The Rumpus has a new book club. As mentioned earlier, I'm a sucker for hard copy books and an even bigger sucker for getting things in the mail and, perhaps, a bigger sucker for ARCs. So, of course, I joined immediately. Who doesn't want to read a new book and get to chat with the author?
Citrus County is a McSweeney's so, of course it's a gorgeous jacket-less book and the content is none too bad either. Brandon follows two children and a teacher through a tragedy while deftly making that tragedy remain in the background as opposed to overtaking the narrative like an 11 o'clock news story. The book feels like a soda bottle shaken and ready to explode but the cap is never taken off. Upon finishing the book, that feels a tad unsatisfying. What's the point of shaking a soda bottle if not to see the eruption? But, after leaving the book sit awhile, it makes sense and is ultimately the more challenging and honest approach. That 11 o'clock news story will fade, the damage to the individuals will not.
Up next: Doug Dorst's story collection, Surf Guru
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