W.B. Belcher

The book takes you through a period of time in which a young man (Jack) who is struggling to find his purpose gets an opportunity to write a memoir about one of his idols (Eli), only to find out that the singer is old, and his mind is starting to fail. Their relationship is rocky and complex, as is Jack's budding relationship with a girl in town. As Jack works on these current relationships, he is forced to confront his past and look at what brought him to this place in his life. The reader accompanies him on a journey to understand himself better, and to try and understand the people around him. I found this book to be slow, but in a good way, which is something I don't think I've ever said before. As I worked through the book, I slowly got to know the characters better, as they slowly got to know themselves better, and I put the pieces together only as soon as they did. Overall I found it to be a very different book, and an interesting one to read.… (mer)