Hothouse

Hothouse

by Chris Lynch

If you do it right, it can be a life. The hothouse, the guys, the glory. But just like that, it can all go up in smoke.

In the beginning it was strange, ya know, because of all that we had lost. But there was something about it that felt so good and so right, too: "I'm so proud of you, Russ." "We'll always be here for you, man." "Heroes don't pay for nothin' in this town." It was nonstop. The mayor shook my hand. Ladies sent food. I've never eaten so much baked ham in my life.

And now? Now the phone won't stop ringing from the crazies ready to blame me. My mom has to cry herself to sleep. They take a firefighter, a man, and they pump him up so big. . . . But once they start taking it away from you, they don't stop until they leave nothing on the bones.

First they needed heroes, then they needed blood. (description from Amazon.com)

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I liked this book. It's not something I would ever have picked up without a recommendation, but I ended up liking it well enough.  It's very raw and real.  It's short and easy to read.  It deals well with grief and heroism and how it feels when you realize that your parents are not the infallible heroes that you may want them to stay forever.

I think this would be a great book to recommend to a high school boy that doesn't really want to have to put a lot of effort into reading, but you know could benefit from a really well done book.  Not that it is only a book for boys, but I could see a reluctant reader having to admit that he actually thought this book "was okay..."

 Full disclosure: Checked out from my library