Sophia C. reviewed on 11/10/2010 + 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.

Back to all reviews by this member
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details