No Light/ Might Escape, by Joe Hakim

The male narrator of the book alternates between verse and short story to paint an overall picture of his life.  Bouncing from place to place, staying with friends, in and out of various relationships with girls, our narrator seems to live the life of a drifter.  But what does it all mean?

The best word I can use to describe this book is gritty.  It does not sugar coat anything, nor does it go out of it's way to paint a pretty picture.  Yet I just could not put it down.  The book slips from short story to verse form, and back again, but I hardly noticed the changes.  I liken it to a song that brilliantly moves from verse to chorus to bridge and to verse again.  One does not focus on the different sections, but instead the powerful impact of the whole.  So is this book.

Of the two forms, I must say I did prefer the verse more than the short story.  To me, a tale told in verse is just a little more interesting.  But again, each form adds to the overall impact of the story.

The book may not be for everyone, as I said, this is not a book of poetry about pretty little flowers.  But if you want something different, something bold and honest to the point of painful, then I think you should give this a try.



I received a review copy courtesy of the publisher.