Westlake Soul

Feb 15, 2013 Alan rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Thinking meat

Recommended to Alan by: A dry period, a stark color scheme, and a clever back-cover excerpt

This compact and quickly-read novel—I burned through it in less than 24 hours—from a tiny but fierce Canadian fringe press may have a title that's mysterious but awkward, and obscure authors giving it glowing cover recommendations (well, okay, Peter Straub isn't all that obscure, but I'd never heard of the rest of 'em), but Westlake Soul has one thing really going for it right away: a great elevator pitch.

This shows up on page 12 of the book (the second page of the actual story) as well as on th...more This compact and quickly-read novel—I burned through it in less than 24 hours—from a tiny but fierce Canadian fringe press may have a title that's mysterious but awkward, and obscure authors giving it glowing cover recommendations (well, okay, Peter Straub isn't all that obscure, but I'd never heard of the rest of 'em), but Westlake Soul has one thing really going for it right away: a great elevator pitch.

This shows up on page 12 of the book (the second page of the actual story) as well as on the back cover, which is where it quickly caught my eye:

All superheroes get their powers from somewhere: a radioactive spider bite, a science experiment gone awry. I got mine from a surfing accident in Tofino. The ultimate wipeout. I woke up with the most powerful mind on the planet, but a body like a wet paper bag...

Whoa, dude. Surfer in a coma, I know, I know it's serious... but where can you go from there? I gotta get me some more of this story...

Westlake Soul is actually the name of Rio Youers' narrator and protagonist, whose unfortunate encounter with a very big wave left him in a persistent vegetative state, without even the ability to blink intentionally, to let anyone know he's still aware, trapped within his unresponsive body. Westlake lives, if you can call it living, with his family in Toronto, who take care of his feeding tube, sponge baths, and occasional wheelchair ride out to the deck, assisted by a succession of visiting caretakers. They still love him very much, as does his girlfriend Nadia, though he is utterly unable to return their affection. To all appearances, Wes is just... absent.

But that is all on the surface. Inside, he's more active than ever, a superhero in fact, with a genius IQ (if he does say so himself) and tremendous new mental abilities—telepathically chatting with his faithful dog Hub, eavesdropping on his family and friends' struggle to come to terms with his outward unresponsiveness, fighting superpowered battles against the villainous Dr. Quietus, and often "releasing" himself from his unmoving body to travel astrally around the world. This dramatic life of the mind is transcribed for us by an unknown hand—"Somebody somewhere is writing this down," as each section of the book begins.

Wes himself may now be a genius, but his personal style is informal and loose, as befits an athletic guy who'd thrown himself wholeheartedly into surfer culture—not so easy, for a young Canadian far from any ocean. He's a good guy, cut down well before his time, and the more we find out about him, the more we're convinced that he deserves to recover. He'd probably even get the Smiths reference I worked into this review, though he might not recognize the shout-out to Terry Bisson. But whether Westlake can defeat Dr. Quietus and bring himself out of his state, before his family—who see none of his internal struggle—decide to let his body slip away... that's the question. And Youers does not give us any easy answers, though I believe the ending he chose was as right and true as anything could have been.

All in all, Westlake Soul was a satisfying novel, well-imagined and well-told, with a neat conceit and the occasional deep thought—a very good read, indeed.(less)

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Oct 14, 2012 Christopher rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-0-plus, fiction

The main thing that made this unpredictable was the blurb on the back, which leaves open more possibilities than the story itself really shows to be likely. Although there's hope throughout the book that the main character's fantasies are real, they have no impact that the character himself (when describing others' fantasies) wouldn't attribute to coincidence, so the internal logic of the story undermines that hope, and the heavily telegraphed plot developments seem inevitable.

The narrator's inf...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Claudia rated it 4 of 5 stars

The idea of reading a book about the ramblings of a man in a vegetative state wasn't exciting and this story has rested in my Kindle for months. A weekend trip with no internet or phone service forced me to begin the story. I read it in two sittings. Being a person who believes in possibilities made this book a very enjoyable read. Understanding that it is speculative fiction and not a memoir or a based on any sort of medical reality is essential. If, like myself, you were that person who had to...more

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May 08, 2012 Timothy Baker rated it 5 of 5 stars

ust finished a pre-release copy of Rio Youers novel, Westlake Soul. I met Rio last year at the World Horror Con in Austin and again at this years WHC in Salt Lake City. Had a great conversation with him sitting in the hotel bar, throwing back beers. Later that night he read from Westlake Soul at the release party. The chapter was titled "On Love". I was stunned and transported. Told him it was starbright and that it had made my trip. Luckily, I picked up on of the few copies.

Westlake Soul is lik...more

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Apr 29, 2012 Shedrick Pittman-Hassett rated it 5 of 5 stars

Excerpt from my review on Shroud Magazine Book Reviews online (http://tinyurl.com/7e547cl)

...Every word, every delicate phrase, glows and vibrates with Westlake’s sly and optimistically world-weary voice. Witty, compassionate, and full of life, Westlake is the quintessential fighter—always striving for “more”. Though he is a superhero, he’s not perfect and is still human—which is the entire point. As he powerlessly watches the people he cares about ride out the curls of their lives, Westlake lea...more

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May 11, 2012 Frank Errington rated it 5 of 5 stars

I first met Rio Youers at 2010 Horrorfind Weekend in Gettysburg, PA. That day he read from Dark Dreams, Pale Horses and I was instantly a fan. Since then, I've read everything I can get my hands on from this relatively new writer.

Although I discovered Rio at a Horror convention, I wouldn't necessarily call him a Horror writer. Speculative fiction maybe? Actually, he's just a damn fine writer.

Westlake Soul is his best book to date. Westlake is a 23 year old former surfing champion. Now more like...more

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Jan 08, 2013 David Agranoff rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dark-humor, horror-masterpiece, modern-horror, supernatural-romance

I discovered this novel from author Nick Cato's top ten books of 2012 where it took his top prize. It is also blurbed on the back cover by one of the most respected horror writers alive Peter Straub. I looked through quite a few Good Reads reviews and the worst review I found was three stars. I went into as blind as possible, not even reading the back cover description. Glad I didn't.
Westlake Soul is not a novel that sounds thrilling plot wise, it is the story of a champion Canadian surfer named...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Adam Cesare rated it 5 of 5 stars

Rio Youers’ WESTLAKE SOUL is one of the very few books I’ve ever finished and said to myself “I’m going to read this again some day.” There are just too many books I want to get to, and not enough hours in my life to go re-reading everything I liked. But I didn’t like Westlake Soul, I loved it.

WESTLAKE SOUL is the story of Westlake, a twenty-three year old surfer, who’s put into a persistent vegetative state by a surfing accident. The catch is that the novel is narrated by Westlake himself, he’s...more

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May 07, 2012 Rose rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: tbr-challenge, tough-subjects, supernatural, psychological, pretty-cover, netgalley, arc-or-galley

Before I start this review, I want to take a minute to say how awesome the cover of this book is. I partially wanted to pick this up because it deals with a tough subject in a speculative way, but at the same time, the cover really piqued my interest. Nice blend of colors and the character's features. Even so, going into this book, I didn't have a clue who Westlake Soul was. Reading along, I understood that he's supposed to be a superhero of sorts, but trapped in his own body and fighting for th...more Before I start this review, I want to take a minute to say how awesome the cover of this book is. I partially wanted to pick this up because it deals with a tough subject in a speculative way, but at the same time, the cover really piqued my interest. Nice blend of colors and the character's features. Even so, going into this book, I didn't have a clue who Westlake Soul was. Reading along, I understood that he's supposed to be a superhero of sorts, but trapped in his own body and fighting for the sake of his existence.

The catch is figuring out why he's trapped in his body. Westlake was a young surfer caught in a rough tidal wave. He's a living vegetable as a result and put in the charge of his family. Westlake has a great deal of frustration because he can neither move his body or communicate with the outside world. At least not in a normal way. He says he has the ability to telepathically read and influence the thoughts of the people around him as well as communicate with animals (case in point, his dog). All the while, he's fighting a battle with an evil mastermind that threatens the balance of his present living state, and does all he can to foil the plot of the force (whom he names as Dr. Quietus) working against him.

It's an interesting way of looking at a man who's fighting for his life and remembering what he's left behind in the life he lost, but there were times when "Westlake Soul" was a difficult read for me. It wasn't so much the subject matter that jarred me, but the measure that I wasn't necessarily enamored with Westlake at first, and that it took quite a while for the conflict to build because of the backstory and external events around Westlake. I understood the context and parallels drawn. I think the narrative could've been more subtle, cut a little more on the narrative, and still conveyed the same message with the heartache while still remaining well within a speculative work. It carries its share of humor (crude and general) to move the story along, but I'll admit it wasn't as fast of a read as I hoped it would be. It can be difficult to write an immobile/inactive character. While you see what's going on around such a character, it could potentially be difficult to see the changes that go on and occur within that character - though you know they're there. However, I think Youers does a decent job of showing how Westlake changes when things take a turn for the worst, and he realizes that he doesn't have much time left, so he has to fight with as much as he can put forth.

The whole time I read this book, Poets of the Fall's "Running Out of Time," a song I like very much, kept playing through my head. Oddly enough it matched some of the themes this book put forth, especially when the clock is winding down and he's trying to buy himself some time, but he doesn't want to completely let go. At the same time, he uses his powers/essence to influence the people around him, from the sweet to the outright vengeance (what he does to Yvette's boyfriend is one example) does give an impact to the narrative that I liked.

I think the ending does well to punctuate what the novel's built up towards from the beginning, and while I think Youers could've done more showing than telling in the narrative in spurts, it's a decent story. One I appreciated for what it had to offer, though with some noted caveats.

Overall score: 2.5/5

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher ChiZine Publications.(less)

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Aug 28, 2012 Benjamin Ethridge rated it 5 of 5 stars

Being a big fan of Trumbo's "Johnny Got His Gun," and having the chance to hear Rio Youers read the first few chapters of his latest novel, I was primed and ready to like WESTLAKE SOUL.

I ended up being wrong about that part. I didn't just like the novel, but LOVED it. What can I say that hasn't already been said by other readers? It's a masterpiece of elegant, emotional, funny prose that will captivate you from beginning to end. You don't just know the characters in this book, their DNA coils ar...more

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Oct 05, 2012 Holly Booms Walsh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, spirituality

This book was a real surprise. Despite nominally being the interior dialogue of a young surfer tragically stuck in a vegetative state after a surfing accident, whose family is caring for him at home and trying to decide whether to pull the plug on him - which made me expect that this is a HEAVY book, this books was funny, optimistic, spiritual, and emotional. It's beautiful prose about humanity and interconnections, with bright turns of phrase and elegant metaphor... all while being very believa...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Paper Droids rated it 5 of 5 stars

Warning: Reading Rio Youers’ novel Westlake Soul may cause you to gush a little – with tears AND praise. I have to say I wasn’t prepared to be so thoroughly emotionally drop-kicked by this book, but, like Westlake Soul the superhero, I’m ready to drag myself up and go back for more.

Most superheroes have insane physical prowess: they can fly, or leap over skyscrapers, or bash the heck out of assorted supervillains. Westlake Soul isn’t that kind of superhero. A former surfing champion, with a vibr...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Anita Laydon rated it 5 of 5 stars

I give this book five stars for the author's outstanding voice and ingenuity.

The story is the first-person account of a surfer dude's life for the two-ish years following an accident that left him in a vegetative state. Which makes the story sound very drab and depressing...only it's not. I mean, yeah, I cried, if you must know, but I also laughed, and, ultimately, I was left uplifted.

I planned to include paragraphs I particularly loved--things I wished I'd written--but gave up, because there w...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Colleen Anderson rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was wondering at the beginning, "How do you keep a tale interesting when it's about a guy so brain damaged he's a human vegetable?" Youers handles this tale deftly. Just when I was getting a little tired of the surfer dude narrative, the stakes are upped. The humanity of this piece is touching and at times heartwarming and heartbreaking. I would have liked a more definite ending. I hoped for one but figured it was the other (so that I don't give anything away) but I can also see why this tale...more

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Jun 03, 2012 Roxanne Kade rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I first read the synopsis for Westlake Soul, I expected a superhero adventure novel with just a touch of seriousness, but what I got was the total opposite. This book is a non-stop emotional whirlwind that ripped through my heart and left me devastated.

WARNING! Prepare to cry your eyes out!!

The story tells of Westlake Soul, a free-spirited surfer whose entire life changes within a split second. An accident that leaves him in a permanent vegetative state, forces him to watch in painful sil...more When I first read the synopsis for Westlake Soul, I expected a superhero adventure novel with just a touch of seriousness, but what I got was the total opposite. This book is a non-stop emotional whirlwind that ripped through my heart and left me devastated.

WARNING! Prepare to cry your eyes out!!

The story tells of Westlake Soul, a free-spirited surfer whose entire life changes within a split second. An accident that leaves him in a permanent vegetative state, forces him to watch in painful silence as the people he loves are faced with difficult decisions. Unaware of his presence, he pleads with them to not give up on him, but to fight for him because there is nothing he wants more than to truly live again. Dr Quietus, his evil nemesis challenges him each day as he clings to life, but Westlake’s will to survive is stronger than Dr Quietus and he fights with everything he has left. Is it enough, though? The only one who believes in him is his dog, Hubba-Hubba Artful Soul, or Hub as we so affectionately get to know him throughout the book. By some strange occurrence, after the accident, Westlake is able to communicate with Hub, as well as other animals. If only Hub was able to communicate with the rest of the characters in the book, then he’d be able to tell them that Westlake was still around. With the arrival of a new caregiver, Yvette, Westlake’s “life” changes, he feels more alive than he has in months and new hope fills him with the idea that Yvette may truly believe that he is not entirely gone. But, as is reality, some things cannot be fixed, no matter how much we wish them to be, no matter how hard we fight.

Rio Youers’ brilliance in bringing to life the very essence of the human soul is breath-taking. Never have I connected more with a character, especially one who is physically unable to do much of anything throughout the story. All we know if what he feels and experiences within his being. The strength of his spirit and determination to win the fight that is death is beautiful, and my ideas and thoughts of people in his condition will forever be changed.

I was constantly cheering for Westlake, with the hopes that maybe, just maybe, a miracle would bring him back to the world he so desperately wanted to return to. This book is filled with heart-breaking moments as his family struggle with a decision that may very well end Westlake’s torture, as well as their own, bringing with it an entire new level of misery. There is truly nothing I can fault this book on. It was a fantastic read from start to finish, and it haunted me for days after I had finished reading it. Every time I think of this novel, I will be reminded of how precious life is, and how quickly it can be taken away.
(less)

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Aug 15, 2012 Gerri Leen rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm giving this book five stars with one caveat which I will cover later. I can't not give this book five stars. The creativity is off the charts, the book manages to be both lyrical and absolutely current in the language--a neat trick. The characters are deeply moving: the situation is deeply moving. And the craftsmanship is first rate. The story within a story is subtle and the ending ambiguous enough to let you believe what you want to believe happens at the crucial moment.

My caveat would be...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Kara-karina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Egalley thanks to ChiZine Publications
So, I opened this book expecting a light superhero's story. Not so much.

I would never ever look at or think of people who are stuck in a permanent vegetative stage in the same way I used to look them. And that's what this powerful heart wrenching book did to me.

Westlake is a former golden boy, talented surfer and a charming person generally loved by all. He's got a girlfriend whom he loves deeply and who he thinks is his future Mrs. Soul. He's got his best...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Katy rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everybody

Recommended to Katy by: NetGalley

Shelves: ebook, galley-for-review, net-galley

Disclosure: I received a free eGalley eBook ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: “All superheroes get their powers from somewhere. A radioactive spider bite. A science experiment gone awry. I got mine from a surfing accident in Tofino. The ultimate wipeout. I woke up with the most powerful mind on the planet, but a body like a wet paper bag. . . .”

Meet Westlake Soul, a twenty-three-year-old former surfing champion. A loving son and brother. But if you think he’s just a r...more Disclosure: I received a free eGalley eBook ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: “All superheroes get their powers from somewhere. A radioactive spider bite. A science experiment gone awry. I got mine from a surfing accident in Tofino. The ultimate wipeout. I woke up with the most powerful mind on the planet, but a body like a wet paper bag. . . .”

Meet Westlake Soul, a twenty-three-year-old former surfing champion. A loving son and brother. But if you think he’s just a regular dude, think again; Westlake is in a permanent vegetative state. He can’t move, has no response to stimuli, and can only communicate with Hub, the faithful family dog. And like all superheroes, Westlake has an archenemy: Dr. Quietus—a nightmarish embodiment of Death itself.

Westlake dreams of a normal life—of surfing and loving again. But time is running out; Dr. Quietus is getting closer, and stronger. Can Westlake use his superbrain to recover . . . to slip his enemy’s cold embrace before it’s too late?

My Thoughts: This was such a cool idea – a superhero who is basically unable to do anything. I figured the entire story would be taking place in his brain, and thought that would be pretty neat. What I didn’t expect was that it would be so incredibly funny – the scene with the gold finch? Priceless! Westlake has a bad situation, and he’s fairly bitter, but he manages to keep a humorous perspective on it. At least for the first quarter or so of the book – things get a bit more serious after that. But it is well-done and not overly morose. However, it gets into the end-of-life issue – euthanasia, to be blunt. And makes you think – are people who seem to be gone really gone? Maybe they just can’t communicate? Ever heard of locked-in syndrome? Can’t move, can’t talk, seem to be gone – but in reality, that person is completely awake, aware, and feels every indignity, hears every word spoken in his or her vicinity, understands everything. Just can’t get out. Can you imagine that? shudders

Chapter 17 was so beautiful, so sad - I read it with tears in my eyes. And 21? Wow, so heart-breaking. I didn’t know if I could keep reading, ‘cause I’m just not good with heavy emotions like that. I tend toward being depressive, so it’s not usually a good thing for me to read things that will make me sad. But I kept thinking, maybe …. maybe …. and on I went. Fortunately those chapters alternate with chapters that made me angry, about a real jerk named Wayne. Man, I was hoping he would die painfully! You’ll probably feel the same way, or maybe not. I did grow up watching violent movies, you know!

Well, I’ve given you more information about the story than I probably should have, but it was amazing, heart-breaking, breath-taking... difficult to read, but definitely worth it. Highly recommended. Book available 4/12/12 from ChiZine Publications.(less)

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Sep 29, 2012 Midnyte Reader rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: speculative-fiction

Westlake Soul is part supernatural, part spiritual, heartbreaking and uplifting. I have said in past reviews of Youers’s work that he writes like no one else I ever encountered. The way he puts words and phrases together are poetic. “Pink sunshine.” Did you ever think of that? Did you ever think of “Secrets and Sins. Love and pain.” As “So many colors?” Breathtaking. The author brings that to the reader, songs in prose, strung by simple words. But it’s the way they are designed that made me feel...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Christina Boulard rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sometimes--it happens very rarely--but sometimes you are privileged enough to read a book that touches your soul.
A book that makes you feel blessed to have experienced it. A book that makes you look at life in a completely different way.
Westlake Soul is one of these books.

Westlake Soul is the story of a man--named Westlake Soul--trapped in his own mind.

After a surfing accident, Westlake's brain suffers too much trauma. He goes into a permanant vegetative state.
Unknown to his loved ones, Westlake...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Rick Glosson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Okay, so I was gripped by this book, wanting to see what happened next. But after finishing the book, I wasn't wowed by the end, wasn't in love with the characters, and left with a longing for what the book could have been. I enjoyed the pop culture references, and there were nice moments in the prose, but I found it hard to believe someone who 'flipped the iceberg' was no deeper than Westlake Soul.

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Oct 30, 2012 Kristin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Oh man. This book made me laugh and cry, and think long and hard about the state of life and love. A horror-loving friend recommended it, and I went into it with no real expectations. It makes me think long and hard about euthanasia and folks stuck in a vegetative state, that's for sure. The writing was perfect--it vanished and let the story take over. This was a damn fine book.

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May 21, 2012 Kathyred rated it 3 of 5 stars

Surfer dude has an accident and goes into a persistent vegetative state. Surferisms will appeal to hipsters, but the concept that someone's self lives on when brain scans show only mush seemed overly sentimental wishful thinking. And though the language is designed to appeal to those who aren't big readers, the lack of a fast plot will drag them down.

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Apr 11, 2012 Lauren Smith rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-review-copy, ebook, science-fiction, fantasy

Westlake Soul is an ambitious project for a writer – a novel about a person who is unable to move or speak. It’s written in first person, from Westlake’s perspective, so the entire story rests on his fragile shoulders. The challenge, I’d say, is to make something interesting out of this limited position. I have to say kudos to author Rio Youers, because for the most part, I think he did a good job.

Read the full review on my blog Violin in a Void

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Jan 29, 2013 Michael Stewart rated it 4 of 5 stars

I immensely enjoyed the writing and the concept. I found it entirely compelling as a ... short story, novella perhaps. I lost interest halfway through and just wanted to scan to the end to ensure it ended how I suspected it would. It did.

Loved the voice, concept, artistry.

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Aug 20, 2012 Shelley Glassman rated it 5 of 5 stars

I know this is in the horror genre, and in it's own way is horrible, but I loved it because it was incredibly thought-provoking and made me question some of my assumptions. Beautifully written as well!

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Feb 09, 2013 Scott Goudsward rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read this book based on a rec I saw on Facebook. The book is just an amazing story. I can't recommend this book enough, its brilliant.

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Mar 07, 2013 Ray Wallace rated it 5 of 5 stars

Just tore through WESTLAKE SOUL in two sittings. Great idea. Great characters. Great writing. Read this book!

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Feb 27, 2013 Cate Gardner rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm officially listing this as one of my favourite all-time books. Heartbreaking, funny and brilliant.

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Jun 04, 2012 Robert rated it 5 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed this novel a lot. Put me in mind of THE LOVELY BONES for some reason, but this is completely different. A must-read.

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