Tuesday, September 4, 2012

We'll Take Manhattan (Book Review: Gulliver Takes Manhattan, Justin Luke Zirilli)

"Gulliver Takes Manhattan" will not win any Pulitzers but it is a lot of fun. This novel reminded of those modern coming-of-age stories I used to read in the 80s and 90s. I bet if "A Diiferent Light" bookstore were alive today, this would be one of their recommended picks. Justin Luke Zirilli writes with enthusiasm, sometimes with too much, but you do feel the energy of New York City with every word he uses. Gulliver's story reminded me of my salad days - those times when life was carefree, when you were young and careless. We have all made bad decisions and paid consequences for it. In the beginning of the novel, I thought the characters would be tiresome: party boys who hang out at "The Abbey" or "Industry." But then I realized they were just young. At the end of the novel, we see Gulliver learning some of his lessons, but not really a lot of growth. (Maybe we see that in the promised sequel?) Still, this was a lot of fun to read, and I am surprised to find the character stay with me after finishing the book. 

BC-72

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