Back Roads

My favorites authors are ones the take one word or one sentence and write an incredible novel around it. Not all authors are that astute. Thank you Tawni O'Dell for the TRUTH.

This book has some questionsable topics in it, so dont read if you don't like having to see things from someone else's perspective. That being said, it is a raw, real read. Don't watch the movie. It doesn't even make sense if you haven't read the book.

I finished BACK ROADS two weeks ago and I am still haunted by the images and the language of the text. It is a very intense piece of Art. Although, I must warn you that Oprah was telling you the truth, it's a hard novel on the emotions . O'Dell, the author, does not let up! If you are a 'lists' person, here it is in order of intensity: Intrigue, Sex, Abuse, Sex, Secrecy and Genuine Unpredictability. The protagonist, 19-year-old Harley Altmyer is the sole guardian of his three younger sisters Amber (16), Misty (12) and the baby of the family Jody (6) (Jody's spelling is both sad and painfully funny). Rather than become a ward of the state or be put on welfare, a very responsible Harley decides to be "the man" of the house after their mother is sentenced to life in prison for the murder of their very abusive father. I am very tempted to tell you the incredible twists and turns O'Dell takes you with that fact. But you must read it all for yourself. You will NEVER in a million years or pages should I say, see what the end will be. To continue, in conjunction with his two years experience of parenting, Harley also has to deal with his bursting need for sexual comfort. Some of the sexual images in his mind are extremely disturbing and violent. Yet, this author is on her job, she makes you see why the images surface in that manner in the first place which allow us very sensitive readers to carry on with the story. He has to deal with three emotionally raw females, for which he has neither data nor point of reference. Also, there is the mortgage, the two full-time jobs, and a loneliness that is so vast it creates a fifth mouth to feed. If you are one of those, " I can't read another disturbing word of this book, I MUST put it down"...you simply can't. Back Roads calls you back until your eyes have reached the last alphabet of the novel.

I finished this novel in two days.I simply could not put it down.I needed to know what was going to happen to Harley next. Harley's like other teens,except he has too much responibility too soon. With his father dead, his mother in prison, and three sisters to take care of,one may wonder where he finds the time and energy for everything else that happens. I didn't care, all I wanted was what would happen with the next page. He may be a low class Holden Caufield, but this novel reminds me more of the Bean family in Carolyn Chute's wonderful The Beans Of Egypt Maine. If you don't know that novel, read them both. Be prepared not to put them down until you are finished. Anyone who is interested feel free to e-mail me about books,music,etc. Enjoy! [email protected]

"Back Roads" has to be one of the best books I ever read! (And I read a lot of books! ) Harley is thrown into manhood much too early in this debut novel by Tawni O'Dell. If losing his father too early by murder wasn't hard enough, he has to deal with raising his three younger sisters after his mother goes to jail. Each girl has her own distinctive personality, and it's a wonder they didn't kill each other living in that house together. Harley finds out the truth about his father's death and his whole world goes downhill fast. He falls for a young mother of two and things start to go really wrong after his sister finds out about them. Harley wonders about from day to day, drinking beer and not sleeping. This is a book you need to start on a Friday night so you can stay up all weekend reading it! I thought it was awesome and I eagerly await a sequel or something else from Tawni.

Tawni O'Dell has written a tale of The Great American Nightmare. Undoubtedly, the story is a tragedy and, just as an occasional person might not appreciate Shakespeare's tragedies, this work may lose a sensitive reader. But the realism of the work with descriptions that are PERTINENT, makes the reader feel, smell, hear, and taste becoming one with the book. Harley is a victim of circumstance. His family has splintered from the whole of society with the death of his father and he becomes burdened as an individual to bear premature responsibilities. The story becomes a tale of children with misdirected passions brought into a harsh, cruel world too soon. And sadly enough, the work stings of believability. After reading this novel, one begins to ponder the workings of our society upon those who merely seek to just survive. Ms. O'Dell has done an outstanding job on her first book. And until Tawni O'Dell has her next novel in print, I will simply keep rereading this one.