Description: A sleek, fast-paced story of high school boys in Tacoma, their anointed leader and the decision to find a way out. The new novel from Eric Barnes, author of IndieNext selection SHIMMER.
Brief description: Eric Barnes is the author of the novel Shimmer (Unbridled Books), an IndieNext selection praised for its "sheen of elegance and terror." He has published short stories in numerous journals, including Prairie Schooner, The Literary Review, Best American Mystery Stories, among others. He lives in Memphis with his wife and their four children. ericbarnes.net
Review Quotes:
"This is a world where the pull of friendship is far stronger than the pull of family, where cars are freedom, stories are everything, and home is thick with ghosts." - Emily St. John Mandel at The Millions
"Boys will be violent: Eric Barnes' new novel is a tale of rough streets" - The Shelf Life @ The Commercial Appeal, Memphis
"Something Pretty Something Beautiful delves below the surface of everyday life and into the minds and actions of teenage boys in a working class neighborhood where every family has their demons. A fascinatingly dark read, the author did a great job creating a three-dimensional world that I was transported to." - Allison @ The Book Wheel
". . .a startlingly frank story. . . and all the cringing while you're reading is offset by an ending that's sad yet hopeful. I'll be keeping an eye on Eric Barnes to see what he'll come out with next. . . drey's rating: Excellent!" - drey's library
". . . a masterfully crafted story about friendship and growing up" - Renae @ Respiring Thoughts
". . .think "Clockwork Orange" set in modern day Tacoma. . . but the eerie quietude, the smiling-ness with which the characters execute atrocity, makes "Something Pretty" a disaster tale all its own. Score: 4/5." - Conceptual Reception