Hardcover Dustjacket
Title: Skippy Dies
Author: Paul Murray (Irish)
Genre: “Tragicomic”
Main Characters: Daniel “Skippy” Juster, Ruprecht Van Doren, Lori, Carl, Howard “the Coward” Fallon, the Automator
Setting: Seabrook College, a boy’s Catholic school in Dublin, Ireland
Plot: The book is split into three parts: Hopeland, Heartland, Ghostland. On the first page of the book, Skippy dies, so you get that out of the way quickly. The rest of the book spins and pivots between characters, building the story that led up to Skippy’s death then showing how the ripple effect of his death. That makes the plot sound too neat though; it’s a dizzying ride through multiple characters’ minds and secrets, riffing on the horniness of 14-yr-old boys, Catholic priest stereotypes, high school teacher mid-life crises, pill-poppers and drug pushers, nerdom and cliques, and all the insecurities that overlie them all. It’s a brutal picture of puberty and the realities of insecurities that live with you far beyond your adolescence. The adult characters show that as the film Magnolia would put it, “We might be through with the past, but the past ain’t through with us.” And to some extent, every character shares that message.
Verdict: This book is crazy. I heard about it through BookRiot and, as I recall, it was described as a smart novel set in an all-boys school with a lot of fart and sex jokes. This is correct, but I wasn’t prepared for everything else that came with it! The book keeps sinking deeper, going darker, getting grittier. It’s not a book you recommend to your mother-in-law. Or to a soccer mom. Don’t read this if you want to feel like there’s always justice in the world and everything works out alright. But if you want a challenging read that’s fast-paced, entertaining, and intense, definitely pick this up.
Joy Reads 