I received Requiem, Mass as an Advanced Copy, and I'm about halfway through it. I figured I'd give some of my thoughts on it now, and write up a full review when I've finished the book.
Requiem, Mass takes place in a small town that happens to be the name of the title. This book is posted as a fiction piece, but has the feel of a memoir. Johnny and his sister, Audrey are growing up with their crazy mom, Frances. Their father, an over the road truck driver, takes off for weeks and months at a time, only coming home for a week stretch and leaving when Frances starts to get crazy again. Johnny and Audrey are taken care of by their neighbors, but (the point where I am now), they are being found out by the nuns who teach at the school they attend.
Requiem, Mass, in my humble opinion, jumps around a lot without too much warning. In some chapters, we begin in the past, travel to the present (or semi-present), and back to the past all in the matter of a few paragraphs. And the reader isn't told that we're jumping - it just kind of happens. But, if you can keep up with the author's traveling mind, this is a very emotional read. John Dufresne captures the heartbreaking disfunction of a family in serious crisis and turns it into something that we can all relate to. I'm sure we all know someone who resembles at least one of the characters in this story, and that's one of the aspects that makes Requiem, Mass such a fascinating read. So far, this has been a very enjoyable book. Keep your eye out for my final review!!!
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