nice to read about Baton Rouge again... ( )

This was an uneven read for me. It started off really well but flagged in the middle for 100+ pages. As the ending neared, it gained some momentum, and I finished it mostly feeling satisfied.

It's the story of neighbors, community, and growing up in a neighborhood rocked by a violent attack on a teenaged girl. The narrator is a boy a year or so younger than the victim and fancies himself in love with her. There is a lot of reflection on memory and perspective, and some of the writing is beautiful. I spent much of the book finding the narrator unlikeable, and he is clearly set up as unreliable. There is a lot of adolescent lust and obsession which wasn't very interesting (also, a weird, random chapter about Baton Rouge and Hurricane Katrina evacuees that seemed like no more than filler...).

I initially rated this 4 stars, but that seems overly generous now, so I'm knocking it down a bit.

3.75 stars ( )

My Sunshine Away by M.O. Walsh is a haunting yet beautiful tale about a tragic childhood.

This book has blown me away with how thought provoking it is! M.O. Walsh's beautiful writing style tells the tale of fifteen year old Lindy (in our narrator's point of view) and the horrors that occur in their neighborhood. Add in the setting of Baton Rouge, Louisiana in the late 80s and you've got yourself the perfect coming of age story addressing some really tough issues that we are still seeing today.

This is another book that I wish would have been around in my high school years. I think this would have been perfect reading material that addresses the growth and change of a child to an adult, and the big issues in society that are still happening. M.O. Walsh made the story light hearted and fun (at times) in a setting that could have been extremely brutal.

As the book moves forward, the effects on the town and Lindy slowly unravel and the mystery of it all falls into place. The ghosts of everyone's past comes to a nice close at the end of the book, so don't worry about cliffhangers! The last few pages of the book are the perfect summary, better than anything I've ever seen before. It's a real shame I don't see this book (or eventually more) by M.O. Walsh on bookshelves at my local bookstore. This book is top tier writing!

My Sunshine Away had effects on me similar to 1984, To Kill a MockingBird and Shakespeare's best works. The book tells a story and a narrative, but has grande themes that can be picked apart. On top of that, the book feels nostalgic of what most adults had in their childhood (I can relate to talking on the phone when your parents answer it and hold it for you). The surprise of a safe neighborhood not really being all that safe. Also seeing some of the non-fictitious aspects of our world (like the Challenger and Jeffrey Dahmer) really made this book feel real.

The characters also felt like people I would have known in my childhood - nerdy kids, the "weirdos", that one girl everyone loves - they all were relatable. Seeing them change and how they ended up in adulthood was also a nice touch that helped close the story.

When I read this book, I thought it was a very soft adult novel - but apparently it's a Young Adult novel! It's a really nice read that Young Adults could handle. It has some tough themes, but nothing graphic. I'm actually even happier that this book should be on a Young Adult shelf, so those readers can get the impact of this story in their environment.

Overall, this book is an emotional, yet melancholic ride that will pull at your heartstrings and play with your emotions. It's so well developed, it's hard to believe that this is a debut novel! It feels like an expert in his craft wrote it! I highly recommend this book, and it's a definite must read! I'm sad I didn't pick this book up years ago! What a truly fantastic novel!

PS - What a stunning cover! This cover calls out to me, even though it's so simple yet so elegant! What a gem!

Five out of five stars!

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. ( )

A coming of age story that strips away the narrators innocence of growing up in a quiet suburb of Baton Rouge. I look forward to the authors next book. ( )

This debut novel is a nicely written coming of age story of a 14 year old boy who has to contend with a rape of a girl in his Baton Rouge neighborhood. The book is compulsively readable, and I thought the male perspective on teenage love (and lust) was fresh. There's definitely enough suspense to propel the story along at a good pace even though it really isn't as much a book about a crime as it is a book about maturing in the face of all the many problems that typical teenagers encounter. Unfortunately, Walsh piles on the problems and tragedies just a little too much for my taste. The book meanders into Lifetime Movie of the Week territory (albeit a masculine-ized version). I also had some mixed feelings about the ending, but it is hard to share why without spoiling the book. It's just a tad manipulative, but ultimately believable. I think that some readers will really embrace this book, so read a few reviews before you decide for yourself whether to pick it up. I just wasn't one of them. However, I am anxious to see where this author goes with another book; the writing talent is clearly there as he did bring his characters alive and definitely made me care about them. And for those of you who are bothered by graphic scenes (sex/violence), this book does address some tough subject matter, but by and large in a respectful and not especially graphic way. ( )