What a weird novel. It gradually crosses the line from a coming-of-age story (a Bildungsroman apparently) to a crime novel.
The first portion was beautifully done, with the main character characterized in-depth alongside his partner. The novel began with a tragedy befalling our young protagonist, and a quick introduction to all the relevant main characters. Chekhov’s gun really applied in this case, where a girl described within the first some 30 (?) pages becomes the overarching love interest.
From here, the character moves to Las Vegas and probably the best part of the book. There, the character really developed and really solidifies as a character. Another tragedy befalls our little teenager and he is forced to move back to NYC.
The final act of the book is really lackluster. The author introduces far too many characters and plot points which I didn’t understand (or care to for that matter). It was just too much and an abrupt change in pace. Overall, an incredibly lengthy novel which I just don’t think is that good…