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Kings Of Nowhere (2000)

by T.J. Forrester(Favorite Author)

3.17 of 5 Votes: 5

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English

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review 1: More story collection than novel, the stories are loosely connected through references to the Appalachian Trail. The most compelling for me are the seven tracking Taz Chavis’ journey along the Appalachian Trail. Forrester writes Taz in a distinctive first person with vivid raw details that ring true. Taz is a fascinating character with a criminal past trying to escape an addiction to drugs and a fear that his genes and his obsessions have doomed him. He sets out on the trail after colorful encounters with a one-legged woman and his girlfriend Roxie, both representative of the life he wants to leave behind. He meets the intriguing Simone and Richard along the way. I would have preferred to meet Simone initially through Taz as I wasn’t as convinced by her POV as I was by... more Taz’s. And while the stories involving other characters Taz never meets are unusual and well-written, they felt like strange detours from his more interesting journey. The tone throughout is dark, yet strangely hopeful, and the stories are full of surprises. A highly entertaining read.
review 2: I think I might have liked the book a bit more if one of the reviews on the back didn't cast it as making The Road by Cormac McCarthy seem like hallucegenic cotton candy. It set me up with certain expectations for a book that this book simply wasn't. Forrester has a great story with strong writing, especially in the little vignettes of some characters that are really peripheral to the story at best. There were a few details that probably brought my rating down from a 4 to 3 but discussion would require spoilers! Good read, overall, though not really as dark of a story as I initially expected. less

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