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Kim
Rating:
Review
This novel gets down to business quickly, with the crux of the story being told in the very first sentence. In short order it is 1993, and the Harrelsons of Caswell, Illinois are having an ordinary day when notified that oldest child/beloved son and brother, Francis has been killed in a car accident. Younger siblings, Stephen and Crispy (Christine), and parents Gene and Helen then struggle, grieve, and eventually deal with Francis's death, but it takes a long time. To deal with his grief, Stephen, with the help of his illustrator girlfriend, Nicole, creates a comic book called Wolf Boy, who's a superhero with a life mirroring his own (no big surprise there). While the storyline of the comic is simplistic, the illustrations are great and fun to read. I found Gene to be a mostly pathetic character, followed closely by Helen, though I could completely understand and doubt I would do anything differently in her attack of a county clerk midway through the book. All the child characters were more developed than the adults in this story, which was a nice change from most of the books I've read lately. I also liked the author's style of writing, though there were times when I thought the story was a bit "wordy", and though the ending is not completely Hollywood, it's a little too close for my general liking. The story still wrapped up nicely, which I certainly prefer to badly. Thanks to Mr. Kuhlman for asking that we Literate Chicks read his book, and being so speedy about sending it to us, a first edition no less. Now couldja sign it for us?
Best Line:
by Nicole, who often made me laugh: "Please send a photograph and a testimonial to the address below, and a list of hours you are available to be displayed. Note: you MUST be wearing clothes in the picture."
Suzanne
Rating:
Review
Wolf Boy is the compassionate, sweet, sad story of a year in the life of the Harrelson family, after the accidental death of their oldest child, Francis. I was struck by how believable the reactions are of the two parents and their two remaining children. Kuhlman tells much of the story from the point of view of Stephen, Francis's 13 year-old younger brother, which keeps the tone lighter than it would be otherwise. Stephen creates superhero "Wolf Boy" when he starts writing a comic strip, and we are treated to some examples of his talent interspersed throughout the book. Besides being a very enjoyable creative endeavor, the comic strip can't help but provide a great outlet for Stephen's emotions surrounding Francis's death. He's really quite endearing - his interactions with his "girlfriend" Nicole often brought a smile to my face, too. On the adult side of the story, Wolf Boy also illustrates how the death of a child can bring a weak marriage to the breaking point, as parents Gene and Helen wallow in their despair and numbness. Ultimately it's up to each survivor whether or not to let the seeds of hope and recovery back into his or her life. I'd recommend it.
Best Line:
"Time, more than ever, really needed to be killed, even the passing of a single minute was sometimes a drawn-out, impossible process, each second trying to nudge Helen into letting go, releasing her grip, and dissolving into a trillion sad atoms."
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