When the Coin Is in the Air is John Young’s debut novel. It reads like a coming-of-age memoir. The protagonist, Jason Blake, grows up caught between a mercurial father who is often violent and emotionally abusive, and an older brother who is very competitive yet consistently backs down from confrontations with their father. Jason tries to prove himself to both these male figures in his life. He attempts to excel in sports, but never quite reaches the apogee of his brother’s success. Later, he attempts to establish his own sphere by going to college, traveling to Massachusetts to spend the summer with friends, and going to England then Europe. He accepts a job as a high school teacher, teaching English and drama, but finds the efforts soul-sucking.
I enjoyed this book but was left feeling that, at times, the story was overwhelmed by an unnecessary level of detail. I didn’t need to know the names and description of every woman Jason had one or two dates with. At the same time, having lived for years in Europe, I was disappointed that months in England and Europe, which surely had to have been a life-changing experience for Jason, were condensed into a few pages. Young does a superb job ratcheting up the tension between Jason and his father. I’d have liked to have had more exploration of Jason’s feelings when he states he considered his father a murderer. I fully expected a life-threatening clash between the two, but the tension deflates in an unexpected way that left me feeling a bit flat. But overall I enjoyed reading When the Coin Is in the Air.
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When the Coin Is in the Air is available through Amazon.
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