Susan BernhardRecensioner

This was a free read via Amazon that just happened to be on my kindle home screen when I was looking for something to read. Since then it's served as good reading for short periods of waiting etc. I did enjoy the story and was quite invested in the main character, Wes, who had such a traumatic start to life. I was willing things to turn out well for him without the story turning sickly. The author managed this well.

Some people are not prepared for parenthood because of their childhood traumas Reading this book at times was so difficult as my heart ached for Wes Ballott, the protagonist. Wes's father is a selfish, his Mother is an alcoholic who was sexual abused by her Father, and his Grandparents treated him like he is a dog. After his Mother's death, he is forced to live with his Grandparents in a small town in Minnesota. The only light in his life is his friendship with a family of Native Americans.

The writing in this novel was excellent and the only reason why I read it to the end. Extremely sad.

A surprisingly good book about family, love and romance.½

"What was I, anyway? Their blood ran through me—loser, liar, thief, cheat, brute, drunk, creep. Was there good at all?"

Even half-way through this book I intended to stop reading and leave it unfinished - a beautiful cover might make you pick it up, but when the characters are as unlikable as this bunch, it's tough to keep going. But, I persevered because the main character - 15 year-old Wes Ballot - draws on your sympathies, and eventually it got better. His parents fight and argue all the time - at least when his dad sticks around, which isn't his usual habit. After his mother dies, Wes is left with his grandparents, who are just as bad (if not worse). But Wes sees something different in other families, something he wants - and that's what kept me reading. There's a lot of profanity and talk of sex, which is another reason I grew tired of it, but there is some beautiful writing, too. And it's an interesting look at those who don't have the kind of family life I probably took for granted growing up. In the end, it's a story that kind of lingers with you.

"Carefree memories like that one—tinged with gloss, lit by sunrays—they’re fragile. I don’t tamper with them much.

Beautifully written

I would really like to give this 3.5 stars. This is a really beautifully written story and it's a really sad story. There is a lovely young man who pulls you through this story and all its sadness, that at times I found a bit hard to believe his rigor to endure without some kind of acting out or breakdown. But in the end, this is a beautiful story about love; real true love and those are the best stories to read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing with an advanced copy to read in exchange for an honest opinion.

Winter Loon is a gorgeous, emotionally wrought, coming-of-age story about a young boy who watches his mother drown and then must endure the aftermath of her death--a father who abandons him, moving in with his abusive grandparents and falling in love with the beautiful Jolene. The novel is heart-wrenching, gritty, and at times troubling, but one thing that you cannot escape is how you will feel about young Wes Ballot as he tries to figure out his new place in the world. This is a brilliant debut and I can't wait to see where Bernhard will take her readers next.