God Clobbers Us All--done

It didn't take long once I finished up The Rule of Four to polish off God Clobbers Us All. I really kind of liked it which still kind of surprises me now as I type it. Based in CA in the mid-70's with the main characters all working at a nursing home with drugs, missing person and sex as the main actions throughout. The two main characters, Edgar and Pat both seem to develop throughout the book and when you hope they make some progress, they kind of slip back. They all have obvious flaws that are not only obvious to the reader but also to the character themself. But the characters don't just solve their problems and move on, instead they kind of break out of the pattern for a little time and then slip back into it. It could be kind of depressing in the end except Edgar is young, still a teenager, and has shown some ability at making good choices. Of course going the easy way with drugs and just hanging out is also very possible and in the end everything is left open.

I am having a hard time deciding if I would recommend this book. I am sure I would to people I know are readers and would enjoy something a little different. I would have a much harder time recommending to someone in general though. I will pay attention to other books by Poe Ballantine though, I did enjoy his writing style and realistic characters. This book alone has made the $1.50 I spent buying used library books worthwhile and reminds me I have to get to a library branch and checkout their books for sale. Not too bad for a book that the main reason I bought was because the writer is now living in Chadron, NE.