PositiveThe New York Times Book ReviewA book can be carried by a strong voice, and that’s what we get with Jo Faber ... Samuel’s overwhelming absence comes at a cost: For the focal figure in a mystery of how a lost boy grows into a dangerous man, Samuel as a character is surprisingly thin and uneven. At times Hulse softens his extremism, as if his anger is too much for the reader to bear ... Hatred flows like water, forming itself into whatever vessel it’s provided, but Samuel’s shape constantly changes. Jo’s (heavy-handed) attempts to use her art to moralize and explain evil can’t excuse that ... Hulse’s talent is evidenced by her nuanced portrayal of Jo and the way she sees the world. In her relationship with Asa, in particular Hulse perfectly captures not only the landscape of the American West, but also what it feels like to survive in a town that is dying.
