The Nix

Prepare for some gushing, people. This is one of the best books I've read this year and I now feel it's my responsibility to preach the gospel of Nathan Hill. Prepare to be evangelized.

When you make a decision to read a book that's 620 pages long, you make a choice. A choice to commit. You balk for a second because a book like that can swallow you up or overwhelm you. But, if you're lucky - lucky like I was when I picked up The Nix - it will absolutely consume you in the best possible way.

I opened page one and was HOOKED.

It's hard to describe what makes this such an incredible read; it's hard to convince someone to invest the kind of time it takes to read a book this long. But, this book was so good - the writing so fantastic, the characters so rich - I put it away in about 5 days. I thought about it when I wasn't reading it. I missed it when I was at work. It's that freaking good.

We quickly learn about a professor named Samuel whose mother abandoned him at age 11. We learn about the questions she left behind and how it affected his life. Then, his mother commits a bold, bizarre and public crime and circumstances that follow force mother and son to interact once again.

Cool plot, right? Well, that barely scratches the surface of what this book is all about. It's about mothers and sons, the life choices we make, the secrets we keep, the loves we leave behind, what truly haunts us. Nathan Hill does an incredible job intertwining characters and storylines and time periods. He even pulls off changing the narrative structure based on which character is the focus of a particular chapter (what he does with a video game addict's downfall about 3/4s of the way in is a stroke of genius.)  He makes you care about each character's narrative arc so much, you're personally invested in each one. Then, the way he brings them all together is simply masterful. I gasped out loud, not seeing a particular twist coming.

To read this book is an investment of your time. But, it's completely worth it. You'll have time over the holidays to read and relax, right? This might be the perfect excuse to slow down and bury yourself in truly great writing. Let an incredible book like this be your gift to yourself.