Come Unto These Yellow Sands

Come Unto These Yellow Sands (2011) Josh Lanyon

Something about this book works perfectly to pull me out of my head.

Part of it is that Swift is a reformed screw-up who knows how and why he messed up, but also how easy it could be for him to fall of the wagon.

Physical violence was not his area of expertise, though he’d had the shit kicked out of him on occasion. But then he’d generally had it coming.

He makes mistakes, but he owns them–and also admits when he’d probably do the same thing again.

If he had it all to do again…? Well, that was the point of those Choose Your Own Adventure books, right? Taking responsibility for your decisions, living with consequences.

And Swift screws up in this book–a mistake that puts him on the outs with his FWB who also happens to be the sheriff.

I think what works so well for me is that you see that Swift wouldn’t have acted in this instance in a different way. And also I deeply feel his struggle as everything in his life is spiraling out of control and seemingly going against him.

Swift could feel himself losing color. Something was going on here that he didn’t understand. Until this instant he hadn’t realized that Koltz was hoping for a reason to get rid of him. In fact, gazing into Koltz’s hard eyes, Swift realized that Koltz actively disliked him.

Every part of this story fits together and makes sense, and all the characters act in a way that is logical for them. And even when people do stupid things, it’s for reasons that make sense. (ie, of course a teenager is going to run away and make stupid choices.)

Nothing in this book is easy for Swift, but seeing him work through it is so very satisfying.

It would be nice to believe in something like God. To believe some higher power with a greater purpose was concealed behind the violence and chaos.

Publisher: JustJoshin Publishing, Inc

Rating: 9/10

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