With Mosley at the wheel, Ghalen surges forward. His writing is simple and clear, and his minor characters dazzle from the shoulders of the narrative ... Sometimes Mosley floors it to the edge of credibility. Other times he slows to allow us to enjoy the view and feel pretty sure that Ghalen, by the end of the book almost 20, will find his way. Sit back. Enjoy the ride.
Ghalen is messy ...
Fans, though, they won’t mind. This book is written in the usual Mosley style, with long conversations, tiny details, psychology in characterization and plenty of grit, with a bit of his signature detective plotlining thrown in for good measure ... This isn’t a bad book, but it may take some patience for readers unused to Mosley’s pleasantly rambling style. You may like Ghalen a lot — or you might not care for it.
The redoubtable Mosley applies his laconic style, astute social perspective, and dexterity with unsettling ambiance to this coming-of-age novel ... Though this tautly fashioned bildungsroman represents one of Mosley’s infrequent departures from his distinguished work in mystery and crime fiction, it has a similar, page-turning propulsion along with shrewd characterization that prevents the reader from easy judgment of even the most unpleasant people in Ghalen’s star-crossed life ... Even in chaos, darkness, and hardship, this novel finds reasons to believe in the human spirit.
