The Book of Joe

The Book of Joe by Jonathan Tropper

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I didn't care much for the format of the storyline (it jumped back and forth between a 17 year gap), but I loved the characters and I loved the story itself. It was a well-voiced book, witty and sharp. A perfect mix of poignancy and humor. I felt a little unresolved with the character Sammy. This author is going on my Must Read List.

Synopsis: Right after high school, Joe Goffman left sleepy Bush Falls, Connecticut and never looked back. Then he wrote a novel savaging everything in town, a novel that became a national bestseller and a huge hit movie. Fifteen years later, Joe is struggling to avoid the sophomore slump with his next novel when he gets a call: his father's had a stroke, so it's back to Bush Falls for the town's most famous pariah. His brother avoids him, his former classmates beat him up, and the members of the book club just hurl their copies of Bush Falls at his house. But with the help of some old friends, Joe discovers that coming home isn't all bad—and that maybe the best things in life are second chances.

Recommended Reading:
Everything Changes by Jonathan Tropper
How to Talk to a Widower by Jonathan Tropper
Plan B by Jonathan Tropper
Nothing Lost by John Gregory Dunne
What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman