Tommy Collison

Quick review of a book I recently read:

“I was so in love, I went into my room and drank half a bottle of Robitussin.”

Under the Wolf, Under the Dog is a young adult novel written by Adam Rapp. Released in 2004, the novel is in diary form, written by Steve Nugent, as he chronicles his return to normality from being institutionalized after his brother commits suicide. Rapp displays several engaging techniques which he also shows in other books – 33 Snowfish and Missing the Piano.

The book begins with Nugent’s description of how he found his brother’s corpse and his subsequent induction into a mental home. The rest of the book is told in haphazard flashback form of the events leading up to the murder. It details his sordid attempts at having a girlfriend and also the bizarre friendship our main character strikes up with a 12 year old girl he meets at a diner.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel for its realistic descriptions of someone living on the street and how one can find companionship in the most unlikely of places. The frenzied thought-processes of Steve are quite gripping as we desperately read on to make sure our main character is ok. The book is also very interesting because it goes against the grain of usual novels in that our lead character is not a ‘knight in shining armour’; and trying to pick out who is the ‘good guy’ is a difficult decision which each reader must decide for themselves. Furthermore, the lines between protagonists and antagonists are blurred almost beyond recognition. The pace of the novel is one of a runaway train – possibly symbolizing Nugent’s crashing toward the mental breakdown he experiences in the middle of the book.

I would recommend this novel to mature readers above the age of 15 who enjoy realistic and gritty novels, as I do. However, the book does contain some disturbing elements which some may find upsetting. The book is available from Amazon.com for $8.99. Although I wouldn’t recommend ordering it just yet what with the ash cloud and whatnot :)