritation and boredom, and yet at the same time it was an indubitable fact that the pages kept turning. I really did become involved with Dominick and Jeannie, the wonderful girlfriend he's lucky enough to be acquired by (Searles handles particularly well the way that it takes Dominick a while to realize just quite how fortunate he is), and I was pressing ahead urgently to make sure that they both came out of the ever-broadening mess okay. On balance, then, the book was a success so far as this humble reader was concerned; but I did feel I'd been forced to work far harder than I should have had to in order to reach the payoff.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in a day; it was very hard to put it down, and no chores were accomplished. Boy Still Missing is best described as literary fiction with an element of suspense and a hint of the supernatural. John Searles has a keen ability to create very 3-dimensional characters. Domenick, much like Sophie in Searles' Help for the Haunted (another book you will want to read if you enjoy this one), seemed like someone you might encounter in real life. Domenick's thoughts, emotions and even sarcasm came alive through the pen of this skillful author.

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This coming-of-age story throws some nasty, grown-up curve balls at its protagonist, Dominick Pindle. With a broken-down mother and absent father, Dominick is already heading up the path to adulthood with significant challenges. But, when Dominick discovers hints of a dark family secret, he's driven to uncover the whole truth about his family's past.

Searles' writing is fluid and cleverly descriptive. I blazed through the 289 pages and was happy to learn how the plot unfolded.

[Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that is really quite compelling, even if the series of events lacks credibility. The plot comes close to being realistic, but at times pushes the credibility factor to the point where it almost becomes adolescent fantasy. A captivating beginning slides into the doldrums of the middle and warms to an almost tense end. I enjoyed the book, but will not rush to read more by this author.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't get into it. Not my kind of book.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this densely textured and richly-characterized coming of age novel. Searles has a knack for taking a reader into his world so completely. Highly recommended.

[Donna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not finish this book---my reading time is precious and this was not worth finishing.

[Mel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. Save yourself and pass this one up.

[子非鱼安知鱼之乐 · Rating 4 out of 5]

是在学校的图书馆里看完的，整本书让我印象最深刻的几句——“美国男孩真健康。（读到这个情节时身为中国人的我在想：啥呀这是😂）”“在她的脖颈上吻出一条看不见的项链。（好甜！❤️❤️）”“生活的征兆会指引你。 ”“这不是你的错，是世界的错。”“我相信你我的相遇是命中注定的。”
整本书的叙事节奏慢，不过里面的小事、细节让我觉得特别真实，我喜欢这种真实的感觉，它的心理描写让我能够很好地将自己代入主角。看到简介（天呐这情节好狗血）我以为我读这本书的感受会是惊讶😲刺激😨，没想到实际上会是郁闷😞难过😭......
以下是我读这本书时我的内心↓
①开头主角多米尼克对爸爸的情妇伊迪有想法：啊啊啊啊啊这是我能看的吗！
②多米尼克为了伊迪偷妈妈的钱：你个逆子！居然为了一个情妇偷你妈妈的钱！
③主角妈妈的悲惨经历：好难受！！！😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
④多米尼克和他新女朋友珍妮的甜蜜生活：好甜！！！🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
⑤珍妮对多米尼克说：“这不是你的错，是世界的错”：支持堕胎合法！女性同工同酬！
⑥结局：结束得太突然了，抛下主角妈妈逃逸的罗吉特看起来好像没有受到任何制裁😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡
以下是我对某些人物角色的看法↓
伊迪：“如果你想获得什么，就必须穿高跟鞋。”——这是她说的。她用美色取悦男人，依附男人，利用男人，利用爸爸当她的货车司机，利用多米尼克的感情，唆使他给她弄钱，她的男性“朋友”无偿给她找房子住。好在她有良心，能把钱还给主角，给她的女儿取中间名“多米尼克”。
主角的爸爸：颓废，不负责任，酗酒，婚内出轨，暴力。结局他把汽车旅馆（妻子死亡的地方）买下，也许他还是爱主角妈妈的......
罗吉特：主角妈妈的外遇对象，把主角妈妈搞怀孕了，约好在汽车旅馆自行打胎，打胎过程中，主角妈妈大出血，他却像个懦夫一样逃跑，丢下可怜的主角妈妈，事后伪造不在场证明，维持自己正义清白的警长形象，自私虚伪，最后居然没有被拷起来！！！
主角的妈妈：整本书中最悲惨的人物，她被男人们深深地伤害......她的第一次婚姻，丈夫意外死亡，精神崩溃，由于经济问题她无力抚养儿子，被迫将儿子送去一家富人收养，精神恢复正常后，她后悔了，第一次打官司因为劝她送养儿子的医生收了那家富人的钱所以打赢了，但后来又打输了，富人因为她把事情闹大了不让她见儿子，儿子也不愿见她，到死她都一直想念儿子；她的第二次婚姻，婚前她喜欢丈夫的自由自在，她以为会脱离第一次婚姻带给她巨大的伤害，开始新生活，没想到婚后丈夫整天鬼混、玩失踪、出轨，她深爱的儿子为了爸爸的情妇偷她的私房钱；在第二次婚姻中她出轨罗吉特，罗吉特在她有生命危险时不负责任地抛下她逃跑；好在她还有个爱她的哥哥和好闺蜜玛妮。她是个可怜无助的女人，她很欣赏那个勇敢的、敢于抗争的举着抗议牌的女孩珍妮，她说：“我很欣赏这种能为了自己的信仰而斗争的女孩。”她的柔弱可怜与珍妮的勇敢强大是相反的，或许她向往成为珍妮那样的人......
珍妮：整本书最接近完美的人，真实而不粉饰自己，能在别人面前全部展现自己真实性格，哪怕她某些地方会让人不爽，内心强大，不断抗争，敢于捍卫妇女的权利，支持堕胎合法化，支持女性同工同酬，爱读报，了解世界，关注政治事件。她对多米尼克说：“这不是你的错，是世界的错。如果妇女们能够同工同酬，你妈妈当时就有经济能力抚养你的哥哥；如果堕胎合法，你的妈妈就可以去医院安全地打胎。”
总之，我非常喜欢这本书，尤其是它细致、真实的描写。哦，对了，它唯一的缺点就是它的结局！

[Kristan Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s the late 1970s, and Dominick Pindle is a teenager struggling to fit in and find some kind of meaning in his life. His father is a womanizer, his mom hopelessly devoted, his friends are sleazy. In this rundown Massachusetts town, how is a boy supposed to find himself? Enter Edie Kramer, his father’s mistress, who takes a shine to Dominick. When she confides that she’s pregnant with his father’s kid, Dominick is compelled to help her…both because he’s in love and also to punish his deserter of a father.

There’s an innocence to this novel, maybe because it’s set before cell phones and the internet. Dominick is a good kid without a decent role model, and every time he makes a wrong turn, it’s for the right reasons. When his plan to help Edie goes disastrously wrong, Dominick runs away from home, bent on revenge and aching to find himself and someone who might feel a true connection to him. Deeply affecting and beautifully written, this book is perfect for fans of Demon Copperhead and some of Stephen King’s more literary works.

[Danielle Mamaril · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am shook at this novel. I loved it! The characters were unlikable but real! Dominick was so naive and being only sixteen, I felt bad for him because I could understand how easy he fell into himself. I grew attached to the mother right away and was heartbroken when her secrets were spilled. My main reason why this is five stars is because the plot was completely character-driven how a novel should be written.

The only thing I would say is the sub-plots were not as developed as I wished. Still, this novel had me at the edge of my seat. It might even win the best book of the year honestly. I recommend this book if you love character-driven stories.

[Alison Dawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second book of his I read now, and I still love his writing. I am often baffled by the outstanding reviews formulaic mysteries I read get and then I go to a book like this and read many bad reviews. There was something about the end that I didn’t like. Not the epilogue, but the end before that. I loved the book in so many ways but thought the ending got a little pushy with the abortion protesters and the message about the mother. That part of the message of the book didn’t need to be spelled out so many times. However, I love good young narrators and this one fit the bill.

[DIANE CRUZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had this physical book for a while but hadn't read it. When going through my book case I decided I'd try it. Wow, it set a new journey to read every book Searles has ever written. His style is so down to earth and unique that I felt like I'd discovered a new experience that I wanted more of. I won't go into any spoilers because this book is gard to describe without telling tok much. I loved the character development and twists and turns. Not predictable at all. Very refreshing story telling from a different angle.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

For whatever reason I missed this John Searles book when devouring his others. I am very glad that I found it one night while looking for a new kindle book to enjoy. An absolutely captivating story that I was drawn into. At times I was annoyed with the characters, fearful for them, cheered them on, anguished for them all while caring about their lives. Unputdownable book with a magnificent conclusion.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a story!! I couldn't put the book down. The story set in the early 1970's, when most divorced families had "absent" fathers. In this story, the parents are not divorced and shows how the father's lying, cheating, absent ways affected both son and mother. Lots going on in this book and many twists and turns. I would definitely recommend this book to other book lovers. Excellent book.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great debut novel. I am so glad there are more books of Searles to read now. This one tackles a lot of subjects (abortion, alcoholism, small towns, adultry, etc. ) and I thought it was realistic and interesting. It was nice to have a main character, Dominick that you cheered for and wanted to see win.

[MamaCat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow…I never really saw where this book was going…how it would all come together in a powerful statement. The characters are brilliantly and truthfully drawn. Their world, with such pain - the wrong roads taken, the poor choices made. This is a compelling read that brings social issues and human failures into a very human context.

[Peekay 9 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly well crafted story. It held my attention, but I wasn’t terribly invested in the outcome. Main protagonist (Dominick) is your typical frustrating teen who makes a lot of silly decisions.
Side note - I am anti abortion. Yes, there are times where it may be necessary, but we all know that seed + egg = baby. The human race needs to step up and get it together.

[Clint · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overwrought coming-of-age novel finds a 15-year-old forming a friendship with his father's lover, chasing the lover to New York after his mother dies from a botched abortion, and then kidnapping the lover's (and his father's) baby. Yes, it captured in places a 15-year-old's confused thoughts about growing up, sex and responsibility, but on the whole it was just hard to fathom.

[Manny Arocho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeously written book. Although the characters, especially the main character, are flawed, you do care for them. The ending was unexpected yet fitting. This is the second book in a row that I read from John Searles.