CRYING WOLF

In this work by an award-winning Irish author, a young man’s decisions get him into deeper and deeper trouble.

Joey’s been at a loose end since dropping out of secondary school. He’s moved in with his Aunt Jackie, has a minimum-wage job, and is trying to stay off the smokes to please his girlfriend, Sharon, who’s attending Trinity College. She tells him “he has loads of brains, just never uses them”—and she wants to be with a fella who does. When his former stepfather, Vinnie, is rumored to be back in town, Joey is torn. He used to drive getaway for Vinnie on purportedly victimless crimes that still haunt him, but Ma, Aunt Jackie, and even Joey himself are protective of Vinnie despite his faults. Sure, “trouble finds him,” but doesn’t Vinnie watch over them in his own way? Although Joey convinces himself that things will be different this time, events escalate to a dangerous—even potentially deadly—degree. The local slang, details of daily life, and descriptions of the chilly, damp weather immerse readers in the atmospheric Dublin setting in which Joey’s lack of opportunities coupled with an absence of positive role models feels oppressive. The short chapters maintain a brisk pace that suits the story, whose ending offers a glimmer of hope that Joey may be able to change his patterns in favor of a less violent, more satisfying future.

A bleak, honest look at family loyalty, friendship, choices, and consequences.