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Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same
Troubled Cesar in the middle of nowhere, Alaska, because his Eskimo mother has moved home where she hopes they can both carve out a fresh start. But he's convinced he's just biding his time until he can get back to LA. Cesar's charmingly offbeat cousin, Go-boy, is equally convinced that Cesar will stay. And so they set a wager. If Cesar is still in Unalakleet in a year, he has to get a copy of Go-boy's Eskimo Jesus tattoo.
At first Cesar considers Go-boy half crazy, but over time in this village, with his father absent and his brother in jail for murder, Cesar begins to see the beauty and hope Go-boy represents.
Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same is the surprising story of a young man finding his way and his place in a world that can seem both too large and too small. What Cesar finally discovers is the power of friendship and the potential positive strength that springs from a tight-knit community. He learns the ways in which becoming a part of that community, though at times scary and restrictive, can also be fulfilling and even exhilarating.
At first Cesar considers Go-boy half crazy, but over time in this village, with his father absent and his brother in jail for murder, Cesar begins to see the beauty and hope Go-boy represents.
Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same is the surprising story of a young man finding his way and his place in a world that can seem both too large and too small. What Cesar finally discovers is the power of friendship and the potential positive strength that springs from a tight-knit community. He learns the ways in which becoming a part of that community, though at times scary and restrictive, can also be fulfilling and even exhilarating.
322 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
3 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Mattox Roesch
1 book1 followerBorn in 1977, he grew up in Minnesota, lived in Minneapolis for ten years and played drums in an indie rock back, designed and peddled skateboards, and founded the T-shirt printing operation Screenarchy.
His stories have appeared in The Sun, The Missouri Review, Indiana Review, Narrative Magazine, Redivider, AGNI online, and the 2007 Best American Nonrequired Reading. For them, he has received a Pushcart Prize honorable mention, Minnesota State Arts Board grant, a Loft Mentor Series Award, and was a finalist for a Bush Artist Fellowship.
His debut novel, Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same, was published by Unbridled Books in September 2009.
He currently lives with his wife and daughter in Unalakleet, AK.
His stories have appeared in The Sun, The Missouri Review, Indiana Review, Narrative Magazine, Redivider, AGNI online, and the 2007 Best American Nonrequired Reading. For them, he has received a Pushcart Prize honorable mention, Minnesota State Arts Board grant, a Loft Mentor Series Award, and was a finalist for a Bush Artist Fellowship.
His debut novel, Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same, was published by Unbridled Books in September 2009.
He currently lives with his wife and daughter in Unalakleet, AK.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
February 11, 2010
N.B. Really 4 1/2 stars
I'll admit it - the only reason I wanted to read this book was because the title sounded cool, and I liked the author's name, Mattox. But make no mistake, this book was powerful. It's also not about what you think it's about; the story is not the story you expect it to be.
It starts off when Cesar, an L.A. gang member, moves to small town Unalakleet, Alaska with his mom, a native Eskimo, when his brother is sentenced to life imprisonment for murder. When he arrives, he befriends his cousin, Go-Boy, and their relationship, along with Unalakleet, or rather, Unk, changes his life. One might even say it saves his life. And maybe it saves Go's life, too.
Go-Boy and Cesar are such well-developed, emotionally real characters that I wouldn't be surprised if I ran into them if I ever find myself in Unalakleet. The idea that the descriptions and reactions and emotions of these two people without them actually existing is just baffling to me. Even the lesser characters, some of whom we only saw once or twice, were so real, as were their struggles. I've read that some find these characters flat and undeveloped, but I disagree. I just found them REAL.
I think when it boils down to it, Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same is the story of the importance of being loved, of feeling needed, of feeling connected to other people. It is also the story of hope. Roesch gets the feeling of living in a small, disconnected town down to a T, and each of the characters represents some different aspect of what it must be like. Go-Boy with his craziness and his idealism, Cesar's mom with her desire to be Native, Cesar with his desire to fit in, Kiana with her NEED to get out,. . . It moved me in such a way that I find myself desperately wanting to move to a small town like Unk, to live the life that I experienced so vividly through this book.
It's hard to really explain why, but there was something about this book that jumped out at me and screamed "Live life to the fullest! Be grateful for every moment!" Normally, I can tell if the feeling a book gives me is the feeling intended by the author, but in this one I really just can't. And that's a good thing here. Let people take whatever positive message they choose from it.
Mattox Roesch's debut novel is gripping and enchanting, and any reader will without a doubt find themselves wildly caught up in the emotions and the follies of all of the characters. This book is an extremely enjoyable read that comes highly recommended by Brizmus Blogs Books!
I'll admit it - the only reason I wanted to read this book was because the title sounded cool, and I liked the author's name, Mattox. But make no mistake, this book was powerful. It's also not about what you think it's about; the story is not the story you expect it to be.
It starts off when Cesar, an L.A. gang member, moves to small town Unalakleet, Alaska with his mom, a native Eskimo, when his brother is sentenced to life imprisonment for murder. When he arrives, he befriends his cousin, Go-Boy, and their relationship, along with Unalakleet, or rather, Unk, changes his life. One might even say it saves his life. And maybe it saves Go's life, too.
Go-Boy and Cesar are such well-developed, emotionally real characters that I wouldn't be surprised if I ran into them if I ever find myself in Unalakleet. The idea that the descriptions and reactions and emotions of these two people without them actually existing is just baffling to me. Even the lesser characters, some of whom we only saw once or twice, were so real, as were their struggles. I've read that some find these characters flat and undeveloped, but I disagree. I just found them REAL.
I think when it boils down to it, Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same is the story of the importance of being loved, of feeling needed, of feeling connected to other people. It is also the story of hope. Roesch gets the feeling of living in a small, disconnected town down to a T, and each of the characters represents some different aspect of what it must be like. Go-Boy with his craziness and his idealism, Cesar's mom with her desire to be Native, Cesar with his desire to fit in, Kiana with her NEED to get out,. . . It moved me in such a way that I find myself desperately wanting to move to a small town like Unk, to live the life that I experienced so vividly through this book.
It's hard to really explain why, but there was something about this book that jumped out at me and screamed "Live life to the fullest! Be grateful for every moment!" Normally, I can tell if the feeling a book gives me is the feeling intended by the author, but in this one I really just can't. And that's a good thing here. Let people take whatever positive message they choose from it.
Mattox Roesch's debut novel is gripping and enchanting, and any reader will without a doubt find themselves wildly caught up in the emotions and the follies of all of the characters. This book is an extremely enjoyable read that comes highly recommended by Brizmus Blogs Books!
September 25, 2010
I really wanted to like this book, but I felt constantly frustrated by the story-telling. For me the biggest problem was that the novel lacked forward momentum--at various points in the novel, information would be revealed, and then the narrator would go into a flashback to tell what had happened. Perhaps the most frustrating of these moments is the big reveal of Go-Boy's break-up with Valerie, which should be the climax of the novel, but feels more like a recap of information the reader already mostly knew.
While the narrator's voice emerges from this style, and he turns into a thoughtful protagonist, this choice also makes the novel feel aimless. As a reader, I kept thinking, "Okay, what new thing will happen to characters next?" rather than have the characters propel the plot forward. And, a lot does happen--from comas to death to gang rape to soliciting Yoko Ono for money--and yet none of the events quite packed a punch; the novel sustained a melancholy mood, but didn't quite have the necessary peaks and valleys, perhaps because everything felt a bit directionless.
Overall, as a slice-of-life portrait, the novel was intermittently interesting--the parts involving fish-counting, repairing the hole in the floor, tearing down the prison, and the final race at the end were the best--but I wanted even more to situate the novel in a specific time and place, and a bit more of a narrative thread to make me care about the characters and their lives.
While the narrator's voice emerges from this style, and he turns into a thoughtful protagonist, this choice also makes the novel feel aimless. As a reader, I kept thinking, "Okay, what new thing will happen to characters next?" rather than have the characters propel the plot forward. And, a lot does happen--from comas to death to gang rape to soliciting Yoko Ono for money--and yet none of the events quite packed a punch; the novel sustained a melancholy mood, but didn't quite have the necessary peaks and valleys, perhaps because everything felt a bit directionless.
Overall, as a slice-of-life portrait, the novel was intermittently interesting--the parts involving fish-counting, repairing the hole in the floor, tearing down the prison, and the final race at the end were the best--but I wanted even more to situate the novel in a specific time and place, and a bit more of a narrative thread to make me care about the characters and their lives.
October 4, 2009
How do I describe this book? "Northern Exposure" meets "Gran Torino"? "Ordinary Wolves" meets "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"? Better to say that this novel is an utter original, one that combines the quirkiness of the misfits that end up in Alaska with the tragic possibilities presented by the bleak landscape, the winters without light, and the limited economic opportunities. Basically, it's a story about the friendship between Cesar, a gangbanger from L.A. whose brother has been sentenced to life in prison, and his eccentrically religious cousin Go-boy. It's also a story of redemption.
August 15, 2009
A somewhat unique coming of age story in a very unusual setting - Unalakleet, Alaska. Cesar has been relocated from Los Angeles by his Native mother, hoping to get him out of gang life and reconnected with their family heritage. He quickly forms a bond with his older cousin, nicknamed Go-Boy, who is part seer, prophet and politician. Life in Alaska has its own rhythms which soon seem second nature to Cesar, allowing him to contemplate the patterns from his previous life with the gangs and to notice certain changes in Go-Boy's behavior.
September 18, 2019
I feel as if I've just come back from living in Unalakleet. The characters here -- especially Cesar/Atausiq, Go-Boy, and Kiana -- are so real that if I hadn't met them, I would forever miss having known them. I haven't read this before, since Mattox wrote it before we worked together (he was doing the line-edits and proofing on this while we looked at his next book), and found it really alive and moving. So glad I read it!
September 9, 2010
A promising debut by author Mattox Roesch. This one's about a boy whose single mother moves him from gang activity in Los Angeles to a small town in Alaska. Great characters and a unique and compelling voice. I couldn't put it down (and don't you love the title?). :-)
April 10, 2013
The book club students didn't really get into it. We liked the story line but the writing lacked flavor. I also question the authors narrative as he writes from an Eskimo point of view? The narrative lacks something and I wonder if Sherman Alexie read this book what he would think.
May 23, 2021
Wonder if this fella has been working on any new projects. I reviewed the novel for a long-defunct webzine many moons ago and really liked it.
September 24, 2009
Gangs are a reality, and, for Cesar, they are a way of life. His older brother is serving a life sentence for murdering two teenagers, and Cesar would have landed in the cell next to Wicho if their mother had not decided to move home to Alaska, taking 17 year old Cesar with her. Unalakleet couldn't be more different than Southern California. It is a small village where everyone knows just about everyone. There are no gangs and the crime rate is extremely low. Life seems to be much less complicated there.
Cesar's cousin, Go-boy, takes Cesar under his wing the minute Cesar stepped off the plane. Go-boy is confidant Cesar will stay in Alaska despite Cesar's determination that he will return to Los Angeles at the end of the summer. The novel is narrated by Cesar as he gets acclimated to his new life in Alaska. He takes an instant liking to Go-boy's stepsister, Kiana, and she to him. However, their relationship is a complicated one, neither being sure what they want from the other, if anything at all.
Although Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same is about Cesar coming into his own as he struggles with guilt for his part in a heinous crime while at the same time adjusting to life in Alaska, Go-boy steals the show. His initial optimism and belief in people touches everyone he comes in contact with, including Cesar. As the novel unfolds, it becomes clear that Go-boy has many more layers than it may first appear. Cesar, who is so much in his own head and dealing with his own issues, does not see the trouble his cousin is in right away.
Go-boy has an optimism and innocence about him that drew me straight to him. He believed that the world was destined for good things and went out of his way to try and make his part of the world a better place in his own unique way. Go-boy stood for hope. He was a light in Cesar's dark world and it was no wonder Cesar took to Go-boy so easily. It is Go-boy that helps Cesar through some of his most difficult moments. Even so, Go-boy is struggling with his own problems. He has mood swings and often disappears for days on end without notice. His own family is in crisis, facing tragedy and uncertainty. My heart ached for Go-boy.
There were moments when I wish the author would have explored some of the minor characters more. I was especially curious about Cesar's relationship with his mother and would like to have delved more deeply into that. Being that the story is told from 17 year old Cesar's point of view and that his world view centers around himself and Go-boy, it may not have been a direction the author felt necessary to go.
I like Mattox Roesch's writing style and the way he weaves the past with the present. I felt like I truly was in Cesar's head, seeing the world through his eyes. He wasn't always an easy character to like. Overall, I enjoyed the time I spent reading Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same. Although at the end I did not feel that Cesar made huge strides in resolving his issues, he certainly was headed in the right direction. Being that he's only 17 going on 18, that's really all a person can expect.
Cesar's cousin, Go-boy, takes Cesar under his wing the minute Cesar stepped off the plane. Go-boy is confidant Cesar will stay in Alaska despite Cesar's determination that he will return to Los Angeles at the end of the summer. The novel is narrated by Cesar as he gets acclimated to his new life in Alaska. He takes an instant liking to Go-boy's stepsister, Kiana, and she to him. However, their relationship is a complicated one, neither being sure what they want from the other, if anything at all.
Although Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same is about Cesar coming into his own as he struggles with guilt for his part in a heinous crime while at the same time adjusting to life in Alaska, Go-boy steals the show. His initial optimism and belief in people touches everyone he comes in contact with, including Cesar. As the novel unfolds, it becomes clear that Go-boy has many more layers than it may first appear. Cesar, who is so much in his own head and dealing with his own issues, does not see the trouble his cousin is in right away.
Go-boy has an optimism and innocence about him that drew me straight to him. He believed that the world was destined for good things and went out of his way to try and make his part of the world a better place in his own unique way. Go-boy stood for hope. He was a light in Cesar's dark world and it was no wonder Cesar took to Go-boy so easily. It is Go-boy that helps Cesar through some of his most difficult moments. Even so, Go-boy is struggling with his own problems. He has mood swings and often disappears for days on end without notice. His own family is in crisis, facing tragedy and uncertainty. My heart ached for Go-boy.
There were moments when I wish the author would have explored some of the minor characters more. I was especially curious about Cesar's relationship with his mother and would like to have delved more deeply into that. Being that the story is told from 17 year old Cesar's point of view and that his world view centers around himself and Go-boy, it may not have been a direction the author felt necessary to go.
I like Mattox Roesch's writing style and the way he weaves the past with the present. I felt like I truly was in Cesar's head, seeing the world through his eyes. He wasn't always an easy character to like. Overall, I enjoyed the time I spent reading Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same. Although at the end I did not feel that Cesar made huge strides in resolving his issues, he certainly was headed in the right direction. Being that he's only 17 going on 18, that's really all a person can expect.
November 24, 2009
This book attracted me mostly due to its name-- somehow, the book description didn't give me an idea of what to expect.
(I much prefer the description on Unbridled Books to the one that is here and on Amazon).
Same-same is as quirky as the name would lead you to expect- quirky without being either cute or light. The focus was on character-- mostly that of Cesar.
Cesar was on a bad path in LA, one likely to end like that of his brother, who is in jail because of his role in a gang shooting. Cesar has already found himself involved in one truly terrible crime.
Moving to Alaska with his mother gives him a new start, just not the one he's looking for. He's got a plan to move back to LA and move in with his dad. Unfortunately, his father is most notable in this story for his absence.
Luckily for all involved, Cesar meets up with his local cousin, Go-boy. The reader as well as the characters in the book wonder whether Go-boy is crazy. Certainly, the letters he writes to Yoko Ono are crazy. The signs he puts up around town are pretty crazy. On the other hand, there seems to be a method to his madness.
My favorite character was Kiana, Cesar's girlfriend and Go-boy's cousin. She's a teenage math genius who doesn't always make good personal choices. I'd love to know what happens to her down the road.
The books looks at issues of character and of responsibility, questions of how one decision (or non-decision) can change a life. It's thought provoking while being funny and readable.
(I much prefer the description on Unbridled Books to the one that is here and on Amazon).
Same-same is as quirky as the name would lead you to expect- quirky without being either cute or light. The focus was on character-- mostly that of Cesar.
Cesar was on a bad path in LA, one likely to end like that of his brother, who is in jail because of his role in a gang shooting. Cesar has already found himself involved in one truly terrible crime.
Moving to Alaska with his mother gives him a new start, just not the one he's looking for. He's got a plan to move back to LA and move in with his dad. Unfortunately, his father is most notable in this story for his absence.
Luckily for all involved, Cesar meets up with his local cousin, Go-boy. The reader as well as the characters in the book wonder whether Go-boy is crazy. Certainly, the letters he writes to Yoko Ono are crazy. The signs he puts up around town are pretty crazy. On the other hand, there seems to be a method to his madness.
My favorite character was Kiana, Cesar's girlfriend and Go-boy's cousin. She's a teenage math genius who doesn't always make good personal choices. I'd love to know what happens to her down the road.
The books looks at issues of character and of responsibility, questions of how one decision (or non-decision) can change a life. It's thought provoking while being funny and readable.
Read
January 21, 2010From The New York Times Book Review:
When Roesch’s thoughtful first novel opens, Cesar Stone, a 17-year-old Los Angeles gang member whose brother is serving life for murder, is living alone with his financially struggling mother. Determined to make a better life, she moves the two of them back to her hometown — Unalakleet, Alaska, a small fishing village where much of her quirky and eccentric family still lives. (Imagine the protagonist discovering he has a relative named “Aunty Striptease.”) But the most colorful family member is Go-boy, a cousin a few years older and several inches taller than Cesar, whose “black hair stood on end, messy, like a cloud of smoke.” Largehearted and enchanted by life’s mysteries, Go endeavors to make Cesar feel at home, showing him around and getting him a job. Nevertheless, Cesar, homesick, plans his escape — until he meets Go-boy’s beautiful stepsister. But when Go’s enchanted ways darken into something more dangerous, it is Cesar who must help his cousin. Particularly in the middle stretch it feels as though Roesch, who started his career as a story writer, is still learning how to work the stick shift on a long-distance trip, lingering too long in second gear. But he deftly portrays Unalakleet, where “every yard is littered with skeletons of four-wheelers and snow machines and fishing boats,” and once he gets the hang of it, he delivers the narrative soundly to its climactic destination.
See the review here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/boo...
When Roesch’s thoughtful first novel opens, Cesar Stone, a 17-year-old Los Angeles gang member whose brother is serving life for murder, is living alone with his financially struggling mother. Determined to make a better life, she moves the two of them back to her hometown — Unalakleet, Alaska, a small fishing village where much of her quirky and eccentric family still lives. (Imagine the protagonist discovering he has a relative named “Aunty Striptease.”) But the most colorful family member is Go-boy, a cousin a few years older and several inches taller than Cesar, whose “black hair stood on end, messy, like a cloud of smoke.” Largehearted and enchanted by life’s mysteries, Go endeavors to make Cesar feel at home, showing him around and getting him a job. Nevertheless, Cesar, homesick, plans his escape — until he meets Go-boy’s beautiful stepsister. But when Go’s enchanted ways darken into something more dangerous, it is Cesar who must help his cousin. Particularly in the middle stretch it feels as though Roesch, who started his career as a story writer, is still learning how to work the stick shift on a long-distance trip, lingering too long in second gear. But he deftly portrays Unalakleet, where “every yard is littered with skeletons of four-wheelers and snow machines and fishing boats,” and once he gets the hang of it, he delivers the narrative soundly to its climactic destination.
See the review here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/boo...
January 29, 2010
I wrote a review of this book for PopMatters: here.
Here's the beginning...
Roesch’s debut novel is a riveting story about two 17-year-old cousins in rural Alaska: one who is pulling his life back together, and one who is coming completely unraveled.
Cesar, the narrator, grew up running with a gang in Los Angeles, and his brother is in jail for murdering two teenagers in a rival gang. Go-boy, his cousin in Unalakleet Alaska, has known a completely different kind of life, taking pride in village ways and community values, knowing at a glance what kind of fish are spawning in the river at any given time. The novel is sprinkled with details about the construction of traditional hunting knives, and the everyday pleasures of taking an old boat out on the river, just to drift and drink Pepsi....
Here's the beginning...
Roesch’s debut novel is a riveting story about two 17-year-old cousins in rural Alaska: one who is pulling his life back together, and one who is coming completely unraveled.
Cesar, the narrator, grew up running with a gang in Los Angeles, and his brother is in jail for murdering two teenagers in a rival gang. Go-boy, his cousin in Unalakleet Alaska, has known a completely different kind of life, taking pride in village ways and community values, knowing at a glance what kind of fish are spawning in the river at any given time. The novel is sprinkled with details about the construction of traditional hunting knives, and the everyday pleasures of taking an old boat out on the river, just to drift and drink Pepsi....
March 9, 2010
Very impressive and believable story of a teenage boy who is transplanted from an unsafe and volatile life of gang violence to a remote village in Alaska, where his mother was born and has now returned. It's a coming-of-age story, certainly, smart and painful, yet full of all kinds of love; especially moving is the relationship between protagonist Cesar and his cousin, Go-boy. Through their fortunes and missteps over one pivotal year, boys become young men.
If you're a teacher looking to break away from the standbys of The House on Mango Street*, this Mattox Roesch novel would be a good addition to any reading list, high school or college. And if your book club is itching to break away from a steady diet of women's commercial fiction, try this one. Lots to talk about, lots to admire.
*Nothing wrong with House on Mango Street. But wouldn't it be nice to add new books by indie presses to our larger cultural canvas?
If you're a teacher looking to break away from the standbys of The House on Mango Street*, this Mattox Roesch novel would be a good addition to any reading list, high school or college. And if your book club is itching to break away from a steady diet of women's commercial fiction, try this one. Lots to talk about, lots to admire.
*Nothing wrong with House on Mango Street. But wouldn't it be nice to add new books by indie presses to our larger cultural canvas?
June 18, 2014
Seventeen year old Cesar is living a crazy life as a gangbanger. He is doing unthinkable things that no other seventeen year old would even think of. His mother has an Eskimo background and decides to move the two of them back to her home town of Unalakleet in Alaska.
Cesar is not happy about the move and constantly thinks that he will be able to move back to L.A. Once there he meets his cousin Go-Boy that shows him a whole new meaning to life. Go-Boy shows him a world where everybody is same-same. Everybody is nice to each other, help each other out and support each other. Cesar becomes part of this tight knit community and experiences a whole new meaning of life with the help of his cousin Go-Boy.
This is a every strange book, but an easy read. You get to discover and learn a lot about Alaska and how they live thru the seasons. This book would be good for younger adults as it would teach them how to life their life to the fullest and use every opportunity that comes their way.
Cesar is not happy about the move and constantly thinks that he will be able to move back to L.A. Once there he meets his cousin Go-Boy that shows him a whole new meaning to life. Go-Boy shows him a world where everybody is same-same. Everybody is nice to each other, help each other out and support each other. Cesar becomes part of this tight knit community and experiences a whole new meaning of life with the help of his cousin Go-Boy.
This is a every strange book, but an easy read. You get to discover and learn a lot about Alaska and how they live thru the seasons. This book would be good for younger adults as it would teach them how to life their life to the fullest and use every opportunity that comes their way.
March 26, 2010
Cesar, the teen gang-banger from Los Angeles, watched his older brother, Wicho, go to prison for his gang activities. Cesar's mother, determined to keep him from the same fate, moves herself and Cesar back to her native village in western Alaska. The only thing that the pessimistically minded Cesar wants is to do is get back to LA, but, Go-boy, his older, overly optimistic cousin bets that Cesar won't go back.[return][return]How these two cousins affect each other, and how their surroundings affect both of them is the basis of this wonderfully told story of life in a small village where everyone knows who you are and what you do. Infused with doses of melancholy and humor, "Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same" is a touching novel of how we are often more alike in our wants, needs and feelings than we really like to admit to ourselves and others.
March 14, 2013
Roesch does a great job writing about Unalakleet, a fishing village on Norton Sound and off the road system in Alaska where life goes on at a different pace. He takes the main character from LA gang member to a village of 700 that's a three hour flight north of Anchorage where everyone knows each other and everyone has many relatives. There are problems, and everyone in the village knows what they are even though they may not understand why or the history behind the problems... alcoholism, mental health breakdown, pregnancy and just growing up and getting through adolescence. This book should be required reading for nurses, doctors, teachers and anyone planning on working or living in a village. The characters are real in their struggles and are sincere and honest. Great read.
November 27, 2009
Debut author Mattox Roesch has tremendous talent and the ability to create characters who leap off the page. This story is about Cesar, a young LA gangbanger, and his mother who has decided to move herself and her son back to the small Alaskan community that she was born in and ran away from 20 years ago. There Cesar's life becomes entwined in his ebullient cousin Go-Boy's wild schemes for a new philosophy of living and his own religion based on the Alaskan, feminine, Jesus. The author actually lives in the town that this story is set in, so his portrait of small village Alaskan life sings with detail and charm. This glimpse of life in a far off place, family, community, and starting over is written with a fresh and vibrant voice that is unforgettable.
January 9, 2010
Overall, the story was extremely sad. I loved Go Boy even though I knew his quirky behavior was totally manic. Cesar seemed to be emotionally paralyzed a lot of the time and unable to act. Even though he saw what had happened to Sean, he struggled with telling anyone. Similarly, he knew that Go Boy wasn’t acting rationally and probably needed help even before he crashed. I would have liked to know Kiana better. I loved so many things about this book – especially Go Boy’s 101 reasons why he loved Valerie posted all over town. I also loved the sense of community that Cesar finds for the first time as compared to the the sense of family he got from belonging to a gang.
November 5, 2009
Caesar is a product of his environment. His other brother Wicho, is a gangbanger who shot a couple 15 year old kids and wound up with a life sentence in jail. Caesar followed in his footsteps, running with gangs, until his mother finally had enough and moved them back to her hometown in Alaska. This poses a complete 180 for Caesar. Despite knowing the ganglife, Caesar was not opposed to moving to Alaska, even though he and his cousin Go-Boy made a bet that Caesar would not move back to LA after one year.
http://thenovelworld.com/2009/09/17/s...
http://thenovelworld.com/2009/09/17/s...
March 9, 2010
In the mean streets of Los Angeles California there are a lot of gangs. Cesar's brother, Wicho was in a gang and is now prison for life. Now Cesar is in a gang and heading in the same direction as Wicho. With an absent father, Cesar's mother wants a better life for both of them and decides to move to her native Eskimo village, Unalakleet in Alaska.
Cesar does not want to move but..(read the rest of my review at: http://teddyrose.blogspot.com/2010/01...
Cesar does not want to move but..(read the rest of my review at: http://teddyrose.blogspot.com/2010/01...
July 31, 2011
Teenage LA gangsta gets uprooted by his divorced mother, who moves the two of them back to the tiny native fishing village in coastal Alaska where she's from. No plot surprises here -- just the opposite, because the writer tells you the plot punch lines before setting up how you get there. The story is in the journey, not the climactic life events recounted in the book. I've not encountered this style of story-telling before, but found it fascinating. Roesch also excels in conveying the experience of living in the Alaskan village.
March 6, 2013
A really amazing book about compassion and coming out of your shell, the influence we have on each other, and how slowly and quickly our lives and our selves can change. I liked how more was always being revealed in this book, and it felt like real life that way. Deserves to be a West Coast cult classic like The River Why and Craig Lesley's novels, and probably a bunch more from the 80s that I remember....Rabbit Boss by someone named Sanchez, Mona Simpson's books. Mattox Roesch sounds a bit young to be in that company, but that is what I am reminded of.
September 27, 2009
I was impressed with this book -- it's got crossover appeal in that it is appropriate and of interest for adults and young adults. The writing was solid all the way through, and the characters were very convincing, especially the way that they were at the cusp of learning to deal with life in an adult way. They had a way of looking at things in the past and things in the future that was evolving as you read. Highly recommended.
September 27, 2009
Cesar moves from LA to a small town in Alaska with his Native mother after his parents split up and his brother is given a life-sentence for murder. While he first feels isolated in the small town and distanced from its traditions, he gradually becomes a part of everything through his manic cousin Go-boy. A great coming-of-age story, perfect for young adult or adult readers, that addresses issues of crime, sex, drinking, and mental illness without being preachy.
October 29, 2009
I loved this book. Mattox Roesch has created a wonderful first novel about a half-native boy unwillingly relocated from Los Angeles to a small town on the coast of Alaska. Through his relationships with his cousin and others in Unalakleet he gains a deeper understanding of himself and the people around him. Written in concise, clear language it is a book that works for both adult and young adult readers.
January 12, 2010
Meh. While I appreciated the setting and characterization in this book, the spare language combined with the glacial pacing didn't do it any favors. It was an interesting take on bipolar disorder and thoughtful look at disenfranchised rural Alaskan life, but moved very, very slowly for me. I kept putting it down and picking it up, constantly distracted by brighter, shinier stories:)
March 20, 2010
Roesch is an author to watch. This is his first novel & is such a great book, sort of a coming-of-age book, written with such wisdom. I enjoyed the setting; a small northern Alaska fishing village & Lots of fully developed characters that really held my interest. It was filled with both sadness & hope. This is an adult novel but would be appropriate for high school aged readers also.
June 29, 2014
I was very impatient reading this book. I don't know why. About 2/3 of the way through I quickly scanned to the end to say that I finished it. I wanted to like it - it's written by somebody who lives in rural Alaska and he captures the feel of life in the village, but it lacks some crucial element for my satisfaction. The irritating thing is that I don't have any suggestions for improvement.
July 4, 2011
Not what it was expected to be. turns out not to be a feel good coming of age story about an LA kid in Alaska... well it is, but it's also about manic depression. It's more interesting for it's description of modern day life in a small Alaskan village than anything else, though.
June 15, 2014
Meh. Ok. Excellent description of village life. Well-developed characters. But for some reason the narrative just didn't pull me along. I didn't believe in Go Boy, one of the main characters. I just didn't care to finish. Got about 2/3 through and that's ok with me.
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