What I Leave Behind, by Alison McGhee

Tue, 06/05/2018 - 9:24am by manz

The new teen novel What I Leave Behind caught me by surprise, and I was absolutely delighted that it did. I was interested in the unique format of the book, as it has 100 chapters, all with 100 words each. The significance of 100 and the flow of the prose move the story in ways that full chapters would not. 

The story follows sixteen year old Will. He has a lot going on in his life, and he prefers to sort through it all by walking. He likes to walk. Everywhere. All the time. His best friend went through a traumatic experience at a party. His father is dead. And he now struggles with his last encounter with his father -- I don't think I'll ever look at cornbread the same again. It's a quick read, and Will is a fascinating character to follow along as he walks through it all.