Lena Medunova Medunova itibaren Bhadauti Khas, Haryana 131306, India itibaren Bhadauti Khas, Haryana 131306, India

not sure yet still reading

You know how in Stand By Me (and the story it's based on, The Body), the narrator says something about how we never have friends as good as the friends we have in childhood?* In this novel, that's a really good thing. Gwen, Mickey, Tim, Sean and Gordon ("Go-Go") are friends. They explore this giant forest that's behind Gwen's house (this is in the long-ago time when kids were allowed to do things without parental supervision) most of the summer and one day, they find a man who lives in a ramshackle cabin**. Something happens and then the kids don't hang out anymore. Years later when they're grownups, Gordon dies (possibly suicide, possibly an accident) and the other four need to finally discuss and come to terms with what happened that night. This is such a hard book to discuss because it's very Usual Suspects in the way that we only get the truth a bit at a time. (Obviously, I guess, as this is a mystery.) This is a huge departure from her general style, but it's really good. Especially if you can have patience and let the narrative unfold. :) Recommended. In the interest of full disclosure, I know Laura and while I do think of her as "one of my favorite writers, Laura Lippman" and not "my friend Laura," it's probably best to point that out. (At my last job, I used to produce a community news/events show and she was gracious enough to come on twice. And the first time, I think it was literally only my second or third show producing and I didn't know what I was doing. And she still sent me the sweetest email a day or two later. AND she came back a year later---I was much better then.) * = " I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?" ** = I pictured Rustin Parr in The Blair Witch Project