Reviews

Don't Skip Out on Me, by Willy Vlautin

ocray's review

challenging emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

kate_ontherun's review

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.5

lise_pdx's review

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

intermittent_reader's review

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

benbert's review

dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

larebe's review

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

3.5

robincrawshaw's review

adventurous emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

bobbijopmh's review

adventurous challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Listened on Audible. Probably has more appeal for someone interested in boxing, but the story was enjoyable nonetheless. 3.5 stars because the writing is good, the story is okay, but not particularly of interest to me, and overall it was good, but not amazing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Chronic illness

anneaustex's review

4.0

Horace Hooper has lived for several years on a ranch where he is cared for like a son by Mr and Mrs Reese. But Horace yearns to be someone-- a professional boxer. He wants to make a name for himself so he leaves the Reeses, the ranch, the horses and dogs and heads to Las Vegas where he can obtain a trainer and prepare for his new life as a boxer.

Filled with beautiful writing, characters that a reader can love, and a story you won't want to put down, this book packs a gut-wrenching wallop. Willy Vlautin knows how to draw the reader in with his prose: "Mr Reese had told him that life, at its core, was a cruel burden because we had the knowledge that we were born to die. We were born with innocent eyes and those eyes had to see pain and death and deceit and violence and heartache. If we were lucky we lived long enough to see most everything we love die. But, he said, being honorable and truthful took a little of the sting out of it. It made life bearable."

This book contains some fairly graphic scenes of Horace's boxing matches and the injuries he sustains so it may not be for all readers. However, anyone who cares to take a chance with Horace and the Reeses will receive the payoff of a story delivered by a master storyteller.

I received an ARC of this book as a part of LibraryThing Early Readers.

petekeeley's review

5.0

Brilliant. His best yet. Absolutely loved it. Horace/Hector and Mr and Mrs Reese will be in my head for a long time.