Billy Dead

This book is among the best I've ever read-- and I'm an avid reader. The author uses the voice of the brother of a dead man to tell the story of a highly dysfunctional family-- spoken from the perspective of a boy (now man) trying to cope with memories of physical, verbal, and sexual abuse. Her writing style is unique but quite appealing and helps the reader relate to the story teller even more. Somehow, he makes sense of his world and though his ultimate choice isn't exactly appropriate, you can understand how he got to it. As a psychologist, I found her portrayal of these characters to be brutally honest and it's a wonder the author hasn't experienced similar abuse herself since she speaks of the damage so accurately.

Not for the faint of heart, BILLY DEAD is an incredible first novel.In a small town in Michigan, the murder of Billy Johnson is a relief for some and the reliving of a nightmare of violence and cruelty for the Johnson family.This novel is extremely dark and tragic-a story of the horrific abuse within a family, and the search for redemption.I have never read a more disturbing novel than this one, nor have I ever read one as honest and gut-wrenching. Although the novel is shocking and often repulsive, Reardon's beautiful writing and her empathetic portrayal of Ray Johnson makes this book impossible to put down, and even harder to forget.

I am a counselor. A client handed me this book and said that I needed to read it. She was right. Somehow Lisa Reardon managed to make me understand things that I would normally not look at so sympathetically. It was as if I was sitting next to Ray and watching his world right along with him. The book simply can't be put down until it is finished. I look forward to more from Lisa Reardon.

I normally don't write reviews on the spot like this, but I finished Lisa Reardon's book last night and just can't get its characters out of my head. "Billy Dead" is more than just another gripping read or a voyeuristic look at the secret miseries of small-town deadbeats. It's the work of a compassionate, talented writer. This may be her first book, but Reardon's a seasoned artist, and what she's done in "Billy Dead" is to chart the terrible lives of her characters' lives without succumbing to easy moralizing or ironic commentary. But what really gives this book its power is her wonderful choice of narrator. For even at his most destructive Ray Johnson never stops seeing and understanding and feeling. He's a fully empathetic character. Maybe it's because we know him to be basically a sweet, vulnerable, honest man; or maybe it's because after experiencing his story we're forced to reconsider what really makes a "healthy" or "loving" relationship. Reardon's other stroke of mastery is the book's construction--how she slowly unpeels the deeper layers of Ray's story, dropping a hint here and there but taking her time to give us the details, so that the reader becomes fully involved in her story.

BILLY DEAD is a stunning piece of literature. Ray's stolid walk through the days following Billy's death is told with stark and evocative beauty. The family history that seeps up through the story illuminates a truth and horror that allows you to clearly see that this is a genuine love story. I devoured this book and finished it feeling hopeful.I cannot wait for Ms. Reardon's next novel.