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Chad Sobran is getting sloshed at a party he really doesn't want to be at. He falls off a balcony and winds up, thanks to his homophobic brother, in the psych unit at a local hospital. There he meets Jonathan Fairbanks, a very attractive (and underage, but only by three weeks) fellow patient. Hs life proceeds to get crazier . . . and crazier. His brother Martin tries to get Chad committed, declared incompetant, and wants to become his guardian. Their mother, Mona, is dying from lung cancer in a trailer park. Chad is in hock to the credit card companies so deeply that he will probably never see daylight. Jonathan's father shot and killed his mother and tried to kill Jonathan before committing suicide - or did Jonathan kill his parents AND two people on the psych unit? Chad doesn't believe Jonathan killed anyone, but it does make life more interesting for everyone. I wasn't sure I'd like this book. Chad is not always a pleasant character, and his situation isn't a lot of fun. But I kept going back to the book, and reading a little more, and a little more, and a little more until I was done. Marshall Moore can write that kind of book. He can also write very well about the angst of a person in over his head, in a variety of situations. Anyone who has ever been deeply in debt will be reminded of the desperation that situation brings to a person. Anyone who has ever had to make "end of life" decisions will be reminded of the guilt and the awful choices with which one is faced, frequently without much guidance. Anyone who has even been involved with another person who might, or more likely might not, be what s/he seems to be will know the dilemmas facing Chad. Taking a step back and looking at all the plot twists, this is a highly unbelievable book. Especially the ending. But it all flows so smoothly and logically when one is in the middle of it that the total absurdity of it doesn't strike one until after the book is finished. And by then, who cares? There is a certain amount of sexual description, so if you don't like reading about homosexual sex, this is not the book for you. None of it is incredibly graphic, but it is definitely more than a delicate reference or two. Be aware. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by The Concrete Sky. I wouldn't rate it the best mystery I've ever read, as the mystery is a relatively minor aspect of this novel. It was an interesting, well-plotted book with some truly bizarre characters.
Reviewed by P.J. Coldren, November 2003
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