Told through multiple perspectives, this novel is intense from beginning to end.
The story opens as two brothers Jonah (16) and Simon (14) attempt to move their dead horse off the side of the road. Having left the shamble of a house for greener pastures, the two boys decide that their only future lies in Arizona. With only a few belongings and the letters of the letters from their brother Matthew serving overseas; the boys attempt to walk/hitchhike from the Texas/New Mexico border to their destination. As the boys begin their journey they are picked up by Mitch a free spirit with a murderous streak and Lilly a pregnant woman to California so that she can abort the baby. As the story progresses, the relationship between Jonah and Simon becomes further strained as Simon begins to act more and more like Mitch; until Jonah is pushed from a bridge as retribution for sleeping with Lilly. Now separated, Simon is aware of the monster he is riding with, and Jonah is determined to save his brother.
Smith deftly leads the reader through the twist and turns of the journey slowly releasing Mitch’s true intent as well as Matthew’s full story. All the primary characters are extremely well developed and while the ending is graphic and suspenseful. Reader come to discover that the true reason Simon and Jonah are headed to AZ is to meet up with their brother who is attempting to defect from the war, only to discover that Matthew committed suicide three months earlier. Smith attempts to juxtapose the mental breakdown of Matthew and the hopelessness he is experiencing in the war with the experiences of Jonah and Simon.
This novel is not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach, graphic scenes of violence are throughout the novel and readers are forced to unravel all the mysteries at the authors pace. This novel is excellent, but not for all people.
The story opens as two brothers Jonah (16) and Simon (14) attempt to move their dead horse off the side of the road. Having left the shamble of a house for greener pastures, the two boys decide that their only future lies in Arizona. With only a few belongings and the letters of the letters from their brother Matthew serving overseas; the boys attempt to walk/hitchhike from the Texas/New Mexico border to their destination. As the boys begin their journey they are picked up by Mitch a free spirit with a murderous streak and Lilly a pregnant woman to California so that she can abort the baby. As the story progresses, the relationship between Jonah and Simon becomes further strained as Simon begins to act more and more like Mitch; until Jonah is pushed from a bridge as retribution for sleeping with Lilly. Now separated, Simon is aware of the monster he is riding with, and Jonah is determined to save his brother.
Smith deftly leads the reader through the twist and turns of the journey slowly releasing Mitch’s true intent as well as Matthew’s full story. All the primary characters are extremely well developed and while the ending is graphic and suspenseful. Reader come to discover that the true reason Simon and Jonah are headed to AZ is to meet up with their brother who is attempting to defect from the war, only to discover that Matthew committed suicide three months earlier. Smith attempts to juxtapose the mental breakdown of Matthew and the hopelessness he is experiencing in the war with the experiences of Jonah and Simon.
This novel is not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach, graphic scenes of violence are throughout the novel and readers are forced to unravel all the mysteries at the authors pace. This novel is excellent, but not for all people.
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