Parenthetical

Russ and DJ have been best friends forever, and so have their “outrageous courageous” firefighter fathers. When both men die fighting a house fire, they’re town heroes — until the coroner finds drugs in their systems. All Russ wanted was to be just like his dad, but how can he accept the flawed man his dad really was?

HarperCollins sent me a review copy back in April (thanks, Laura!), and I read it then, but I put off the review until now because it was just published.

I thought it was fantastic! Russ is a believable guy in a believable blue-collar Boston suburb, from the DJ Schwenk school of plain writing about complex issues. This is gripping, painful stuff, and the end isn’t neat by any means; it’s an excellent choice for older reluctant-reader boys.

Also reviewed at: Girls in the Stacks