Book Review + Giveaway: APOLOGY by Jon Pineda

Title: APOLOGY
Author: Jon Pineda
ISBN: 1571311041
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Fiction
Theme(s): Immigrants, Hardships, Tragedy
Length: 208 pgs
Binding: Paperback
Published: 4th June 2013; Milkweed Editions
Buy: Amazon.com, BN.com

Synopsis:

When nine-year-old Tom Serafino’s twin sister Teagan suffers a debilitating brain injury, a police investigation implicates his playmate Mario’s uncle—an immigrant, transient worker known as Shoe. Innocent of the crime but burdened by his own childhood tragedy, Shoe takes the blame for what is in fact an accident caused by his young nephew, ensuring Mario’s chance at a future publicly unscarred.

The lines between innocence and guilt, evasions and half-truths, love and duty are blurred. Can a lie born from resignation, fear, and love transform tragedy into hope? And is the life of one man worth the price of that lie?

Told in vivid scenes alive with imagery and with thematic echoes of John Burnham Schwartz’s Reservation Road and Northwest Corner, Apology explores how the decisions we make in an instant reverberate in the years to come. Apology further paints a portrait of sacrifice within two immigrant families raising first-generation Americans. It explores the measure of duty we have toward one another, and the extent to which abandoning the wreckage of family and the past often leads to unexpected consequences.

Deeply empathetic and beautifully written, Apology marks the novelistic debut of a critically acclaimed Asian American writer.

My Rating:

*Scroll down to enter for a chance to win 1 of 3 paperback copies of APOLOGY by Jon Pineda!*

My Review: It's hard to believe that Jon Pineda's novel, APOLOGY, barely hits the 200 page mark. Why? Because as I sat back and went through my notes to prepare this review, I was pretty much stunned at all of the themes and thought provoking, philosophical questions that I had written in the margins, not to mention the span of years that is covered within the story. I'm not even going to lie-- I tend to like my novels 300+ pages. Maybe it's because it gives me that false sense of getting my money's worth. Or maybe it is just hard to wrap my brain around the idea of an author being able to write a story with depth in under 200 pgs. Whatever the case may be, I admire an author who can shatter my illusions as to what makes a truly memorable novel.

Here is what I liked about APOLOGY. The structure of the novel is broken into 8 parts, each part containing  short, concise paragraphs (sort of like snapshots) that alternates between present day and flashbacks. This format and writing style makes for a very quick read. But don't let that fool you into thinking the story is...