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This was a great read, which is a surprise because I don't typically like such a passive main character. Yes, Smithy is a loser (as the cover copy so cheerfully trumpets), but that's mostly an aspect of his passivity. He lets life pass him by. Or has done.

The novel really picks up once Smithy's life falls apart, jolting Smithy out of his rut(s). But even before then, McLarty does a fantastic job keeping the reader engaged by giving us flashbacks to the boy that Smithy was and the disaster that is his sister, Bethany. Indeed, McLarty's use of flashbacks is incredibly well done, weaving a tapestry with each piece masterfully placed so that the scenes inform one another (present and past), each enhancing the other.

And I think I'll leave it there. In the end, the book is about discovery. Smithy ends up discovering himself, but that's almost a pleasant side-effect of his journey outside himself. His passivity and easy acceptance of others allows us into myriad other stories, glimpses of beauty and horror that we all have inside. And again, these disparate vignettes come together in a wonderful whole with Smithy as the frame. Okay, I'm starting to have English Lit flashbacks, here, so I'll truly stop now.

Suffice it to say, if you're interested in character and internal journeys incredibly well-told, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up.

A note about Audible: I was shocked at the end to realize that Ron McLarty read this, himself. He's an incredibly talented actor (he was in Spenser: For Hire!!!), so this works amazingly well. Seriously, if you like listening to books, get this one on audio.