The Every Boy - by Dana Adam Shapiro (Paperback)

About the Book

In this addictive and highly original debut novel a fifteen-year-old boy dies mysteriously, leaving behind a secret ledger filled with his darkly comic confessions. Whether fantasizing about being a minority, breaking into his neighbors' homes, or gunning down an exotic bird, Henry Every's wayward quest for betterment sometimes bordered on the criminal. Alone now in their suburban house, his father pores over the ledger in a final attempt to connect with the boy he never really knew -- and, more urgently, to figure out how he died. As Harlan Every learns the truth about his son's many misadventures and transgressions, he also discovers the part he unwittingly played in Henry's tragic death and the real reason his wife walked out years ago. The story grows into two parallel love stories -- one past, one present -- with drastically different outcomes.

Witty and wise, The Every Boy is a page-turning mystery, a love story, an exploration of what it means to be a family, and a one-of-a kind celebration of human individuality.

Book Synopsis

In this addictive and highly original debut novel a fifteen-year-old boy dies mysteriously, leaving behind a secret ledger filled with his darkly comic confessions. Whether fantasizing about being a minority, breaking into his neighbors' homes, or gunning down an exotic bird, Henry Every's wayward quest for betterment sometimes bordered on the criminal. Alone now in their suburban house, his father pores over the ledger in a final attempt to connect with the boy he never really knew--and, more urgently, to figure out how he died. As Harlan Every learns the truth about his son's many misadventures and transgressions, he also discovers the part he unwittingly played in Henry's tragic death and the real reason his wife walked out years ago. The story grows into two parallel love stories--one past, one present--with drastically different outcomes.

Witty and wise, The Every Boy is a page-turning mystery, a love story, an exploration of what it means to be a family, and a one-of-a kind celebration of human individuality.

Review Quotes

"Quirky, not 'quirky.' Profound, not precious. A magical, haunting, hilarious debut." -- Amy Sedaris

"So many young writers have been described as 'Salingeresque'...it's a shock to come across one who fits the bill." --Tom Perrotta

"A story told with a savage disquiet wrapped in a disarming, triumphant hope." -- J.T. Leroy, author of Sarah and The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things