Number 15 - It Sustains - Mark Morris

I've been reading Mark Morris's books since my university days - too long ago to think about now.  Recently he announced on facebook that he was clearing some of his duplicate copies of his books and so I managed to snag this one at a very reasonable price.

First off, check that cover.  How bloody lovely is that?

The inside of the book matches the out.  This is possibly my favourite read by Mark Morris to date.

It tells the story of Adam, a 15 year old boy who, shortly after the violent death of his mother, moves to a new town with his father, where he finds that as low as his life feels now, it can get worse. Something is wrong in this town. Strange visions and events lead to a terrifying conclusion.

The portrait of grief feels so real, the numbness of the narrator. and his inability to deal with his new life and "friends" because of this, add an extra layer of tragedy to the narrative.

All the central and supporting characters feel like real people.  We can't help but feel sorry for Adam as he stumbles through his new existence, making mistake after mistake. He knows his actions won't lead anywhere good, but he is unable because of his grief to try a course correction until it's way too late.

Morris creates and sustains an ever growing sense of dread.  What are the strange visions Adam keeps glimpsing? What is the dark secret in the heart of the town?

The ending is one of the most disturbing and satisfying I've seen on a Mark Morris story. I had to kick myself for not working it out from the clues scattered liberally throughout the story.  This is a story that's going to stick with me for a long while.

Easy 8/10 maybe more.

It should be available online somewhere.  If you can find it, buy it.