Read: Michigan, Ten Cents by Doctor Gaines. Also known as my friend Josh.
With that full disclosure in mind, I’m going to recommend this simply because it’s quite unlike anything I’ve read in a while. It’s largely stripped of sentiment in a way that serves it well, putting events and dialogue front and centre; coupled with the country vibe (I still can’t bring myself to say “southern-fried”, but this is what that is), this at times comes across as a more folksy Cormac McCarthy. Which is no bad thing.
It’s a chapbook that isn’t afraid to wear its influences on its sleeve, often in a cinematic manner; the musical backdrop filters in and out at exactly the right moments, and the tone happily meanders along as a fun caper until it needs to be dark, at which point everything turns on a switchblade edge. I’m not going to call this perfect (in part because, knowing the writer, that would be unconvincing), but one thing this story excels at is keeping you hooked.
There was the occasional moment where I wasn’t sure about the narrative voice - every line of dialogue drips with Southern charm, but at times the outside commentary can’t decide whether it wants to be an eloquent observer or gleeful participant in its characters’ unique style. This doesn’t necessarily detract from the overall quality, though, and given that it’s a story with a number of tonal shifts one could even make a convincing case that it fits with the mood.
By the end, you’re left with blood on your hands and a strange sense of stillness, and I love stories that do that. This puts you through the wringer, but by the end you feel like your eyes have newly opened.