ビリーの死んだ夏

The magic of this book is its insight into the true meaning and necessity of love, and how each person’s unique emotional needs are shaped by family and early experiences. Reardon skillfully and seamlessly weaves us through the lives of these characters from childhood on, ringing so true that it is easy to fall right in with their thinking, to understand how they became soulmates, and how there could be no greater love than what they’ve always had for each other. That they happen to be siblings seems, by the end, totally beside the point. I will never forget Jean and Ray, and will always wonder what became of them.

Wonderful

Not for the faint of heart, BILLY DEAD is an incredible first novel.
In a small town in Michigan, the murder of Billy Johnson is a relief for some and the reliving of a nightmare of violence and cruelty for the Johnson family.
This novel is extremely dark and tragic-a story of the horrific abuse within a family, and the search for redemption.
I have never read a more disturbing novel than this one, nor have I ever read one as honest and gut-wrenching. Although the novel is shocking and often repulsive, Reardon's beautiful writing and her empathetic portrayal of Ray Johnson makes this book impossible to put down, and even harder to forget.