One evening in the summer of 1989, Lindy Simpson, was raped on her own street in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Her story is told from the voice of her neighbor, friend, and devoted admirer, our narrator who lives across the street from her. As he tells her story and the story of each of the suspects (himself included), he also reveals his own fascination with her and how their history unfolds.
Much teenage angst and struggle pours out in the telling of this story in a very authentic delivery. There are apt descriptions of very awkward scenes that kids inevitably encounter and the mention of certain moments in history, such as the explosion of the Challenger and the national horror of Jeffrey Dahmer’s crimes, that enable the reader to directly relate to the feelings the characters feel. What appears to the outside world as a typical, suburban, upper middle class neighborhood is shown to have a diversity of characters, with shaded pursuits and emotional scars – which is likely what is true of most neighborhoods.
An interesting look at love and family and teenage obsession.
kindread spirits 