We continue on.
Best Fiction Book I Read in 2009: Northline by Willy Vlautin
“The book will break your heart.”
--my co-worker Zach
If it was not for a co-worker of mine I never would have picked up this book. His small review ended with the quote above, which at first I cynically snickered at, but then I decided to give it a chance. And oh my god it was the biggest surprise. As I was looking over all the fiction that I’ve read this year it was Northline by Willy Vlautin that I think really did affect me emotionally.
Vlautin is unafraid to ground his stories in harsh landscapes that are full of cruel realities. Set in Las Vegas and Reno, he dwells on the fringes that lie behind the blinking At the center of the story is a lost soul. She lacks any sense of identity for the first 40 pages. It isn't until she decides to leave Las Vegas and her abusive boyfriend, that we learn her name: Allison Johnson. Throughout the course of the book I began to cheer for her to succeed. I desperately wanted her to be happy. I despaired when she would self-destruct and make horrible mistakes. Allison has serious problems but I never felt that she deserved the horrible cards that had been dealt to her. But she has an inner strength that will lead her to overcome those circumstances.
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