Reviews for Somewhere South of Here: A Novel

The average rating for Somewhere South of Here: A Novel based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-07-11 00:00:00 Mikayla Grant Kind of a serviceable mess. If I hadn't read Eddie's Bastard, I probably wouldn't have scored this one so generously. So read Eddie's Bastard first, okay? Come into this one with some inertia (if at all). It's all surface emotion and quirk and subplot that works best when merely skated upon. If one tries to stop and crack into any layers of depth, one will hurt one's foot when the shovelhead hits a big ole dumb rock. If you don't care about the rock though, you'll be all like weeeeeee, that was nice. To its favor, Kowalski is a good writer, and the book brings some closure to young Billy's story, which is worthy of it. It also begets some pretty droll characters, especially El Perrero; a flashbacking, shell-shocked Nam vet who, though ultimately a tragic figure, is fun fun fun. Especially if he reminds you of someone who irks you in real life. To its detriment, the book does two pretty annoying things, aside from anything I've already mentioned regarding what it lacks. First, it inexplicably devotes a couple chapters to a character other than Billy. (This would be Consuelo, Billy's girlfriend. Consuelo, with an "o". That's annoying, right? Well, that's not the half of it. She's supposed talk with an accent, you see. But the only time it comes through in the dialogue is when she says "Beelee" instead of Billy. Got it? Rosie Perez? Check. Now, moving on from this overlong parenthetical gripe…) These chapters are ostensibly a way of getting to know Consuelo. But honestly, nothing happens later where not knowing her could be a hindrance. Which brings me to the other annoying thing… the ending. Actually, where the book should end, another story begins to spurt forth. Albeit a brief story, it seems merely a last gasp for a breath of thematic irony, to bring it all back upon itself like a well-made bed. Unfortunately, where it all leads is as predictable as a fart. You don't want to get trapped under the covers with one of those. Poot. Okay, it wasn't all that bad.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-11-07 00:00:00 Aaron Montgomery This was a lovely wee story.