Depressingly real narrative on what it's like to grow up with little or no real future prospects. A young man's journey from the depths to hope.

An interesting read but difficult to review. The book was good at painting the picture of growing up with little and in disfunctional families. With nothing it's difficult to protect those you hold nearest and dearest. Junior and Courtney do have each other and the friendship and love they have for one other pulls them through.

I was going to read this for a readathon but decided to pass because I needed to know how many pages it was and it doesnt say on Goodreads. I was kind of disapointed by how little this book deals with addiction. There's some mention of addiction in the flashbacks but I was expecting more of it after reading the summary. The main character, Juniors, father was an alcoholic but since he dies right away its not the main focus of the story.

The writing and dialogue had an accent that I wasnt too familiar with. Maybe it was a southern accent but Im not 100% sure. I appreciated the the diversity this type of setting added but the unfamiliar language made it harder for me to connect to the story. However I was still moved by the flash back of his mothers death and Courtneys terrible home life. I still understood what the main character was trying to say and after a while the accent didnt stand out as much.

This novel explored the depths of human depravity, the demons of addiction and the heights of unconditional love. It started out a little slow, for me. But, once it got going, it didn't slow down, until the end. There were some "uncomfortable moments", one of which gave me a flashback of my own, that were hard to read through. This is a testament to the author's exceptional ability to paint a picture so real, with nothing more than his words, that you visibly cringe and want to crawl into your private bubble of safety.

The characters were well-developed with sublime depth, hearty substance and superb complexity. I almost felt like it was a mini study in psychology and human nature as their multi layers were peeled back, one by one, until the core of who they were (and why) was fully revealed.

With all of the evil and nastiness displayed by some of the characters, it was heartwarming and uplifting to see how Junior and Courtney stand by each other and support each other with unconditional love.

This was an intense read, but well worth hanging in there through the dark and disturbing patches.

*I received a complimentary copy of this story from NetGalley and Black Rose Writing in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

This is my first time reading Bruce Post. Very enjoyable read that kept me engagend throughout. Highly recommended.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A shame it finished so quick but I’m glad there was a happy ending and both main characters went through a lot, apart and together.