Another Damn Good Book
Last month, I raved about a book, “The Brother’s Bishop”, and recommended it to everyone. Only a few days ago, I managed to get my hands on another book by Bart Yates, “Leave Myself Behind”, and I have to say that it’s as good if not better that “Brothers”. Once again, I finished it in only three days, and it was worth any sleep that I might have lost to do so.
You can find my post about “Brothers” here: http://e-goddess.livejournal.com/#entry_35319
“Leave Myself Behind” is about 17 year old Noah York, who has just moved from Chicago to a small New England town with his less-than-stable poet mother. Both of them are brilliant and sarcastic and funny in their own ways, but it’s obvious from the very beginning that they just don’t understand each other. They’re still suffering from the unexpected loss of Noah’s father, fragile and raw and quick to take offense.
They find distraction in a mystery hidden within the walls of their new home, and Noah meets a neighbor boy, JD. Noah doesn’t think much of him at first, but soon they’re becoming friends, and then more. Noah is doubtful of his homosexuality at first, but he can’t deny his attraction to JD, and it’s soon obvious that JD is going through the same thing.
Of course, a simple coming of age / teen angst story won’t do for Yates. JD’s family turns out to be far from idyllic. Noah’s mom’s interest in the mystery their house holds quickly turns into an unhealthy obsession. Just when Noah finds himself happiest, most content, things take a drastic turn for the worse and his life spins out of control.
In “Brothers” Yates uses flashbacks liberally to break up the narrative, and in “Leave”, he lets Noah’s mind wander. His musings and observations of the world around him are sometimes a bit verbose, and he’s definitely smarter than any 17 year old should be, but there are moments of real insight, debates that a real teenager under so much stress might have with himself. As in his other book, Yates does an excellent job capturing the settings and secondary characters without getting into details that would slow the story. At this point, I would definitely call him one of my favorite authors, even though he’s only written two books so far.
Again, there are some disturbing themes, though they aren’t as close to the surface as in “Brothers”. Minors are still involved in sexual relationships, Noah loves to swear, and there are mentions of abuse and rape, but they aren’t graphic.