The Book of Joe is described by one reviewer as "a coming of year 34 year old tale" and I have to agree. However, this is not a bad thing! The story is about a man named Joe who writes a scathing book about the town in which he was raised. In his novel, he addresses how poorly everyone treated him and his friends. He also chronicles how the basketball team and its coach run the town while preaching conformity and intolerance. When Joe's father falls into a coma during a basketball alumni game, Joe is forced to return to this town that he left 17 years ago. Upon his return to Bush Falls, he suffers from various humiliating situations at the hands of the town including having milk shakes thrown in his face, copies of his book thrown on his front lawn, and is beaten up by the former captain of the basketball team. Yet none of these attacks hurt Joe as much as finding that his childhood best friend is suffering from a terminal disease and Joe's ex-girlfriend has had a troubled and violent past 17 years.
Though this novel had the potential to be cliched, it took the high and less jaded road. In fact, Tropper was able to take some previous lackluster plot turns and make them new again by tweaking certain outcomes. Still, the book is a bit of a tear-jerker but it is peppered with fantastic comic relief. The mixture created a novel that is sentimental and moving without being a sappy weep-fest; while also being humorous without making a mockery of the subject. The issues addressed in the book are heavy and deep but with enough wit to lighten the load and make the novel and exceptional read!!
-DLP
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