The Thing About My Uncle is the first novel by American playwright, attorney and author, Peter J Stavros. When a gun (not his!) is found in his school backpack and Rhett Littlefield is (unfairly, in his opinion) expelled from Putnam Middle School, his mother, raising two children on her own, is at her wits’ end. It’s not his first offence (ditching class, smoking in the park), and her solution is to put him on a bus from Louisville and send him to live with his Uncle Theo.

Because she’s told him that her brother doesn’t have a job, Rhett assumes he must be very wealthy, probably living in a mansion with servants to wait on him, and likely a stable full of luxury cars. When Rhett gets off the bus at Prestonsburg, he’s in for more than one big shock: first is the dented, rusty old pick-up truck his uncle, hairy, bearded, tattooed and unkempt, drives; second is the very ordinary, run-down, isolated one-room cabin in the hollers of East Kentucky; third is the fierce-looking big black dog named Chekhov; and fourth, the expectation that he will do school work to a schedule, and chores.

And Uncle Theo is clearly rather exasperated to have to devote his precious time to this ignorant, scrawny fourteen-year-old-with-attitude, nephew though he may be. His stay with Uncle Theo being for an indefinite period of time (until you straighten the hell out!), he misses his Mama, his little sister Ella Mae, and his friends at school (there’s no cell phone reception, he can’t even text them!) His father left them when he was four, and only weird nightmares of him remain. He vows to do his best so he can get back home soon.

Uncle Theo’s cooking seems pretty good, but this venison stuff isn’t as good as Mama’s tuna mac, although bacon, eggs and fried potatoes for breakfast is better than home. The wild game (rabbits! squirrels!) Uncle Theo serves up with the vegetables from his garden are tasty enough, but he still longs for normal food like pizza. Uncle Theo swaps vegetables for game his neighbours hunt, so the garden must be pretty big, but he seems to be quite secretive about it.

And then, on a Saturday, out on the new mountain bike his uncle has given him, his too-fast downhill ride has him crash-landing there, a booby-trapped (why ever?) plot with enormous weeds between the carrots and beans. Subtle questioning doesn’t net any answers, but he does learn that his uncle was a lawyer, until an accident stopped him from working.

His uncle is cagey about quite a few things, making Rhett even more curious, especially after what he overhears when Sheriff Hank pays a visit. A warning about two strangers hanging around that may present danger from Theo’s past sees a community of mostly reclusive farmers banding together to protect their neighbour.

Stavros’s protagonist definitely has a Huck Finn vibe going on, although for a teen in the digital age he does seem quite naïve on some topics. And Theo’s former profession doesn’t quite gel with his current income source. Those niggles aside, this is an enjoyable coming-of-age tale with plenty of wisdom and humour.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and BHC Press.

Thank you Netgalley and BHC Press for this arc.

Told in first person by Rhett, who at fourteen is both smart and adrift in a world he doesn’t know well, the story covers a lot of ground. Though Rhett’s overworked mother has tried, she hasn’t had the time to keep Rhett engaged at school. Uncle Theo’s routines allow for little variance so Rhett struggles a bit at first before settling down and discovering that learning can be a bit more enjoyable than he thinks. He also starts to explore the area around his Uncle’s house “out in the sticks” and sees the beauty and the types of wild critters whose meat Uncle Theo’s neighbors trade for the “produce” of his garden. Eating Bambi, Rocky the Squirrel and other types of game that he’s never had is made better by his uncle’s skill in the kitchen, though.

It’s pretty obvious to readers what else Uncle Theo has growing in his garden (and he’s more than a bit disingenuous about justifying it) but to his credit, he attempts to keep Rhett out of it until Rhett’s inquisitive nature forces the truth. Rhett, who his former lawyer uncle swears ought to become a lawyer, has a way with cross examination. The source of the danger that slowly begins to appear is also obvious. I could understand, a bit, Rhett not initially grasping things but Uncle Theo is too blasé in spite of past events. When his neighbors catch wind of potential danger, the way they rally around Theo and Rhett is lovely.

There is a degree of violence in the story. The “bad people” really are bad and not afraid to be bad. Maybe Theo is just trying to make himself believe that there’s nothing to fear but honestly, more than a few times I wanted to shake him and Rhett for putting 2 + 2 together and getting 2.75. But then Rhett admits that fractions aren’t his strong point. There is a glaring plot hole in why someone doesn’t try and contact Rhett earlier but I’ll accept it for Overall Plot Reasons. I also wonder what Rhett’s mother is going to say when she discovers what her brother sells to his neighbors.

The book ends with a few loose threads still loose but in ways that make sense. Rhett appears to be settling into a place that he now sees as home even though he does miss his sister and his mother. But some of his school friends? Yeah, I’d stay clear of them in the future. I also think that younger readers might not be bothered by some of the problematic things that stuck out to me. B-/C+

This is an enjoyable coming-of-age story.

Fourteen-year-old Rhett Littlefield is expelled from his school in Louisville, Kentucky. His mother, totally frustrated with his behaviour, sends him to stay with her brother Theo. Uncle Theo is a reclusive, reserved man who lives alone, except for his dog Chekhov, on an isolated farm in Eastern Kentucky. Feeling he has no choice, Rhett agrees to his uncle’s strict home-schooling schedule, though he is given a mountain bike so he can go exploring on weekends. Rhett is determined to get to know his uncle, especially after they have some strange visitors. Gradually Rhett uncovers his uncle’s secrets, including some directly connected to his own past.

As I mentioned, this is a coming-of-age story. Rhett is trying to figure out where he belongs; because his mother works a lot, he has little supervision: “I had nothing to do, nowhere to be.” He is troubled by the absence of his father, a man who left the family about ten years earlier. Rhett feels guilty, believing he was somehow responsible for his father’s taking off and leaving his family. He admits that after a few years, “I gave up on waiting for Pops to come back, and I gave up on a lot of other things too, school being the primary other thing.” His being sent away by his mother feels like another abandonment. At Uncle Theo’s his life is structured and he has to pay attention to his studies. He is also encouraged not to waste time, to be active, and to have fun as well. As time passes, he realizes the truth of his uncle’s lessons, gains confidence, and becomes more secure in his self: “I guessed there was something to be said for not fitting in and still being comfortable in your own skin.”

Rhett is a young boy it is difficult not to like. He’s a good kid who has not had an easy home life. Though he does not always follow the rules, he’s not incorrigible. He’s lost and troubled. He’s sensitive, imaginative and, as his uncle repeats, “’you sure are an inquisitive one.’” He loves his mother and sister; he tries to understand his mother’s decision to send him away and concludes “it couldn’t have been easy for her, I knew it couldn’t, sending me off like this. And I felt that much worse for letting Mama down.”

Uncle Theo is also a character the reader will come to like. At first he’s just a big man with a disheveled appearance (wild hair, unkempt beard, torn clothing, tattoos) who is a mystery because Rhett knows little about him. As Rhett gets to know his uncle, we see a man who is not perfect but who is patient, spiritual, and wise. At times he made me think of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird; just as Atticus talks to Scout and Jem so does Uncle Theo talk to Rhett and try to teach him about life: “’It’s not always so easy to tell the bad guys from the good guys. The line can get pretty blurry at times. That’s just how life is, bud’” and “’everything somehow works out the way it’s supposed to. Might not be the way you thought or hoped or had planned for yourself, could be something you never would have imagined in your wildest dreams’” and “’appreciate how precious time is.’”

Since Rhett is the first-person narrator, the style, with its repetitions, seems appropriate. Certain phrases are repeated throughout. For instance, when describing the dumpster near which Rhett gathers with his friends, he always mentions that it “smelled of sour milk”; when Theo rubs his beard, Rhett always mentions “the gray part around his mouth”; and when describing the quiet meals with his uncle, Rhett repeats, “just utensils clinking against plates, chews and swallows, Chekhov begging for table scraps.”

There are some nice touches of humour: Rhett’s first meeting with Chekhov, meals with mystery meat, and Rhett’s naive comments which are often ironic. But there is also tension, especially as strange men visit Uncle Theo and when the sheriff arrives with his warning.

There are a couple of things that bothered me: Rhett’s mother never calls to speak to her son? When Rhett learns something about his father, he doesn’t ask the most obvious question? Rhett is so innocent and naive that it takes him so long to figure out the nature of his uncle’s business? The discussion of religion forced and unnatural and the climax, inevitable and predictable.

The book is classified as adult fiction, but I think it would be appropriate for young adults. Teenagers would undoubtedly find Rhett a relatable character.

The Thing About My Uncle by Peter J Stavros is a highly recommended coming-of-age story.

Rhett Littlefield, 14, is expelled from school and his mother sends him to live with his Uncle Theo in the hollers of Eastern Kentucky. After meeting his uncle's dog, Chekhov, Rhett settles into his situation. Uncle Theo is a great cook, tattooed, works out in his gym, spends a lot of time working on his garden, and is going to set Rhett on the right path. He puts Rhett on a strict homeschooling schedule and gets Rhett a mountain bike to ride some of the mountain trails. Rhett settles into his new situation, including no more of his mom's tuna mac.

The family all have secrets that end up getting exposed and past events are explained. The bond the grows between Rhett and Theo helps reconcile some of Rhett's misconceptions about the past by exposing some of the secrets and revealing the truth about events that have influenced his whole life. Faith is also explored in a gentle way.

The Thing About My Uncle is a highly recommended, well-written debut novel that is compelling. As the characters grow to know each other and share secrets it prepares them for the explosive ending. Thanks to BHC Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Really enjoyed this story of an uncle taking in his nephew in order to help him get on track with his studies, his values, his person in spite of his own mysterious dealings with the community.

This is a good book. It's about a troubled young man trying to figure out where he belongs. A lot of twists and turns as he learns family secrets that will change his life.

I enjoyed this character-driven novel narrated solely by a 14 year old boy (Rhett) in Kentucky. I loved the way the relationship between Rhett and his uncle Theo developed, and then escalated, and then settled back into a mature relationship. I also loved the inclusion of the dog, in more ways than one! It was interesting to be let into the inner mind/workings of a young teenager. Lots of good insight gained here!

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and publisher, for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Rhett is a teeanger who is lost in life, he does what he wants without measuring the consequences until he gets expelled from school for something he didn't do and is sent to his uncle's house, a person who he vaguely remembers. Uncle Theo is a very reserved man and his main goal is to set Rhett straight, make him study and choose what he wants to be in life. He also has a dog, Chekhov, who intimidates Rhett at the beginning. Rhett and Uncle Theo will take time to warm up to each other, Rhett finds his uncle a mysterious man and the people who come to the house even more difficult to read and understand. Rhett will grow under Theo's guidance and will learn the difficult truth about his past and his family. Beautifully written, The Thing About My Uncle, is a story about coming of age, acquiring knowledge and confidence, and learning that the lines of good and evil are sometimes interlocked and blurred. Highly recommended!
I thank Mr. Stravos, his publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

There’s no such thing as taking a pause when coming across a coming-of-age story like The Thing About My Uncle. It settles on the simplest scenarios, yet effortlessly pokes at the heart of what forces us to forget what living in the moment feels like. The story shows what it is to be in a routine and still be able to breathe and have fun.

Rhett is so easy to love. His inquisitive personality is, I believe, one of his charms, and he’s effortlessly funny! The story makes me giggle from time to time because of how Rhett thinks and probes about his Uncle Theo. It’s wildly amusing as well whenever he places himself in a battle between what he wants to do and what he should not do.

Honestly, reading this story was personal to me. I could not adequately describe the impact this story brought upon me, but it felt like seeing a bit of my younger self and the other person I dreamed to be. I could relate to Rhett in a way that I was a homeschooled student, and it’s refreshing to see a homeschooled student wandering around the world beyond academics.

I did not have the chance to do that during my homeschool years. It felt like the world stopped when I was homeschooled, but that's another story. I could relate to Theo in a way that I dreamed to be like him, to resist injustice. Just like Rhett, Theo’s easy to love.

If there’s one thing I believe best describes them, it’s how they bring out the best in each other. And I guess it’s true that to be loved is to be known. My heart also goes out to Chekhov, which I consider as one of the book’s scene grabbers! This story has a unique way of showing how pivotal it is to be understood, and I am so delighted to have met Rhett, Theo, and Chekhov through this novel.

Thank you, NetGalley & BHC Press, for allowing me to read this ARC!

Publishing Date: August 20, 2024

I was intrigued by this book's synopsis.

The intrigue kept me hooked and reading.
Theo is a likable charcter who is standoffish but yet intelligent. The reader can follow along on his life and the crime committed against him.

Rhett though, is the star of the book. Told through his eyes, you can see the yearning, the will to try to make sense out of his world, when things have gone bad.

I loved the sense of community, the way that Theo and Rhett relate to each other, both expecting respect and understanding in their unique way.

I really enjoyed the pace of the book, it gently revealed just enough to keep the reader hooked.

It also allowed the reader to fill in some of the gaps that the book did not explain, ie POPS.

Overall a great book about family and community.

What an entertaining novel!
I was pleased as punch when Winchester, Ky was mentioned once because that's my neck of the woods so to speak.
I liked how Uncle Ted told Rhett that he matters to God. That He already had a plan for each of them. It made my heart feel pretty good
I read this sweet coming of age story in one evening. I was angry with Rhett's so called friends in what they did. I felt that it wasn't fair.
I really loved that this was told from Rhett's point of view. It's my favorite thing and of course the setting of Eastern Kentucky.
I'm not sure how I feel exactly about Sheriff Hank. In some ways I feel that he's sneaky and had a hand in what happened.
The dog's name is intriguing. Who ever heard of a dog name Checkhove Hmmmm. But she was amazing.
5 stars for a job well done. I highly recommend this book.
My thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.