Lowboy by John Wray


I have wanted to read Lowboy since it arrived at the library; the Adrian Tomine cover art (I'm an ardent fan of Mr. Tomine) drew me in immediately and the buzz surrounding the book was intriguing. Once I started reading it I couldn't stop - thankfully it's a quick read. Whiting award-winner John Wray tells the story of 16 year-old paranoid schizophrenic Will Heller's (Lowboy) 24 hour off-meds quest: to save the world from a fiery ending (due to global warming). His method? Finding ex-girlfriend hipster beauty Emily Wallace and having sex with her, or, in other words, 'cooling off his insides.'The truth of Lowboy's dark history slowly reveals itself through the eyes of his mother Violet, Special Category Missing detective Ali Lateef, and Lowboy himself. A disturbing read told in poetic prose that makes me want to read Wray's other work. Click here for the NY Times review and don't miss this video featuring John Wray interviewing Zack Galafianakis as John Wray. Grade 10+

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