Thank you to Net Galley for this e- copy of A Tissue of Lies by Mike Nemeth in exchange for a honest review. This is a wonderful coming of age book set in the 1960s in Appleton , Wisconsin. Eddie Kovacs is a 14 year old boy who is faced with many dilemmas from trying to save his homosexual brother Danny from having to report for the draft , to trying to keep his father from getting in trouble when he discovers he is stealing money from the Sunday collections.His champion is his grandmother who has many secrets of her own . This is a book that has so many layers and twists and turns . Perfect historical fiction set in a turbulent time in our country.

A Tissue of Lies by Mike Nemeth is a daunting coming-of-age tale about dysfunctional families during the turbulent 1960s in America. The novel was a nice surprise regarding the writing style, plot, and character development. The settings were vivid and easy to absorb, coming to life for me as I read. Mr. Kovack’s character was easy to dislike, as was Mrs. Kovack’s gold-digging desire to rise above the secrets and rumors of her ancestry and the conditions of her 1960s life.

Told mainly from the perspective of the middle child, Eddie, whose beliefs and values were in strong contrast to those of his father, readers get an inside view of the psychological traumas of feeling like a misfit in the first family, a child just craving the attention of a father and mother, who treats him like a mistake.

I was impressed by the author’s portrayal of a family more concerned with what the neighbors think and a father who used his favorite son, his firstborn, to relive his glory days and failed dreams at the expense of Eddie and the neglect of his eight-year-old daughter.

I was pleasantly pleased with how the author incorporated a religious element into the narrative without draining the tale with overt and constant religiosity. As I read, I could see the diorama of a dysfunctional family playing out as dreams collide with an era that saw racial tensions explode, women subservient to men, and the fear of young boys in 1960s America as the Vietnam War escalated.

This coming-of-age tale is a must-read. It provides a rich background of well-researched details about this explosive era in American history and several very well-developed characters, such as Gram, Eddie, and his new friend Marcy, a highlight of the story.

The author's enlightening narrative is peppered with believable dialogue and enough twists to keep me engaged from start to finish. The book is an easy read, with just the proper amount of emphasis on some heady issues like birth control, the draft, homosexuality, religious beliefs, and the era’s families who needed to put WWII horrors in the rear-view mirror. Each character had a personal challenge, which the author revealed beautifully via narrative and believable dialogue.

This was my first time reading any of Mike Nemeth’s works. He has earned a permanent spot on my virtual and/or hard-copy bookshelves. His writing style was easy to read and follow despite the heaviness of a few themes.

I highly recommend this five-star coming-of-age tale set in some of the most difficult years in American history.

I received this as a free advance copy. This review is entirely voluntary and mine alone.

This book was such a good can't put down story. Characters that won't let you go for a long time to come.
I loved that it was told from Eddie's POV. My most favorite thing about a book. Why? It's bc I can mostly relate to a character the best. Even with the hardest of the truths.
Eddie is a wonderful character and my favorite. I felt sorry for him in a way but yet at the same time I admired him. He's a good boy. He knew what was right from wrong.
Marcy was the coolest character of all. I'm going to dub her a daring character.
However; I didn't care much for the rest of his family. His Granny was one of a kind. I loved her history
I was delighted to see the mention of the Lutheran faith in a couple of spots as I am one since birth.
I loved most things about this book.
I believe that some readers will be delighted with this coming of age story and others won't because of certain things this book holds they won't put it down.
They'll be wanting to see what happens next.
5 stars for keeping my attention all the way through. I highly recommend.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine

This explores the family dynamics of a blue collar American family at a time of profound and widespread change.

An unpopular war and the draft that comes with it threatens to destroy the dreams of the Kovacs family, and teenage middle child Eddie has no idea what his attempt to rescue the situation will lead to...

A coming of age story from the sixties that shows the impact of changes sweeping the social structure of the US, from race riots to the rise of the women's movement and a faraway war that wrought havoc at home.