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Lowboy
Lowboy
Author: John Wray
Early one morning in New York City, Will Heller, a sixteen-yearold paranoid schizophrenic, gets on an uptown B train alone. Like most people he knows, Will believes the world is being destroyed by climate change; unlike most people, he's convinced he can do something about it. Unknown to his doctors, unknown to the police -- unknown even to Viol...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780374194161
ISBN-10: 0374194165
Publication Date: 3/3/2009
Pages: 272
Rating:
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 10

3.7 stars, based on 10 ratings
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback
Members Wishing: 2
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review
Read All 4 Book Reviews of "Lowboy"

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reviewed Lowboy on + 4 more book reviews
I read some good reviews of the book, but it wasn't for me. Felt like the story really dragged out and wasn't in depth enough.
reviewed Lowboy on + 289 more book reviews
John Wray's third novel Lowboy is itself like a subway ride, full of jolts and turns in an other-world. Will Heller is a beautiful sixteen-year-old boy, wandering around New York City, above and below ground. He happens to be a paranoid schizophrenic two weeks off his meds and thinks he can save the world from climate change. His mother Yda (aka Violet) and missing persons detective Ali Lateef are on his trail. As the narrative alternates between them, there is both a very surreal and matter-of-fact quality to the story unfolding on an otherwise ordinary November day. There are spaces where the action and words speed up, and others where things slow down, but there's always an aura of unpredictability. Wray has a way with words that portrays Will's psyche as just slightly out of reach, and has created a sympathetic character we can relate to—a modern-day psychotic Holden Caulfield.
familiagarduno avatar reviewed Lowboy on + 164 more book reviews
This novel is absolutely incredible! Never have I felt so much emotion and turmoil while reading a book. Not to mention the surprise twist at the end ;0 I couldn't put this down (at least voluntarily anyway) and have shared it with a friend already....I know there's a wait for this one, so hopefully I'll get it back soon and pass it on to one of you lucky readers!

The novel is somewhat disturbing, if nothing else, for it's touchy subject matter (a 16 year old paranoid schizophrenic). However, the novel intertwines all the characters incredibly well and does not leave you disappointed! I'm sure you'll be glad for reading it!

Book Wiki

Original Publication Date (YYYY-MM-DD)
People/Characters
Yda Heller (Violet) (Primary Character)
Ali Lateef (Primary Character)
William Heller (Lowboy) (Primary Character)
Emily Wallace (Major Character)
Fictional Places

Genres: