WE THE ANIMALS, a novel by Justin Torres

I bought this book in Seattle to read on the flight home. I had heard an interview with the author a few days earlier. I went into the bookstore knowing I was looking for a new book whose author I had heard interviewed, but I could remember absolutely nothing else about it. I was about to give up, when I spotted it at the far end of the "new novels" display and recognized the title immediately.

The novel is about the youngest of three boys growing up in a poor family, with parents who are volatile, caring, violent, loving, immature, and wise. They are doing what they can to get by. Some of the events are disturbing. Many are superficially disturbing but end up being loving. Others are deeply disturbing.

This book is a fast read, partly because it is quite short (128 pages) but also because the prose itself just demands you to read fast. Published reviews have used words such as “fierce”, “burning”, and “feral” to describe the story and the prose. I thought that much of it read like poetry. In fact, the first chapter (2.5 pages) could be a stand-alone poem. That first chapter may be the best first chapter I have ever read. I would recommend reading that even if you have no intention of reading the book. (I may have to give this book to someone for Christmas just to hear the first chapter read aloud.)

reviewed by Libby

The Fall of a Sparrow by Robert Hellenga

I really loved this book, even the second time I read it. It's beautifully written and has something for everyone ... tragedy, foreign travel, terrorism, religion, love, sex, forgiveness, eating, humor, music. It's a work of fiction about an English professor at a small college in northern Illinois whose oldest daughter is killed in an event that is actually historical -- the bombing of the Bologna train station. It goes on to show how the different members of the family ... father, mother, and two younger sisters ... adjust to this tragic event. If you've never read anything by Robert Hellenga, you might be surprised at what he's accomplished here.

Reviewed by Cal