East of Denver

Strattford County #1

by Gregory Hill, Briscoe Mary Patrick (Contributor)

When Shakespeare Williams returns to his family's farm in eastern Colorado to bury his dead cat, he finds his widowed and senile father Emmett living in squalor. He has no money, the land is fallow, and a local banker has cheated his father out of the majority of the farm equipment and his beloved Cessna. With no job and no prospects, Shakespeare suddenly finds himself caretaker to both his dad and the farm, and drawn into an unlikely clique of old high school Vaughn Atkins, a paraplegic confined to his mother's basement, Carissa McPhail, an overweight bank teller who pitches for the local softball team, and longtime bully D.J. Beckman, who now deals drugs throughout small-town Dorsey. Facing the loss of the farm, Shakespeare hatches a half-serious plot with his father and his fellow gang of misfits to rob the very bank that has stolen their future.

Mixing pathos and humor in equal measure, Gregory Hill's East of Denver is an unflinching novel of rural America, a poignant, darkly funny tale about a father and son finding their way together as their home and livelihood inexorably disappears .

Genres: Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Novels, Adult Fiction, Audiobook, Book Club

268 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2012

About the author

Gregory Hill grew up on the eastern edge of the American west, on a wheat farm near a tiny Colorado town called Joes. His relationship with that anarchic, windswept region in the heart of America continues to this day; and his novels are saturated in the area's wildlife, language, and gleeful insanity. Relying extensively on desperate characters in barren landscapes, his work could be described as an antidote to the myth of the wholesome, God-fearing heartland.

Reviews

[Katie Kenig · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first started reading this book, I thought "Brilliant! I'm going to give it five stars! I love character-driven novels and these characters are so compelling! They remind me of people down home in southern Illinois. They're lovely and charming and unique and frustrating and annoying and so heartbreakingly real. Oh, this is going to be such a lovely relaxing read with more depth than action, and a nice break from the suspense and horror I've been reading lately!"

When I got about halfway through this book, I thought, "Hmmm. Okay, maybe only four stars. While I appreciate the delicacy that's used to outline these characters in their day to day life, it's starting to get a bit tedious. Just how many doorknobs can you fix, anyway?". At that point, I'd forgotten that I'd read the back cover of the book - I know, I know, but it really is possible.

So, when the main character suddenly decides to rob his hometown bank, I literally sat up in bed, where I'd been reading in hopes of reading my overstimulated brain to sleep, and said "Oh my god!" and got poked by a mostly sleeping husband who was rather annoyed. So I took the book out to the sofa, because I knew then and there that I would not be sleeping until I finished it. That is also why I'm writing this review at almost two thirty in the morning.

As the book went on, I found myself ever more frustrated and confused by the choices some of the characters make. In some places, I had issues with suspension of disbelief and actually rolled my eyes. I decided about three-quarters of the way through the book that I was only going to give it a three-star review, because some of it was driving me crazy, and I wondered at some points if now the author was just playing a joke on me. What happened to my sweet little character driven before-bed book?

And then, as I finished the book and realized I desperately didn't want it to end, and that it had kept me incredibly engaged, I knew that three stars just wasn't enough. It deserved four for the sharply drawn characters, the lyrical prose, and the story that kept me awake and drawn to this book until I pushed through to the end of it. It is lovely and sweet in places, raw and unforgiving in others. It takes a hard look at antipathy and what entropy can do to a life, and a world, and a home. It's fascinating and riveting, and worth reading.

*Book received at no cost through Goodreads First Reads program

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn’t expecting that ending. Two stars for the animal cruelty. 😐😐

[Mark Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

"East of Denver" is evocative, moody, funny, bleak, desperate and, somehow, optimistic all at the same time. The story is chock full humanity and the images are chiseled with sharp, clean strokes.

Hill had me from the opening paragraph, an 11-sentence beauty that packs the kind of energy and forward momentum that carries the book along. We are with Stacey “Shakespeare” Williams on his way out to the family farm in eastern Colorado to bury a dead cat and also to discover a major challenge with his father Emmett, who has gone mostly senile. Shakespeare confronts his past, finds a way to build a new home and put down roots (both figurative and literal) in a place that makes him, at first, uncomfortable.

Shakespeare plunges in and reconnects. He makes things work. He cleans things up. He doesn’t wallow, he steps in. He reaches out to former classmates. He tries to make connections with them, some successfully and some not. He tries (in one case, literally) to pull his classmates back out into the sunshine and fresh air. Ultimately, he locks in on the distant corporate foes who are creating havoc and despair in this rural community and comes up with a plan to right some wrongs.

The core of the book is the relationship between Shakespeare and his father, a re-bonding through the haze and miscommunication of Alzheimer’s and old age. Hill’s ability to capture this relationship is organic, honest and devoid of sentimentality.

The story reaches its peak after a nifty crescendo and you realize Hill’s fairly casual “plotting” has been just the opposite. He’s been planting seeds all along and they’ve all borne fruit at the same moment, ripe for Hill’s perfect plucking.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the surface, this is a simple book. A 40something Denver man, Stacey "Shakespeare" Williams takes an unscheduled trip to his boyhood home in Dorsey, CO only to find his father living in deep dementia and profound squalor. Shakes finds his caretaker dead in the bathroom (a week ago, from natural causes) and quits his job and moves back in with his father to see what he can do to literally save the farm. Over the next several months the bills pile up, the groceries go down, old friends are somewhat reconnected with, and Shakes has a number of profound conversations with his rapidly deteriorating father. This sounds like a grim novel, but it is the exact opposite. There are tiny gems strewn throughout this book that are hilarious and uplifting and very, very wise. This is book is a perfection of quirkiness as I have never seen it before, and a very promising debut from one of Colorado's own.

[Kayla Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book from a first reads giveaway here on goodreads!

Wow. This book took me by surprise! I really enjoyed reading this one. It's definitely not my typical read; I couldn't tell you the last time I read a book where the main character was a male in his 40's or somewhere around there. Yet, something about this book is so compelling that it completely drew me in despite not being what I would typically pick up from a library or book store.

At first I thought it was Gregory Hill's writing. I'm sure there will be people who disagree with me, but I loved the writing style. The writing was just so quick and to the point that it kept me captivated and I never felt bored. I know that it seems like short sentences that are straight to the point can get annoying since I'm sure a lot of us are used to writers focusing on details and all that but it just worked so well in this book. It made it feel more real. It felt like I wasn't reading, but that I was sitting down and having the main character, Stacey "Shakespeare" or "Shakes" Williams, telling me exactly what was happening. It was nice.

As the story progressed, I thought it was maybe the characters that captivated me. They're all so unique and full of quirks! All of the characters felt real to me and I found myself really caring for them. I think it was a mixture of the writing style and the characters that had me loving this book. Gregory Hill does both so well.

As the book went on though, I found myself wondering where exactly it was going. I was never bored reading, but it felt like nothing really happened. If you've read the description of the book then this isn't a spoiler but SERIOUSLY... I was waiting for these characters to hurry up and rob a bank or something! When things finally did start happening at the very end of the book, I felt like I didn't really get closure with these characters. I still wanted to know so much about what was happening and what was going to happen to them.

This book was still an awesome read though! I would really recommend it to anyone who can appreciate darker humour and character driven stories. I really loved this book!



Also, super random, but can I just say how much I love the cover of this book!? There's just something about it... I love love LOVE the cover!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to describe this book. It's like Christopher Moore meet Quentin Tarantino. It should be a movie and has indie film written all over it. Scott Glenn would play the father. Joseph Gordon-Levitt would play the son. This story has an air of tragedy that is totally usurped by dark humor. The return of the prodigal son or should I say the only son from the big city back to his rural roots-all to bury a cat, sets off an improbable chain of events that has you in awe of the author's gift for capturing tender moments and then leaving you laughing at an "unfortunate turn of events." Dad is 62 and has early onset Alzheimers and has been taken advantage of by the local banker. They are about to lose the farmstead that has been in the family for over 100 years. Shakes, the son, starts planning a bank robbery. It's comical and sad and a plan destined for failure. Finally he comes to his senses and it appears that the ending will be less than you expected. Wrong. Circumstances intervene and the ending is truly unexpected and bizarre but entertaining.

[Chrisman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book left me feeling conflicted.

I picked it up because it's a book about Denver (kind of) by a local author, and it won an Amazon award.

I kept reading it because the first half was beautiful, and then the later plot elements were too fantastical and weird to ignore.

I chuckled and smirked at parts, and became morose and sullen after reading other parts.

The reader of the audio book sounded physically taxed by the act of reading the book; chapters began in a clear voice and ended in a gravelly croak.

[Bennett Gavrish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grade: A-

L/C Ratio: 70/30
(This means I estimate the author devoted 70% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 30% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)

Thematic Breakdown:
35% - Senility
30% - Small town culture
20% - Farming
15% - Humor


East of Denver won the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, and after 12 months in the publishing carousel, Gregory Hill's debut novel was released into the wild. It's a simple story with a small cast that hits alternating notes of hilarity and heartbreak.

First-person novels are heavily reliant on the narrator to dictate the tone of the entire text, and that's where East of Denver excels. Hill's protagonist has a fun nickname (Shakespeare), plenty of quirky traits (he has no sense of smell), and a killer sense of humor (especially when it involves his senile father).

The plot of East of Denver is semi-repetitive and only ramps up during the final pages, but the book as a whole does not suffer. Seeing the world through the eyes of Shakespeare is plenty entertaining, and Hill's wry and sparse style makes for an easy read.


Noteworthy Quote:

I pulled out the old photo album. All photo albums are the same. Just like all dreams are the same. They mean the world to the person who owns them and they’re boring as dirt to everybody else.

[Nathan Strickland · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's easy to see in the first 3,000 words or so why this novel won the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award in 2011. The opening line about the dead cat is a fine hook (that eventually goes nowhere, unless I missed some unusually deep symbolism) and the revelations of the father's impoverished state (both literally and figuratively) are genuinely moving.

Then the wheels start to come off.

Characters visit each other in scenes that seem to serve no purpose. Instead of making secondary characters more nuanced and interesting, they seem to become more loathsome and repulsive. It feels like the author was aiming for something dark and gritty but accidentally recreated Cormac McCarthy's "parade of horribles".

The prose has strong moments but stumbles with some of the more clipped and terse segments. Hemingway-esque minimalism is a fine style in the American literary tradition, but when Hill lapses into telling versus showing it seems more like he is grasping for bridging scenes and expanded wordcount. While the book probably could have been an excellent novella, like its protagonist it is too meandering and unfocused to serve as a satisfying novel.

[Bea Elwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

You had me at Denver... and admittedly I would love to be in a writing group with you. Funny and it really captured the spirit of living on the plains however I admit I was let down by the ending (if you don't want any spoiler than stop reading now).

Like I said you had me at Denver you lost me with the plan to rob the bank, through charm and a magical relationship between father and son you got me back and I was gripped with the snake bite. Which is why the ending was such a let down - although I am glad they took the plane, the last 30 pages were disappointing.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great sense of place and excellent characters. Should be a film in the near future.

[Randy Briggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely little book about a group of small-town misfits who hatch a half-assed plan to rob a bank. Smart, quirky and heartbreaking. I read it in one sitting.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious! Love this guy's sense of humor.....blunt, to the point (doesn't waste words) and hysterical dark humor.

[Bec · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know those books that jump off the bookshelf at you & you read it & it turns out to have a really poignant message for you that you wouldn't have got if you'd read it at any other time? This book was kind of like that for me, but Im not sure what the message is. Perhaps I'm indulging in a form of magical thinking I haven't done for a while as I remember this often used to happen. I've just recently (in the past 6 months) started reading fiction again after years of only reading non-fiction & this is the first time the message in a book thing has happened since I started reading lots of fiction again. Anyway I picked this book up in the library & started reading the first page, as I do when testing a book to see if I liked it. The guys cat had just died & he's driving home to bury it on his dad's farm, in the pasture for dead dogs. I started reading this a few weeks ago & I started to take it back to the library a few times but something stopped me. Then my cat died & I finished it in a day.
Shakes life sucks, like mine. His dads health has deteriorated badly since the last time Shakes saw him, as has the woman who was looking out for Shakes dad. When he first arrives he's angry there is no sign of her being there for weeks, but then when he notices the bathroom door is locked he asks his dad to open it & it turns out she's dead & has been for weeks. Shakes suffers anosmia, which means he can't smell.
So Shakes moves back home with his senile old dad, realises the bank manager stole his dad's airplane for $20 & he plants a garden. His dad was a whiz with anything mechanical & it's breaking Shakes heart to see his dad losing it to early onset dementia. A plan is hatched to rob the bank.
It's not the what that matters, but the how. It's a sad, funny book with a stupid ending. I read in a review of where'd you go Bernadette? that there is a new genre that is written in a realistic style but the characters do crazy madcap whimsical things that everyone pretends is realistic. Kind of like Liane Moriarty. The ending is like that.
i didn't like the end at all, I didn't think it necessary to have old dad dig up the dead cat & throw the rattlesnake in the grave. & why the hell did he takes Shakes to the bank when he got snakebit? at the exact moment Clarissa was helping someone else rob the bank? that stretches even my inclination toward magical thinking, which I don't really have.
Apart from the ending, I will remember Shakes as a guy who loved his dad even though he's as irritating as all fuck, loved his cat & just wants to grow some tomatoes so he's got something he did with his own hands, something he can be proud of. That's kind of where I'm at now, that's why the book chucked itself at me, life will keep going no matter what you do.

[Larkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 This is one of the things that I like about opening up books that I don't remember anything about from the summary. I thought this would be a simple story about a man and his father, we'd get a simple, maybe bleak story of their time together on their farm. Instead we get plans of a bank robbery, a suicide, and a crew of druggies. It's not surprising, necessarily. Small towns can be nonchalantly chaotic. They just seem simple and accepting of the ways that their community works, outsiders wouldn't understand. I did like this book. What missed the mark for me was the disconnect between the dialogue and the realistic portrayal of characters and the setting. Even though they have conversations they all kind of deliver half-hearted responses. It's all surface level and emotionless. I think the disconnect was done on purpose, but I don't completely understand why. If you like dialogue driven books, this probably isn't for you. There's no real growth with the characters either, but that's not really the point of the novel. There are definitely surprising moments that will make you question if you've missed a page though.
I just saw that this is book one in a series. I wouldn't mind reading the others. I wonder if we get a new character in each book or maybe a new time frame? I was reading the reviews on the back of the book and one of the reviewers said this writing style can be compared to "black-comic novelists" and that's exactly what the dialogue feels like. It's simple, it could go in a speech bubble above the character's head.

[Court Merrigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, man, did I want to love this book. It has all the hallmarks of a good country noir - the disaffected and alienated loner, the crazy, the seemingly empty countryside, the irony and the lack of moral compass. So I'll start by saying that this book is certainly country noir (it even manages to cram in some violence in, towards the end). AND it has the added benefit of being funny. Mr. Hill knows how turn his MC's first-person POV into some seriously funny lines: "Teh mentality in Strattford County is that you can't leave more than your share of water in the aquifer and expect it to be there for your grandchildren. Next thing you know, the damned government would start regulating the water. Probably give it to all those pricks in Kansas. Use it or lose it. But don't overwater the garden." (38)

But too often Hill succumbs to letting his do-nothing character, well, do nothing. Purposely - and skillfully - undercutting the tension of a scene (as when Shakespeare Williams nearly makes it with Clarissa in the trailer, but then says the wrong thing, and it all falls apart) makes for a great sort of character exposition, at first. But then it's just underscoring the point, and didn't feel all that necessary.

Mr. Hill certainly follows Chekov's dictum about the gun on the mantelpiece to the T - nothing happens here that isn't relevant. It felt a little too well-sewn up in places, but that's alright; we're clearly dealing with a set piece here, and I don't mind it. One doesn't fall very long or hard into the fictive dream in such a case, though; one is constantly conscious of being manipulated. But that was a stylistic choice on Hill's part, and one carried off to good effect most of the time.

The ending felt a touch tacked-on, and just set up a touch too perfectly; still, it was hard to fault that, either.

The Dad character is wonderfully rendered as a prematurely senile old rancher. The highlight of the book, to be sure. Although, again, Hill is a touch too fond of his usual effects; towards the end of the book, Dad's non sequiters are starting to sound expected, and thus lose a lot of their punch, so skillfully employed in the early going.

On the whole, though, this books fits the country noir template wonderfully, though the antihero can't hardly use a gun, doesn't drink enough, and doesn't like drugs (not even marijuana). He messes with noir convention in lots of delightful ways.

The other thing to note about this book is its curiously empty tableau; there are no cousins, exgirlfriends, siblings, uncles, brothers, sisters-in-law, or other extended type relations that characterize most folks lives; everyone is practically a free agent, and no one (up to and including the paralyzed character) seems to have anything else to do at times when the MC has need of them, for plot points or entertainment. And evidently Shakespeare had nothing of value, in terms of relationships or material possessions, back in Denver. I guess this isn't a criticism so much as an observation - in order for Mr. Hill to tell his story, he really had to clear the table. I suppose that makes it a more enjoyable read, really.

One strange thing about this book: the first part is written in deliberate, short, choppy sentences. But after that, it is more flowing, with no more careful attention on the sentence level to minimalism. I'm sure that was intentional but I don't know why.

Some readers might find the steady asides to explain the vagauries of country life annoying. I enjoyed them, but then I'm biased.

Good lines:

"Dad handed Vaughn's mom a hundred-dollar bill. She puzzled for a moment. I took the wallet from Dad's hands, found a twenty, and swapped it for the hundred. Vaugh's mom said thansk, but she looked at me like I was no good. LIke I didn't need to be letting my poor, confused pa by beer. Or maybe like we didn't buy enough. I'm not much for reading people." (9)

"It wasn't night yet. Just sunsetty." (59)

"Clarissa was glowing again. We were all connecting again. We were all on the same side." (75 - echoes of Hem)

"The people of Strattford County have an accent. It's not Southern, it's not cowboy, and it defintely isn't Texas. A linguist might say that the STrattford County accent can be identified by teh fact that "pen" and "pin" sound the same, or that, depening on the usage, "do" sometimes has one sylalble and sometimes has two. In reality, the Strattford County accent is defined by the layer of bullshit that coats every word, like the speaker is always messing with your head. I've seen funerals where I wasn't sure if the preacher wasn't maybe *glad* that the so-and-so had died. I don't know what it is, but it's there and, even though I grew up with it, I can never tell what people are saying." (83)

"In a world full of temptation, the only way to keep out of trouble is to keep out of the world." (89) - noir, indeed

"The doctor said, "Any problems with depression?"

I said, "I'm getting used to it."

Dr. Shepard said, "With Emmett, I mean." (112-13) (Emmett is the dad)

"You live in a shitty trailer house in a rotten town. You're thirty-six years old, you're afraid of vomit, you're anorexic, and nobody loves you." I picked up a book off her end table. "And you're reading something called *Furious Desire*?"

She pulled the book out of my hands. "I read it because it's funny." She was defensive. "You know, telling me i'm pathetic isn't news. I know all that shit. I know I'm a nobody doing nothing nowhere." (122)

"I looked him in the eye. All I could see was that his pupils were dilated." (142) yeah!

"Each morning, I'd go out to the garden, expecting to see the tomatoes all eaten up. I suppose I could have sat out nights with a shotgun on my lap. But I probably would have fallen asleep. And if I did stay awake, I can't imagine that I'd actually have the guts to shoot a deer. But let's say I did shoot a deer. Then I'd have to either slaughter it so we could eat or I'd have to drag it out to a pasture and let the coyotes go at it. Neither of those scenaerios seemed worth the trouble. Instead, I relied on hope, but without feeling hopeful." (203)

"Pa said, "I always thought I'd be a grandpa."

"You ain't."

He said, "You did other things good, though."

I said, "Thanks. Like what?"

"Oh." He paused. The pause expanded, streteched its legs, took a walk around the shed, and didn't come back." (229)

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really strange book. It starts out not so strange and very possible but gradually the story turns in a totally unbelievable strange direction. To begin with I had empathy for Shakes, the main character. He was strange but basically had a good heart. He comes back home to bury a dead cat and the women who had been looking in on his dad is found dead in his dad's bathroom. Shakes doesn't realize this right away because he and his dad has no sense of smell. Shakes then decides to stay and care of his dad, who has early dementia. The initial quirky things that happen with old high school.friends are weird but seem very typical occurrences in rural.areas where there isn't much else to do. His dad was a genius with mechanical things and at strategic times his dad is able to summon those abilities magically. Bad things have happened to his dad because of his dementia and the local.banker has taken advantage of the situation. The banker essentially steals things from him and ends up foreclosing.on the family farm.

After that the story goes downhill and the plot becomes rather unbelievable and convoluted. If you like quirky books, you'll love this book. I felt like the author didn't know how to.end the book.and just kind of rambles toward the end.

What is best about this book is the relationship that the son and father have. This is.the relationship and time spent that every son wishes he could have especially in those declining days with their dad.

[Tork · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a strange book. I loved it. Exactly what I needed right now. I'm here for anything set in Colorado, but as a city folk I really enjoyed getting a perspective from the Mysterious Lands off in the distance. I read several different synopses trying to sell this book to me, but as it turns out none of them were really accurate to the plot. In fact, there's hardly any plot at all. It's just characters. And life as it comes. Characters who are flawed, characters who love, who lose, who try, who go to baseball games and steal beer and make stupid jokes and drive in circles for no reason and can't be bothered with their finances. Characters who are so deeply human. I've never lived a life anywhere close to this but it was so easy to resonate with regardless. The same thing that drew me to CW's Supernatural kept me hooked on this: the raw core of a familial relationship. That of a father and son in a poor situation trying to make it on their own, but together. It's wild, it's bittersweet, it's tragic, it's beautiful. I'll come back here any day just to feel real.

[Erin Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I TOTALLY enjoyed this book. This is a sweet, dark, funny tale about a family with nowhere to go but down. 'Shakes' Williams has decided to return home to the farm he grew up on to bury the dead cat he had adopted as a stray. He finds his father Emmett a changed man, the house is a wreck and the dementia that began as a kind of cute forgetfulness a few years ago is in full blown form. Shakes realizes he has to stay and become his fathers full time caregiver. When he discovers that the local banker has cheated his father out of not only his airplane but his farm as well, he hatches a plan to rob the bank that is repossessing the family farm with several old high school friends he has reconnected with.
As dark as this story may sound there are wonderful moments of comedy, wit and love. The author uses a simplistic style of writing that I really felt rang true, yes - people really do talk this way. I can't recommend this book highly enough. A true American gem.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This character-driven novel is sharp, funny, moody, and disturbing; the quirky characters are flawed yet compelling (although some are downright repulsive). The heart of the book centers around the poignant relationship between an adult son and his aging father which is treated with wit and discernment but with out sentimentality. Themes of home, childhood, loneliness, greed, and entropy are explored amid the rural landscape of Colorado's eastern plains. The sparse and direct writing is mostly effective although some parts feel disjointed or unconvincing. I found the ending entertaining but overly bizarre, rushed, and less clear or satisfying than I had hoped. Still, this was an enjoyable and affective read.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's a book that will probably not hit many readers' radar but should be on it.

It's a quick read. It's endearing. It's sad. It's simplistic in setting and cast. But the human, relate-able aspects of this story, that anyone could be the main character and his could be anyone's family, are so prominent and consistent that you can't stop reading it.

Recommended if you're looking for nostalgia but not sap, family but not Waltons, realistic flaws but not tragedy.

[RJ Koch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bookclub book for January. Waded through it. Can't wait for the discussion. One note I took was something like "why am I reading this?" I guess I cared about the characters? Plot holes. Medicaid? Had stuff to say about dementia, family, friends, diet, sticking your head in the sand, rural Colorado,and I kept reading it to see how it would end, but ...

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such sad and interesting characters. Parts of this book bugged me a little, like not noticing or commenting on the obvious. The cars; at the school, pulling up in front of the meth addicts house, wouldn't someone hear/notice? This book reminded me a lot of The Road. Bleak, with glimmers of love between the characters. The ending was perfect. Sad, sad sad, but there was not other way was there?

[Sandee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot is a little uneven, like the author had ideas for 3 books and tried to meld them altogether. When he was writing in the groove, it worked very well, enough to bump up my rating to 4 stars. Will definitely check to see if he has written another book!

[Gerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting events describing dealing with a parent plagued with dementia. It was described best as an on-off switch. I enjoyed the parts with 'Shake' dealing with his dad. The parts of him dealing with his goofball old classmates, not so much.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading books set in my home state. I feel more connected to them. I liked the characters here, and the father /son relationship kept me invested. Their dialogues of spats and one liners was good comedy. The ending was a bit rushed, but overall a good story.

[Joel Atella · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had another book of this author's on my list, so reading this was 100% random. I loved the first 200 pages. I disliked the rest and strongly dislike the ending. A fan of the author's writing style, but not the plot development.

[Barry Wightman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, great story. Greg Hill has made eastern Colorado his. You need to read this.

[Lafcadio · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last book I read ended with a dead cat. This book starts with a dead cat. The cat is mostly irrelevant, however, and the rest of this book is a nice read. I didn't want it to end.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

I took a few notes as I read this (so I have something to say at Book Club...meeting at a winery this month!) -- but overall, this book was meh. My final thoughts "this book is dumb"