The Other by David Guterson.

"A beginning with a catch good enough to keep the reader engaged, planting the seed of "I have to know what happens" but overall, the narrative was overly verbose, arrogant and the story itself was a disappointment."

2 Stars

Pros: It was an interesting look at friendship and how the environment in which we grow up can have a profound impact on our lives.

Cons: The frenetic passion of Barry and his behavior overall was both confusing but also curious, so you wanted to find out what happened/All the characters are egotistical and basically pretty obnoxious.

Full Review:

Neil Countryman and John William Barry meet at a track meet in High School. John William beats Neil in the half mile and after a chance encounter the following weekend, a friendship is formed. The book follows the details of both of their lives and how vastly different they are. John William is passionate, paranoid, obsessed, takes unnecessary risks and is determined to be "free" of the world and its obligations. Countryman, on the other hand, is willing to let the dice fall where they will and not question too much about life. When John William decides to start living his life as a hermit in the middle of the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest, Countryman visits him often both to bring him supplies and check on his friend.

In the end, a surprising twist of events leads to Countryman rising to fame all thanks to John William. I believe, in a way, the author was trying to get the point across that friendships, no matter how odd or off kilter they may seem, are important and the bonds we create with others have effects in ways we can't even imagine. I read this book simply to find out what happened, since the curiosity factor of why John William chose to become a hermit, was there, but in the end, it all just boiled down to a lot of egotistical drivel. There were parts where it was promising, where a glimpse of John William's past might bring about some insight, but as a whole, I was left feeling disappointed and confused.

Comments

A Spark of White Fire (The Celestial Trilogy #1) by Sangu Mandanna

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