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A review by essipneztak
Bad Man by Dathan Auerbach
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Dathan Auerbach’s Bad Man is absolutely fantastic.
The story centers around Ben, who lost his 3-year old brother in a supermarket when he was a teenager. 5 years later, through a whole set of effects, he finds himself working in the same supermarket as a young adult, becoming more determined than ever to find his brother.
The book explores family dynamics, friendships, trust, mental health, life in a small town that grew too quickly, a complex father-son relationship and more.
Ben’s feelings of guilt, of being the kid left behind, of chronic pain due to an accident when he was younger, of having to prove himself constantly - and probably mostly to himself, are so strong in Auerbach’s writing.
The biggest impact for me were the moments in which Ben is forced to question reality. This didn’t really happen. Did it? Am I not the person I thought I was? Is what I am seeing real? Am I remembering right? Why is nobody helping? and probably the most pervasive one, when Ben finally has a friend: why would anyone care?
The ending is just absolutely heart-breaking, and I would be curious to learn more about the golden-haired boy, Beverly, Reggie and Blackwater - but maybe it’s a good parable for not always getting to know everything.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
More by Auerbach is going on my TBR.
The story centers around Ben, who lost his 3-year old brother in a supermarket when he was a teenager. 5 years later, through a whole set of effects, he finds himself working in the same supermarket as a young adult, becoming more determined than ever to find his brother.
The book explores family dynamics, friendships, trust, mental health, life in a small town that grew too quickly, a complex father-son relationship and more.
Ben’s feelings of guilt, of being the kid left behind, of chronic pain due to an accident when he was younger, of having to prove himself constantly - and probably mostly to himself, are so strong in Auerbach’s writing.
The biggest impact for me were the moments in which Ben is forced to question reality. This didn’t really happen. Did it? Am I not the person I thought I was? Is what I am seeing real? Am I remembering right? Why is nobody helping? and probably the most pervasive one, when Ben finally has a friend: why would anyone care?
The ending is just absolutely heart-breaking, and I would be curious to learn more about the golden-haired boy, Beverly, Reggie and Blackwater - but maybe it’s a good parable for not always getting to know everything.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
More by Auerbach is going on my TBR.