Joe Nelms's Blog - Posts Tagged "garth-stein"

"In his riveting, searing debut, Joe Nelms forces his main character, Christian Franco, through a self-imposed, bone-crunching wringer that is painful to watch. And yet there is an ineluctability to the process which makes it impossible for us to stop watching; we feel compelled to witness a man break himself down because we understand it is his only hope of redemption, as tenuous as that may be. Perhaps "The Last Time I Died" is most disturbing when we understand that Franco's is the hand turning the crank of his own destruction; perhaps it is most disturbing when we realize that his story is but a laser-focused rendition of the small ways we each punish ourselves for our perceived misdeeds in the hope of some reconciliation. Perhaps this book is most disturbing when we see that Franco is just like us, as we are just like him. Every person owes it to himself to read this powerful, punishing, and, amazingly enough, hopeful novel."

- Garth Stein, NY Times Bestselling Author of
The Art Of Racing In The Rain


So, yes. This feels amazing. Love this guy.