The Punch

Almost a Shakespeare plot. The surprises never end. Even though some of the plot twists are easy to anticipate, others take you unaware. Wonderfully easy to read. Fresh. New observations on some very old family situations. I found The Punch to be engaging and inspiring. Would love to read the sequel! I sent The Punch off to my own sister as soon as I completed the last page! I know she will enjoy it as much as I did.

I found this book in a remainder rack outside of Border's on sale for 2 dollars. It looked interesting so I thought I would give it a chance. I was overwhelmed. The writing is terrific, and is loaded with insightful comments. While you can see where the story is headed, it does not dampen the enjoyment one bit. A great look into a dsyfunctional family. I have already ordered his first book, and will gladly pay much more than 2 dollars this time.

This is a wonderful,compact read. This young writer captures the essence of family dysfunction. It is a psychodynamic piece which allows the reader to identify with the turmoil between siblings and their significant others. If this is an indication of future books by Noah Hawley, I look forward to becoming a fan. Bob Papaioanou

Where has this guy been all my life? The prose is so fresh, the story so addictive, the characters larger than life and yet so human. The basic plot is this: two messed-up brothers (David snootily successful, Scott a walking trainwreck) are consigned to take their father's ashes across country to an island in Maine where they once spent happy childhood summers. But the joy for the reader is what happens in the meantime between the characters and their loved ones. The family dynamic and sibling ferociousness reminded me slightly of Jonathan Franzen's THE CORRECTIONS, which I also loved, but THE PUNCH is funnier, leaner, more poignant, and shot through with oddball observations about the supposedly immutable laws of physics as applied to the everchanging "laws" of man. Smart, humane, gorgeously written, and unputdownable. --Monica Wood