The Gospel According to Gracey

You know when you put down a book and you can't stop thinking about it? That's how this book was. A total page turner. Set in the drug world of Atlanta, young children "let themselves in with a copied key, ate Oreos and drink soda, argued over the channel while in their small chests the ache of abandonment beat every half second." Although I finished the book a while ago, I still think about the dealers, who "switch their eyes like nervous horses' tails," the crack houses, where "candles burn in cracked saucers on glass tables." I am reminded of how I should never underestimate the power of strong vivid language. I get my money's worth, every last penny on the page.

Addiction, Life on the street, Sociological contrast and comparisons... Sure, these topics have been touched before. Set the novel in the capital of the bible belt, centered around the rebirth of our title character's life in a single day, styled by the rich wordings of Kingsbury and you will discover an original work by a talented sophmore of the literary world. Loads of details play into these characters. We see our mothers, fathers and sisters with each turn of the page. The most minor character becomes our closest friend.Simply put, a must read.

In her second novel, Suzanne Kingsbury brings beauty and hope to this story of the drug world of Atlanta. And she manages to do it without an ounce of cheese, melodrama, or unreality. She shows us how this world affects not only the primary narrator - the poor, black, and sympathetic Gracey Fill - but also the rich kids of Atlanta's white elite. The landscape of this novel is gritty and frightening, but full of heart and humanity. Kingsbury has obviously done some hard research, and the fruit of her work is this dark and painful, but ultimately hopeful, story. Her characters breathe and love and suffer on every page. They, along with the elegant prose, carried me swiftly and effortlessly to the book's end. Kingsbury's passion and talent once again shine.