Northern Lights

by Raymond Strom

Raymond Strom's NORTHERN LIGHTS, set in rural Minnesota in the late 90s about a teenage boy who arrives in the remote, declining town of Holm, in search of the mother who abandoned him— and while unraveling this mystery, is forced to navigate his own confused sexuality, dark revelations from his family's past, and a violent, white supremacist web in the town that threatens to engulf him, to Ira Silverberg at Simon & Schuster, by Adam Eaglin at Elyse Cheney Agency (NA).

Genres: Fiction, LGBT, Audiobook, Young Adult, Gay, Queer, Literary Fiction

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2019

About the author

Raymond Strom was born in Hibbing, Minnesota. He moved often as a child, living in small towns across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Wisconsin before attending college in the Twin Cities. He received his MFA from the City College of New York, where he now works as an academic advisor. His writing has appeared in Fiction and Tweed’s. His debut novel, Northern Lights, was published by Simon & Schuster on February 12, 2019.

Reviews

[Bam cooks the books · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4-4.5 stars! Northern Lights is an astoundingly good book for a debut. I can't wait to read more from this author!

Shane's uncle kicks him out right after his high school graduation. His uncle doesn't like Shane's pretty long blonde hair or the impression he has that Shane might be gay. With no other family to turn to, Shane decides to spend his last summer before college on a search for his estranged mother. The last address he has for her is in Holm, MN, but he soon finds she left there two years before, with no known forwarding address.

Shane decides to hang around Holm anyway and makes some friends and one very bad enemy. It is a summer of drug and sexual experimentation. When his best friend goes missing, Shane is sure she's been murdered and sets out to find proof. Which leads to a very exciting conclusion.

The story is told from Shane's first person pov and the reader experiences firsthand his turmoil and angst as he makes decisions. I really liked this character, and even though he makes some bad choices, he seems to be a good person at heart.

I thought this book worthy enough to take its place among other well-known coming of age stories, such as Catcher in the Rye. Yes, there is an awful lot of drug-taking and the story addresses sexual orientation, but these are the issues of our times and I felt they were well handled here.

I received an arc of this debut novel from the publisher via NetGalley for my honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity.

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Shane's father dies and his uncle throws him out, he travels to Minnesota to try to find his mother, with no information except a postcard from several years ago. In the small town of Holm he finds drugs, and violence - often against him because how his gender and sexuality are perceived (he hasn't really made decisions about his identity for himself.) It is a somewhat sad novel about what forms your identity when you don't have a home.

[Lissa00 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I wasn't sure at first if I would like this book but I found that as the story progressed that I really started to become immersed in the story and the atmosphere of the small Minnesota town. It takes place in the late nineties as a teenage boy travels to the small town of Holm in search of his mother. He encounters a depressing drug scene and prejudice against his long hair and sexuality. He stumbles a lot as he tries to deal with his loneliness and confusion and makes so many mistakes but his loyalty and his overall attempts to turn his life around make him a likable character. What the author most excels at are the descriptions of the town of Holm and the people that live there. I could vividly visualize was it looks like from his depictions. I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Mirijam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The more you read the more you sink into the life of these characters and feel what they’re going through. Very well written.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC of this book.

Northern Lights follows Shane as he is looking for his mother, who abandoned him as a child. He heads to Holm, Minnesota because that was her last known address. Upon his arrival in the small town he learns she's moved and no one seems to know much about her. Shane stays in Holm and gets involved with a group of young adults who are mixed up with the local drug dealer. His search for his mother takes a back seat to his friendships and drug use. Shane shows up in Holm with long blond hair and is often mistaken for a girl. The very conservative people in Holm call him derogatory names and, while it is set in 1997, with the current culture I felt like this could all happen today.

I gave this book three stars because I felt sometimes the writing was a bit trite. It also dragged a bit while the author described the characters taking drugs and doing nothing. The last 25% of the book had most of the action. There were some characters I would have liked more back story about rather than how they acted when they were on speed. Overall I would still recommend this book as a short read that manages to cover social issues without being preachy.

[Donna Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was invited to read and review this title by Simon and Schuster and Net Galley. It’s the story of Shane, an orphaned teen whose uncle kicks him goodbye [with my apologies to Shrek] directly following high school graduation. Shane sets off for the small town in Minnesota whence came his only letter from his mother, who abandoned the family a long time ago. Since he finds himself suddenly homeless, he figures he doesn’t have much to lose. Maybe she’s still there.

His new home, however, is little more than a wide space in the road, and its residents haven’t received the memo about gender crossed individuals. His long hair and androgynous appearance are the trigger for some nasty behaviors on the part of the locals, and when you’re homeless, this is exponentially scarier because you don’t have a safe place to which you can rush and close the door.

On the one hand, the theme here is a timely one, combining the present-day increased problem of homelessness with other growing problems. We see teen kids instantly unhomed by the government once they reach majority age; bullying and hate crimes against those with nontraditional sexual identification and orientation; and then, as the novel proceeds, substance abuse as a means of escape and a signal of dark, dark despair.

The despair. The despair the despairthedespairthedespair. The challenge in reading this is that we begin in a bleak place, we stay in a bleak place for the most part, and then we end in a bleak place. The whole thing is punctuated not only with alienation, of which there is understandably plenty, but also that flat line ennui that accompanies depression, and who in her right mind would read this thing cover to cover? Hopefully it’s someone with rock solid mental health whose moods are not terribly variable. As for me, I read the first half, and then I perused the remainder in a skipping-and-scooting way I reserve for very few galleys. It was that or commence building myself a noose, and self preservation won the day.

If the key issues in this novel are a particular passion of yours, you may feel vindicated when you read it. I recommend reading it free or cheaply if you will read it all, and keep a second, more uplifting novel ready to do duty as a mood elevator when you sense your own frame of mind descending hell’s elevator.

[Lou Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gut wrenching exploration of the hardship of life and awakening sexuality. Seventeen year old Shane Stephenson has just lost his father ... his sole anchor in life. And his uncaring uncle throws him out of the house. In an inspirational moment he sets out on a quest to find the mother, who abandon him as an adolescent. Relying on a solitary Christmas card received many years ago he sets out to reconnect with her - hoping she still resides in the small town of Holm, Minnesota. The town proves to be sort of a metaphor of his life ... appearing unwanted and unloved , with much of downtown businesses closed and shuttered amongst decaying infrastructure.
In his search for information he stumbles into multiple relationships with a diverse cast of men and woman in their late teens and early twenties. “J” and his girlfriend Mary along with dogs: Sisyphus and Lucifer along with the weird Russell forms early meaningful bonds. But nothing compared to the expanding friendship with the beautiful and brilliant Jenny. Mucking up the works is the encounter with the violent and unhinged Sven Svenson ... who in his first encounter with Shane mistakes him for a girl, because of his long blond hair and slight build.
Shane learns that his mother used to work at the plastic factory and has moved away. Nonetheless his search drops him into multiple conflicting relationships that questions his sexuality.
Raymond Strom weaves together a poetic narrative of beautiful prose that explores the issues of abandonment and the desire to forgive - bathed in a setting of drugs and violence. He offers insight into the human condition. “ .... clarity only comes when looking back on things. Life isn’t easy while it’s happening and sometimes people can’t figure out how to say what they need so they choose to walk away.”
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for providing an Advance Reading Copy of this brilliant debut novel in exchange for an honest review. I was especially impressed how Strom was able to ratchet up the tension to culminate in a powerful denouement. I anticipate a meaningful literary career for Raymond Strom.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the intent of searching for his mother, Shane finds himself caught in the motions of a small, conservative, drug-addled Minnesota town of Holm, the last known place she'd taken up residency. Shane's androgynous looks alone are enough to rattle the townsfolk, even without mention of his sexuality. Strom writes a dreary yet shocking portrayal of the community through an outsider's eyes, showing us that the life of an addict is not a black and white concept. In Holm it's common, and though many want to leave, most have no way of escape. Although he'll be out of Holm come fall for college, Shane's three months there, combined with the friends and enemies he makes, feels like a hard, heavy lifetime.

[Susan Anderson Misey · Rating 4 out of 5]

New high school graduate, Shane Stephenson, has a lot on his plate.

Sure, he had a needs-based college scholarship come fall, but for now, he has a crap-sandwich.

His dad has just died, his uncle kicks him out, and his mother--well, she took off nine years ago and he's only heard from her once in all the years since.

What's a kid to do? Road trip.

He packs a few outfits, his old Nintendo, and some cash that he's squirreled away and takes off to small-town Holt, Minnesota in search of his mother.

Holt is as strange to Shane as he is to Holt. Although he is accepted by a handful of ragtag teens and manages to score a place to stay and a job, his long hair and androgyny makes him a target of the sadistic town-bully, Sven Svenson.

Ethereal, beautiful Jenny introduces him to her group of friends who, in turn, introduce Shane to drugs--things rapidly escalate from alcohol and marijuana to speed and meth.

Thankfully, Shane has a strong work ethic and ally in his boss. But trouble looms. All while Shane is trying to figure out if he is attracted to Jenny or if Russell is more his type. He's never been kissed, but that's about to change.

This story is an Odyssey of sorts. Our hero goes on a quest and finds himself pulled in many directions, becoming involved in experiences that threaten every aspect of his existence.

And I couldn't put it down.

It's a coming-of-age story in which a young man must try to find answers to his mother abandoning him as well as questions of his own sexuality and his place in this world.

You know, I don't buy into all this gender-fluidity and non-binary talk that is popular of late--yeah, I just don't think God makes mistakes when it comes to a person's hard-wired gender.

But I can relate to a character who has everything going against him and still finds a reason to press on. And for that reason, this book speaks to me.

The drug use in the book is disturbing but authentic for the times. The sexual content is usually not graphic and emphasizes tenderness and feeling rather than mechanics--although there are a few scenes involving minor characters that are just over-the-top.

I originally picked up this book off the library shelf because the title reminded me of my home state, Minnesota. I remember seeing the Northern Lights back when I was a kid.

I've never been to Holt, but I know it well. It reminded me of Moose Lake, Minnesota, a likewise tiny Northern-Minnesota town where my grandparents lived and my father grew up. Last time I was there, I was Shane's age, eighteen, and the kids I met there were similar to the kids Shane meets in Holt.

Non-Minnesoteans may question how welcoming the teens are to outsider Shane, but not me--I can attest to having the same type of experience as an outsider visiting a small Minnesota town.

Except back in the 70's, beer, pot and cigarettes were the extent of the young people's rebellion (perhaps boredom would be a better descriptor.) Shane's experiences in 1997 are another matter entirely.

Parts of this story were sad and disturbing, but there was something endearing and compelling about this young man, and I found myself rooting for Shane to come out of this eighteenth summer in one piece--found myself wondering if he would make it to college in the fall.

I really liked this book. It is one of the best debut novels I've read in recent memory. It is disturbing and poignant and satisfying. My only criticism is that several characters were able to click their drug and alcohol abuse on and off without much struggle--that's just not realistic and sends young readers the wrong message.

Still, it's a worthwhile read that would appeal to both male and female readers

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Raymond Strom's impressive debut novel, "Northern Lights," is a gritty, sullen, compelling account of a young man's voyage to find the mother who abandoned him. The ambitious story tackles a variety of personal and social issues, including sexuality, poverty and drug abuse. Although it takes place more than two decades ago, the rural setting and small-town mindset vividly resemble the misfortune and intolerance that are still very much present today, perhaps even more so.

The summer before his freshman year at the University of Minnesota, seventeen-year-old Shane Stephenson arrives in the village of Holm, where he last heard from his mother, who walked out on him and his late father. Holm is a broken, barren town with closed up factories and shops and rampant drug use. Determined to locate his mother, Shane rents a room and starts his investigation, knowing little more than her name and former address.

Shane's appearance (particularly his long hair) isn't exactly conventional, so he is often mistaken for a female, which doesn't bode well among some of the local residents, especially Sven Svenson, who repeatedly threatens and antagonizes him. When Shane isn't steering clear of Sven, he forges friendships with Jenny, J, Mary, and Russell. This cluster of maladjusted misfits ultimately causes more harm than good, but Shane's close relationship with Jenny and attraction to Russell help him better understand himself.

Strom's prose flawlessly and fastidiously conveys the intensity and wretchedness of Shane's predicament and surroundings, and yet there is a beauty and poetry to it that implies a sense of hope, however minor and doubtful. Shane's plight is riddled with danger and disappointment, but he manages to withstand a series of obstacles that would likely deter or defeat someone twice his age.

Not only is homophobia alive and well in Holm, but the graphic depiction of racist behavior is eerily similar to recent events in Charlottesville. Furthermore, the pervasiveness of illegal drug use serves as a grim forecast that the worst is yet to come with the current opioid epidemic. The situation in Holm boldly reminds us to remember and acknowledge the past, otherwise, we're doomed to repeat it.

Shane doesn't anticipate he'll be any better or worse if and when he is reunited with his mother; finding her is just something he has to do. While Shane's quest to locate her is the plot behind the novel, his story is an admirable profile in courage, as well as a triumphant journey (however tumultuous) of self-discovery.

[Kumar Dixit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shane Stephenson is in search of his biological mother. It's been several years since he's been in contact with her, but now that his father has died, Shane has all the more reason to reconnect.

He arrives in Holm, Minnesota, the last place his mother was last known to be. With only a few belongings, and cash strapped, he tries to make a life there, making friends and working odd jobs while pursuing the search.

This is a story about a rising college freshman who is emotionally misdirected. His looks, the androgyny, only confuses his sexual identity and often puts a target on his back in this small midwestern town. While looking for his mother, he spends the summer doing drugs, drinking, and avoiding a sinister drug dealer.

As I read this story, I was struck by the familiar tones of A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. Yet, I was confused by how quickly young Shane got involved with the drug culture since there wasn't a backstory to make you feel he would fall for such hard drugs and usage.

This book is a dark, brooding novel that captures the heartache of a child who is lost and feels hopeless.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the bleaker coming-of-age novels you'll ever read. In 1997, an ambigender teen journeying to a cruddy small town in Minnesota where he fails to find the mother who abandoned him almost a decade ago, then gets entangled in the local meth trade. There's drug abuse, violence, and personal betrayals galore over the course of what seems to be a six-month summer. If there's a moral to this story, I missed it. The plot has more energy than momentum, and TNT-subtle symbolism explodes from every page, like the "HOPE" graffiti disappearing from the sides of train cars. The writing is a bit awkward and amateurish. In short, it's a damn impressive debut novel from Mr. Strom, one that feels like a genuine memoir by a deeply troubled, sexually confused rust belt teenager, not a novel by
a 30-something (I assume) New York novelist either imagining a young tweaker's life or remembering his own youth with a leavening (and deadening) maturity. What a pity Denis Johnson didn't live long enough to read this novel (or write it, for that matter).

[Dev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of this book was just “meh.” I learned a bit about why people do drugs and the effects certain drugs have on the human body, which is not knowledge I would have purposely sought out. However, I enjoyed the fact that while Shane was trying to find and connect with his mother, he was also discovering who he was. I like the fact that we weren’t presented with a gay man who was taunted for being gay; we were presented with a man with long hair who had yet to explore his sexuality, and we got to see him learn about himself on the page in a way that wasn’t teenage angst. I loved Shane’s friendship with Jenny and seeing his love for her even though he wasn’t sexually attracted to her. Everything from the part where Shane got on a bus to where his mother currently lived to the end was exciting in a way that the beginning of the book wasn’t, and I was so glad that my public transit was delayed so I got to finish the book before I reached home for the night.

[Joseph Spuckler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Northern Lights is the Story of Shane, a boy who had recently lost his father, thrown out by his uncle, and searching for his long-gone mother. He arrives in Holm, Minnesota the last place he received a letter from his mother. She is gone, and no one has much to say about her. He meets new friends resigned to live in Holm. Holm has been dying for a while. Walmart moved to the fringes of town and destroyed downtown. It seems the only people with money are the drug dealers. Shane himself is androgynous looking fluid in his sexuality; what there is of it. The story is a dark and depressing look at northern cities, once manufacturing centers, now crumbling and abandoned. The novel covers most young adult issues from pregnancy, drugs, bullying, sexuality, and the promise of a bleak future. The book will be more of interest to younger and millennial readers as it captures their era and issues.

[Donia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Strom has a flare for description and mood. My problem with the book is that its focus isn't what was advertised to me. The story struck me first of all as juvenile in focus yet I acquired it in the adult section. Secondly, the story wasn't what I thought it was about...a young man looking for his mother. Rather it was about a young male's questioning his own sexuality...not something I was wanting to read about.

Then there is the issue of small towns. I'll grant you that small town America right now is red-neck territory yet for me, having lived in several small towns in Minnesota many years ago, the characters didn't fit in with what I had experienced. Somehow, the encounters that this young man experienced seemed too fast and too contrived. Had he been approached in a venue it may have worked but right off the bat, everywhere he went, locals immediately kept harassing him. It didn't work.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest feedback.

This stories follows Shane as he looks for his mother after his uncle has kicked him out of the house when his father dies. While on his journey, he meets up with young adults who are also on the fringe of society wanting to belong and be wanted. The author tries to address the topics of abandonment and wanting to belong with modest success. While the story held my attention enough for me not to reach for a different book, it still was not compelling to totally hold my attention. Coming from the midwest, I felt the stereotypes were too numerous with nothing original. I wish the book was as compelling as the last 50-odd pages.

[Taylor7778 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very despairing book about the bleak existence of America's crumbling small towns--those places where declining industry and small business give way to a few big box stores or run-down strip malls. Where outsiders are ostracized and insiders cling to tribalism and racism. Whether outsider or insider, heavy drug use, aimless wandering, and the contest of group struggle provide the only escapes to this boring dystopia. It is in this unforgiving examination of small town America that makes this book compelling to me. Unfortunately, the characters and plot are drowned in the setting rather than supported by it.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This coming of age story addresses numerous issues- a dying town, a search for a mother, the search for identity. Shane's father has died and his uncle kicked him out of the house. He arrives in Holm, the last place his mother was known to be, and funds a town of horrors for someone like him. It's 1997 and people there aren't prepared for androgynous male. They are, however, taking a lot of drugs. Shane falls in with a group of troubled teens who don't help him in any way. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is a well written novel which is at times piercing in its observations.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Gritty, real, interesting, and sad. This was a difficult read at times, mostly because it probably reflects reality in a lot of small rust belt towns these days. As someone who grew up in one, that can be hard to handle. Still, this was a good book with excellent writing. I would recommend it if you can handle the darkness throughout this story

[Jenna Scribbles · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to force myself to finish this book. The description mentions a search for a mother and gender or sexuality identity conflicts. Well, those elements were slightly there. A little bit. What I picked up mostly was drug use, one day after another the main character tried everything handed to him.

It’s not an exploration of family and sexuality. Skip this one and find better story examples. Sorry, I reeeeeally disliked this book. The description didn’t match the story at all.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shane is an androgynous young man who comes to Holm in search of not only his errant mother, but also himself. Shane meets Jenny and Roger, other young people also searching for a meaningful life. The author ably evokes Shane's wistful longing for a lost childhood while giving us hope for Shane's future

[Orna Kleinstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautifully written story. The feel of middle America, the decline of small towns lost to big businesses. The colors depicted through graffiti on the one hand and nature on the other. The confusion of growing up, heightened by loss, abandonment - also reflected in the surrounding environment. A wonderful read that leaves a lingering sadness.

[Emilie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story very good, it’s not quite a 4 for me but really is higher than 3, say 3.8. Sad story, lots of depiction of drug use. Loose ends not really resolved, but that’s actually okay. Good coming of age tale, gritty and rough. Nice touches of kindness here and there among certain characters.

[Alana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good, highly detailed, incredibly heartfelt and sad

[Emily Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in 3 sittings - very captivating!!

[Rncaduceus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shane's character is the hero in my eyes my. How much can one young adult deal with in his short life?

[Grayham Forsythe-Fields · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gen-Z meets Hick-town. Nicely done and I love the 'HOPE' stuff. Well painted and believable. No surprises about the ending,

it's just that most people are screwed up.

[Scott Risner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I felt so much for Shane. I was glued to to last few chapters for sure - dying to know where Jenny was.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellently written, if somewhat sad and bleak. There's something fascinating about sudden access to a life that is so theoretically close to your own but also so unknown and unwitnessed.

[3 Things About This Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

📕Boy goes on a mission to find his mother who abandoned him years ago only to find more about himself, relationships, identities and sacrifices made to keep those alive
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📗Started as a young adult fiction, but this book turned into more of soul searching and crushing experience of a young man and a small town community
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📘Randomly picked up from library shelves, but I’m glad that I did. Highly recommended!