Cry Father has a pretty familiar through-line; damages men and their father's influence. Where it diverges from most, or at least many, is just how grimy the thing is. Heavy drug use, sex, abuse, murder; it's all there, but what separates it from others is just how common these acts are to the characters. In this sense, it's occasionally a hard book to read. Those who can stomach it will be rewarded, mostly, with a searing look at the aftermath of violence.
The language that author Whitmer uses is as lyrical as it is blunt. That lack of subtly can come across as too severe at times, too eager to elicit a major reaction. The last act is also something of a mess; too abrupt despite enough time to build to it. This is likely because the middle section is mostly devoted to the relationship between the book's leads, Paterson and Junior. While not exactly likable, the book often excels when focused on their interactions as well as the people in their lives.
Despite those problems, as well as a few others, I'd recommend the book. When it's good, it's superb. Like I mentioned, the last 75 to 50 pages aren't handled particularly well, but the preceding pages, as well as the last chapter, paint a harsh and intimate picture of tainted masculinity and the starkness of grief.
Type: Hardback
Pages: 304 pages
Dates: January- May 13th
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