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Finny

by Justin Kramon (Goodreads Author)

3.53 of 5 stars 3.53 · rating details · 534 ratings · 149 reviews

Justin Kramon’s debut novel, Finny, is a sweeping, enchanting voyage, an insightful story about a young woman’s complicated path to adulthood.

We meet Finny Short as an observant, defiant fourteen-year-old who can’t make sense of her family’s unusual habits: Her mother offers guidance appropriate for a forty-year-old socialite; her father quotes Nietzsche over pancakes. Fin...more

Paperback, 366 pages

Published July 13th 2010 by Random House Trade Paperbacks (first published 2010)

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Aug 24, 2010 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

From My book review blog (Rundpinne):[return]Through bizarre circumstances, eccentric characters, and extraordinary events lies an undercurrent of deep sadness in Justin Kramon’s debut novel Finny. The novel chronicles Finny Short’s life beginning at age 14, and for the next 20 years, the story is told in a straightforward manner and the reader may easily be taken aback at first by Finny. Finny is not an average 14 year old and the events surrounding her life are anything but dull. I will admit...more

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Apr 28, 2010 Kristen rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, first-reads

I'm done. No, I didn't finish the book but I'm done all the same. I just keep looking over at my nightstand with my nearly neglected Nabokov, that history book I've been reading for months now and my Maugham I mean to start momentarily and I keep thinking 'why am I forcing myself to read this?' So I'm not. I'm done. Sorry Mr. Kramon but your book is just too poorly written to continue with and as much as I'd like to help a new author like yourself, I can't in good conscience give you that extra...more I'm done. No, I didn't finish the book but I'm done all the same. I just keep looking over at my nightstand with my nearly neglected Nabokov, that history book I've been reading for months now and my Maugham I mean to start momentarily and I keep thinking 'why am I forcing myself to read this?' So I'm not. I'm done. Sorry Mr. Kramon but your book is just too poorly written to continue with and as much as I'd like to help a new author like yourself, I can't in good conscience give you that extra star I may have promised you.
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I'm well over half way through and I suppose I'll finish it up in the next day or two. The author is a decent storyteller but somehow an awful writer. This book feels like a rough draft, it might contain the heart of a good story but the whole thing needs a rewrite from top to bottom. The fact that I'm interested enough even to finish it might just win this book an extra star in the end, for a grand total of two. Plus I feel like I'm supposed to be extra generous because the book was free and it is this guy's first book, I mean, he's trying, poor fellow . . . an A of effort I say . . . well perhaps not an A, but a C+ for effort, all the same.

Also I think I'll delete and rewrite this entire review once I've completed the book. I noticed my review is now the very first one on GRs and imagine going to all the trouble of writing a book just to have some asshole like me trashing it and then going on about weed and other stupid shit.

Oh, and I guess that character is not a midget, I'm sort of disappointed, maybe he should be, that would jazz the story up a bit, I think.
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Started on this the other day when I came home so stoned I couldn't even mange Martin Amis. Since that is the only way this book is remotely tolerable, my plan is to only read it when I'm high . . . which shouldn't be a problem since I'm stoned more often than Muslim women.

The writing is just horrendous. You see each plot twist coming from a mile away. I'm still not sure if the main character's love interest is a midget. The book is written as if the main character were 8 years old, but apparently she's 15. The chapters are only 3 to 4 pages long and yet the author for some reason titled each one, which is weird. I'm not even sure who the audience of this book is supposed to be, I would guess young-adults but then why the lesbian undertones and references to masturbating with vegetables? Perhaps that's common in today's YA fiction, I wouldn't know.

I feel pretty bad writing such harsh criticism because (unlike every other book review I've written) I'm afraid the author might read this and I don't want to hurt his feelings. So, sorry Mr. Kramon, I'm sure you're a nice person . . . and if it's any consolation, you're certainly a better writer than me.

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I was so determined to get a first-reads book that I must have entered to win at least 100 books in two days and man was I excited when I received an email saying that I had won this book. Then I looked the book up on Amazon and read the first chapter and was far less excited. I just received the book today and it's pretty awful. I'm not sure why I would have tried to win it, maybe I liked the picture on the cover, I don't know. I don't know why I do most of the things that I do.

I'll try to read it with an open mind because goodreads says I should write a review or my chances of winning in the future will decrease. Does this count as a review I wonder? (less)

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Nov 20, 2010 Robin rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was selected for one of the real-life book clubs I'm in and the author is coming to talk to us as a group - always great to meet other authors and hear what went into their writing etc.

I wish Good Reads would allow partial stars - I would definitely give this a 3.5 or maybe even a 3.75 - but I'm a "tough critic". 4's are hard for me to pass out and 5's almost unheard of - so take that into consideration - a 3 on this site means "I liked it" and I did.

My biggest problem was I had a hard tim...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Lora rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Lora by: Amy

Shelves: fiction

What a lovely little book! There's not a lot of major plot here: we meet and follow Finny Short through her childhood and teenage years and watch as she grows into her 30s. The people around her are regular people. She has a great deal of heartache, but is generally a kindhearted, serious person who pulls no punches and has a sassy wit about her.

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Oct 04, 2010 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely adore this book. It's so beautifully written and is such a lovely story. I fell in love with every character and all of the attention to detail. I didn't want Finny's story to end! I highly recommend this book. Simply wonderful.

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May 05, 2011 Pam rated it 5 of 5 stars

http://iwriteinbooks.wordpress.com/20...

To summarize Finny like any other book, would be to cheat it of so much of the praise and depth it deserves. In short, it is an epic telling of friends and family, through several decades, as each discover loss and love and longing.

Our heroine, Delphine Short, or Finny for, um, short, is hands down, one of my favorite written characters in my history of reading books. Perhaps it isn’t her, at all, but, rather, the other people painted around her that build...more

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Feb 06, 2011 Chocolate & Croissants rated it 4 of 5 stars

Finny is a book that I both loved and at times was bothered by. We are introduced to Finny as an adolescent who just cannot fit in. At home she has problems with her mother who has expectations as to how a young woman should behave. When her parents discover her "crush" with Earl Finny is sent off to boarding school where she rooms with Judith, who always seems to know what to do in every situation. For as innocent as Finny is Judith is mature. I loved the coming of age aspect of the book as we...more

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Sep 09, 2010 April rated it 5 of 5 stars

Justin Kramon delivers an amazing and all-encompassing story in Finny.

One of the things that I noticed, from the first sentence, was the delightful prose and smooth writing style of the author. The main character of Finny is a delightfully engaging and a marvelously captivating character that readers will easily and quickly be drawn to. This is the story of a young girl, Finny, who is a bit of a misfit, especially within her family's world. Not obsessed with social presence like her mother, nor...more Justin Kramon delivers an amazing and all-encompassing story in Finny.

One of the things that I noticed, from the first sentence, was the delightful prose and smooth writing style of the author. The main character of Finny is a delightfully engaging and a marvelously captivating character that readers will easily and quickly be drawn to. This is the story of a young girl, Finny, who is a bit of a misfit, especially within her family's world. Not obsessed with social presence like her mother, nor having a deep seeded desire to constantly quote "great men" like her father, Finny is her own person. She is unsure of where she fits in in the world and feels a bit like an outcast.

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Finny spent the afternoon in her bedroom, trying not to cry, then giving herself over to it in short, maudlin bursts. She stuffed her face into her pillow and howled, shook with tears. The thought of it, of how she looked, made her sick. If one of her parents or her brother had walked in during these brief concessions to grief, Finny probably would have hopped out the window, or pretended she was trying to suffocate herself. Anything to not be seen like this, so vulnerable, so compromised. She thought of herself like the white birch tree in her parents' yard, which grew far away from all the other trees because it would wither in their shade. On its own, though, it flourished. She wanted to be like that, so odd and lonely and strong.

She thought of things she could do to get them. She could stick a knife in her shirt and spill some ketchup on it, so it would look like she'd stabbed herself. Or she could take one of her mom's earrings and hide it and pretend Raskal ate it. Or stick pictures of women inside her dad's great men books. But all these ideas seemed silly, a little clumsy. She could see them shaking their heads at her, like she'd tripped over her shoelace, or accidentally put her underwear on over her pants. She was hopeless, they'd think, a bum toaster or a wobbly table, something they'd just have to live with because they'd already shelled out the cash.

So she did the only thing that made sense to her. She ran away.

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*The above is an excerpt taken from page 13. It is also one of my favorite scenes from the story, simply because it seems to describe Finny's innermost torment and it is so thought provokingly written, in my opinion.

Then one evening after deciding to run away from home, she meets a very unique boy, Earl. Earl and his father are like no other people Finny has met and she feels a wonderful bond with them. It is shortly after this that her parents discover Finny has been seeing this boy and has even shared a kiss with him. Enraged, they send her to boarding school in Boston, hoping to put an end to this "silliness" that Finny has so far made of her life. What her parents had not planned on, however, was Finny's roommate, Judith Turngate, who is not only a New York heiress, but also an incredibly mischievous girl. The girls become quick friends and life is never quite the same for Finny.

The novel Finny follows this lovely and quirky young girl through her early years. Beginning with the tumultuous tween years, on to college and then into early adulthood, the reader is truly able to develop a bond with Finny. With laughter and twinges of the heart, the reader will fall in love with the characters and follow along with Finny as she figures out just who she is and her place in the world. I truly loved this story and applaud Justin Kramon for his amazing talent, which shines through in this debut novel. I honestly feel that his is a talent to keep a very close eye on, as he is sure to become one of those author's names that thousands will quickly recognize.

Finny by Justin Kramon has quickly found a place in my heart and is at the top of my favorite books of 2010. I enthusiastically encourage everyone to pick up a copy and delve into the life of Finny.
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Aug 27, 2010 Janice rated it 5 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed this authors debut book. Here's a small sampling that I particulary enjoyed:
"...Mr. Haberdasher let loose a gigantic sneeze that echoed in the small room. Holy Chirst! Mrs. Haberdasher yelled, and jumped away from her husband, much more dexterously than you would expect a woman with a cane to jump. .....Mrs. H. was unable to finish the sentence, though, because her nose began to twictch. She rubbed her finger againt it, but it was of no use, and very soon she let out a sneeze tha...more

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Aug 16, 2010 Lydia Presley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, coming-of-age, fiction

FINNY is the story of Finny Short - an unfortunate name for a girl who has quite the unfortunate life, all told.

At first I thought this was going to be a coming-of-age story. The first section of the book had all of the markings of it. Young girl in a strange family, boy next door (who I got the impression was some kind of a dwarf? but he wasn't or something - still confused on that). Each family member had their own little quirks, their ways of being different.

Then young Finny gets sent off to...more

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Sep 15, 2010 Crystal rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, read-sep-2010

Why I read this: I was offered this book through TLC Tours and when I read the description I knew I wanted to read it and be a part of the tour.

How is the novel driven: Character - the character of Finny is front and center in this book with secondary roles of Earl, and her friend Judith.

My thoughts: I was captured in the first few pages and transported to Finny's world, which was much like any other teenager's world when the book beigns. But what captivated me so was Finny herself and her way o...more

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May 06, 2010 Chandra rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a wonderful book! I rarely find myself engrossed in a book from beginning to end, so this was a special treat for me. Unfortunately, it also kept me up a few nights--wanting to read just one more chapter. I finished it last week and have been telling all the members of my reading group about it and someone suggested that I write a review.

A friend gave me this advanced copy to read. I have to admit that I was a little hesitant to read it at first, even though she had nothing but positive thi...more

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May 19, 2010 Diane rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this book. I found myself smiling and thinking "WOW! What a great sentence!" many times. The author had me crying and then laughing on the same page. I love that!

Finny (short for Delphine) Short is 14 when we first meet her. She lives with her father who loves to spout quotes from notable people, her mother and brother. One day, she meets a boy. Earl lives in a small brown house up the road. They take a walk and fall in love -- a love that spans a number of years (we're not quite...more

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Jul 15, 2010 Kari rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's a really good and rare thing when you read the teaser of a book and think, "This will be amazing!" and then it actually lives up to the hype in your head and actually is amazing. That's what happened with Justin Kramon's debut novel, Finny.

Delphine "Finny" Short is a quirky, smart-alecky fourteen-year-old. And when I read in the teaser paragraph that this novel was going to follow this precocious character for twenty years of her life as she meets all kinds of eccentric, interesting charact...more It's a really good and rare thing when you read the teaser of a book and think, "This will be amazing!" and then it actually lives up to the hype in your head and actually is amazing. That's what happened with Justin Kramon's debut novel, Finny.

Delphine "Finny" Short is a quirky, smart-alecky fourteen-year-old. And when I read in the teaser paragraph that this novel was going to follow this precocious character for twenty years of her life as she meets all kinds of eccentric, interesting characters, I said, "Ooooh, yes please!" because I love novels that follow a long period in a character's life. As a teen, Finny gets a kick out of inciting a rise from her parents—a father who constantly quotes philosophers, writers, artists, and various other "Great Men," and a mother who is super concerned with the public image of the Short family.

One day, Finny "runs away" but doesn't get very far because she meets Earl, a boy who kind of ends up being a catalyst to the rest of Finny's story. Once she meets Earl and his narcoleptic musician father, one event leads to another, introducing Finny to some interesting people and taking her far outside her rural Pennsylvanian town.

When you start reading a book that has just such an awesome premise and completely lovable, imperfect characters, you want to keep reading it forever. My go-to book with this description is Keith Maillard's Gloria, a little-known masterpiece about a young woman navigating college and convention in the 1950s. And I love love love that book because it doesn't matter what Gloria does—I still love her and sympathize with her and want to follow this character's story until the day she dies. And Finny was kinda like this for me.

To make a great novel, though, there needs to be more than just an intriguing main character. Beyond this person, there needs to be a world that keeps both the character active, growing, and developing and keeps the reader entertained. The author built that for Finny, because as her world expanded, so did the reader's. As Finny began boarding school and met her germaphobe dorm mother, Poplan, and her New York riche roommate, Judith, there was suddenly so much more potential to the story. Not that there wasn't before—I just mean that as Kramon added characters and relationships, it just added layer upon layer of potential in the direction that Finny's life would take. And as I'm already sucked into her world as she's experiencing and questioning and developing as a person, that's exactly what I want as a reader—to have no idea where this character is going to end up, but to love the journey so much that I don't really care.

Kramon writes with purpose. From the succinct chapter titles that resemble elementary Reader titles ("Finny Meets a Boy", "A Trip to the Principal's Office") to his poetic descriptions of inconsiderable emotions and moments, Kramon writes to paint a whole picture, to have you react to each supporting character as much as to Finny—good or bad, as long as you care. You get the impression from Kramon's lovely descriptions that he really cares about this character he has created. And even if you don't want it to end, or know how it will end, or, really, care how it all ends, you trust that he'll let Finny end up okay.(less)

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Sep 19, 2010 Joanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book so much that I just worry that my review will not do it any justice. Justin Kramon did such a wonderful job of showing us the life of young Finny and what I appreciated the most is that it wasn't a perfect life. Finny had a pretty good life even though she made mistakes along the way, but I've always been a firm believer in how our mistakes can make us into stronger individuals. I could definitely see the strength in Finny's character within this book.

Finny is introduced to us...more I loved this book so much that I just worry that my review will not do it any justice. Justin Kramon did such a wonderful job of showing us the life of young Finny and what I appreciated the most is that it wasn't a perfect life. Finny had a pretty good life even though she made mistakes along the way, but I've always been a firm believer in how our mistakes can make us into stronger individuals. I could definitely see the strength in Finny's character within this book.

Finny is introduced to us as a young girl that is full of spunk and ready to conquer the world. She really didn't appreciate the family she had at that age, let's face it, how many of us really do, so when she ran into Earl one day she found herself opening up to both him and his single father. She loved visiting with the Henckel family, watching their little quirks and oddities and listening to Mr. Henckel play the most beautiful piano music she had ever heard. Little did she know that she was setting a foundation for a lifetime relationship with Earl that would be the most important and the most difficult that she would ever have.

Early on in their lives, Earl and Finny are separated by circumstances. Finny is sent to boarding school at one point and then Earl moves to France to live with his mom. One would think this relationship is doomed but they really tried to make things work by visiting each other, telephone calls and letters. As they both have errors in judgement with their relationships as they find themselves growing into adults and making mistakes that may not be forgiven.

I felt that a window was created for me to watch the various stages of Finny's life. After high school and college she struggled with her career choices and relationships. Not only her relationship with men, but also the women that she has befriended throughout her life, from boarding school through her college years. The friendships were not perfect either, which made the element of truth just that much more real to me.

The writing in this novel flowed so beautifully for me that I can tell you I didn't want to put it down at night. The emotions that it evoked within me were amazing also-one night I was in stitches laughing, while the next evening I was in tears. It was a book that saddened me as I was turning the last page because I really did not want to say goodbye to Finny and I still feel a bit of an emptiness now as I am writing this review. With themes of love, endurance, family, and true friendship this book really has something in it for everyone. I am thrilled that this is Justin Kramon's first novel because now I can't wait for what may come next. If you can't tell, I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!(less)

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Apr 16, 2010 BookMarc rated it 5 of 5 stars

There are times I read a novel and muse upon whether I should try and become an author myself as what was served up to me as sure fire literary goodness turned out to be yesterdays leftovers. Then there are times that I just have to hold my hands up in submission and face the fact that I could never write a novel as wonderful as the one I just digested. 'Finny' falls into the latter category and is an absolute treat that will leave your literary craving well and truly satisfied.
I have to admit t...more

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Dec 03, 2010 Kirsten rated it 4 of 5 stars

In general, I liked this book, but I do think it has issues. The central cast of the characters are interesting and (mostly) charming, and I liked them, but the rest of the characters are bizarre bundles of aggressive in-your-face quirkiness, in a very unpalatable way (funeral home scene, I'm looking at you. Or Prince's sister.). The book rambles and meanders a bit - I can't decide if that's supposed to be a slice-of-life this-is-how-the-real-world-is thing, or if it's just unfocused and needs a...more

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Aug 06, 2010 Tiffany rated it 5 of 5 stars

this book is my favorite type of novel: a coming of age story with characters that simultaneously drive you to keep reading the book because you're THAT involved in their lives... and make you sad when the book ends because you feel like you're leaving behind good friends. yes, it's THAT amazing. i loved finny short and the collection of quirky and wonderful people in her life. there is a depth and beauty in the story that is surprising given how funny much of the book is AND how read-able it is...more

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Apr 27, 2010 Jill rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

The thing that I like best about reading fiction is that it transports me away from reality - things are sharper, clearer, more colorful, and definitely more meaningful than real life. The more chances I get to experience different lives, the better, which is why I appreciated getting this advance copy from the publisher.

Unfortunately, Kramon tells a story that could have happened to any of us, and he tells it in a way that is not terribly original. The thing that sets it apart from being boring...more

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Apr 19, 2010 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, read-2010

I won this book through the first-reads program. Now that I've read it, I can truly say that I was pleasantly surprised and am honored to be among the few chosen to read an advanced copy. The characters were quirky and likeable, and the depth of insight that this first-time MALE author has into female relationships and feelings is shocking. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and it was much to my dismay that I had to put it down and read it in a few sittings.

The only negative thing I have t...more

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May 31, 2011 Andrea Homier rated it 3 of 5 stars

We recently discussed this book in my book group, and someone reminded me of how much the young Finny resembled Ramona in the famed Ramona and Beezus series. There are some really funny, laugh-out-loud moments in the first section of the book, and it's my favorite section. As she matures in the next two sections of the novel, Finny meets a lot of fascinating characters who contribute to her coming of age. I couldn't always follow the impact they made on Finny's psychological growth or the corres...more

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May 03, 2010 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Finny is a wonderful novel about a young girl named Finny Short. We first meet her as a smart-alecky 14 year old. She has a pretty typical life with an overbearing mother who is obsessed with manners and what other people think and a father who doesn't talk as much as he walks around spouting off not-so-famous quotes. Overall, she seems pretty bored with her life.

Then she meets some neighbors Earl Henckel and and his eccentric father, a piano teacher. She and Earl fall in love and she spends mo...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Kokko rated it 5 of 5 stars

I finished reading this book two weeks ago and I absolutely loved it. Finny is classified by most as fiction literature for adults when, in my opinion it was unintentionally made for teens. As I read the comments below, I noticed a trend in which the older audiences of readers found this book boring because of its lack of a "good plot". The light-heartedness of reading Finny was exactly why I loved it. Finny engrosses its readers to participate in her realistic messed-up life as a temporary, exc...more

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Feb 13, 2011 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

It's nearly 4am on my third day of reading "Finny" and I LOVED IT! Funniest and most colorful cast of characters I've seen in a book in a really long time. It was captivating enough to keep this socialite in on a Saturday night and it's not even something I'd typically read - impressive. Even more impressive is it's Justin Kramon's first book and it's hands down, my favorite book of 2010 and 2011 so far. Justin, thank your cover artist because had it not been for the feathers on that bright yell...more

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Jan 23, 2011 Rosanne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Finny is a lovely, light and easy story that was fun to read. Finny Short is a young woman who has some fresh ideas, at least for her family. Raised by a father who is quite intelligent and a submissive mother, she runs away from home one day to a not too distant field where she meets Earl. The novel is a "telling" of the Finny and Earl story. They move away; they grow apart' they meet often; they never really say a final good-bye. It doesn't take much imagination to know the ending of the Finny...more

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Aug 26, 2010 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Jessica by: Trish

Shelves: review-copy

We first meet Finny as a pert 14-year-old who feels misunderstood by her peacemaker mother, pompous father, and people-pleaser brother, Sylvan. Running away from home one day, Finny meets Earl, whose easygoing personality and unconventional household speak to Finny. When her parents find out about her relationship with Earl, they pack her off to boarding school. We follow along as Finny grows into adulthood, as she tries to find herself, and as she interacts with Earl.

I have to be frank here and...more We first meet Finny as a pert 14-year-old who feels misunderstood by her peacemaker mother, pompous father, and people-pleaser brother, Sylvan. Running away from home one day, Finny meets Earl, whose easygoing personality and unconventional household speak to Finny. When her parents find out about her relationship with Earl, they pack her off to boarding school. We follow along as Finny grows into adulthood, as she tries to find herself, and as she interacts with Earl.

I have to be frank here and say that Finny ended up not being the right book fit for me. But it has a lot going for it. It’s a little quirky. Finny is a pretty interesting heroine. Boarding school is always a nice setting for a coming of age story. The minor characters are well-drawn and add to the story. And I really liked the sibling relationship between Finny and Sylvan.

But there’s a bit of a “but” here. I always felt removed from Finny. I don’t know if it’s the third person narration that put a space between us or what. But I never could quite feel like I understood her. Also, because this is a saga that spans twenty years, every portion of the story felt rushed to me. This is especially true of the beginning. I didn’t feel like I got to know 14-year-old Finny well enough to understand how lost (or not lost) she became in her late teens and early twenties. And I was just beginning to be interested in the boarding school portion of things when it ended. I felt similar distance from Earl. We never get to know him, except as Finny sees him, and I still can’t decide whether she was reliable in her descriptions of him. Finally, there is some random bawdiness here that seemed to detract from the story instead of add to it. And it is this bawdiness in particular that would make me reluctant to recommend this as a book club selection.

Still, I think Justin Kramon is a good writer. There is a lot of whimsy here balanced with realistic life situations. I was compelled enough by the story that I finished Finny in just a couple of days – a real feat for me these days. And the minor characters kind of stole the show in many scenes. I’ll definitely be watching for more work from Kramon.(less)

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Aug 16, 2010 Sophia Musgrave rated it 5 of 5 stars

a poignant coming of age story told from the perspective of a young girl who considers herself to be a bit of freak. We follow her from her early life until she is in her late 30s, from her first love whom she can never fully forget until it becomes a full circle. Witty and funny, realistically and with rich, vibrant language, it is a must read for the summer.
I love the quirky characters and the poignant plot, the settings are really interesting, you get a sense that you are with Finny and Earl...more

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Jul 20, 2010 Lori rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-reviewers-copy, fiction

From author

As I wandered aimlessly through the crowd at the Book Blogger Convention Reception in NYC back in May, collecting business cards and finally putting faces to the names of bloggers I had been interacting with for months, I had the pleasure of meeting Justin Kramon - debut author of Finny.

It was that sort of bumbling, awkward I-turned-around-and-he-turned-around-and-now-we-are-facing-one-another moments in the middle of the conference room, those moments that are more common than not in...more From author

As I wandered aimlessly through the crowd at the Book Blogger Convention Reception in NYC back in May, collecting business cards and finally putting faces to the names of bloggers I had been interacting with for months, I had the pleasure of meeting Justin Kramon - debut author of Finny.

It was that sort of bumbling, awkward I-turned-around-and-he-turned-around-and-now-we-are-facing-one-another moments in the middle of the conference room, those moments that are more common than not in those types of social networking scenes. Within minutes, the stilted "hi! you're an author? what did you write?" uncomfortableness transformed into a friendly "who is your favorite author? what do you think of this place?" conversation between two book lovers. Unknown to us, as we chatted away about the publishing process and release date of Finny, his near-obsessive love for John Irving, and my bookwhoredom for Jose Saramago and Cormac McCarthy, the BBCR crowd had thinned out greatly. When we parted ways, it was with a promise from him to send me a copy of his novel and from me to read it and review it for my blog.

Finny, the lead character in Kramon's novel, begins most of her interactions with people in the same bumbling, awkward way. It's an endearing, and sometimes even frustrating, quality that follows Finny throughout the entire life of the book.

When we first meet Finny, she is a painfully proud tomboy who enjoys tormenting her prim-and-proper mother and instigating her great-men-quoting father. Kramon describes her as "a tough, rascally kid...who avoided baths". In a moment of anger, Finny runs away from her family home and encounters Earl, a young man with a "mix and match body...a man's top half on a child's legs".

Here is where the story really begins. We see a change in Finny almost instantly. This fearless, aggressive young lady finds herself smitten with Earl, unable to stop thinking about him, devising ways to be able to spend time with him, and eventually they cultivate this unbreakable bond that even time cannot weaken.

Kramon's epic tale encompasses 20 years of Finny's life, in which we stumble along behind her numerous hello's and goodbye's to friends, family, and Earl. Because for Finny Short, there is only ever just Earl.

Connecting to this novel was not a hard thing to do. I lived a similar life to Finny in many ways. Having relocated 4 separate times throughout my middle and high school years, I made and lost many friends during that period of my life. Boys came and went, best friends were discovered and then discarded. But there were always a few constants, no matter where I was. Those people that are just naturally engrained into your life. Close friends that, no matter how much time passed between phone calls or visits, always remained your closest friends. Missed opportunities always had this uncanny way of reappearing, an unmistakeable second chance.

All of this can be found within the pages of Finny. It's a coming of age story that emphasizes many moments of Finny's life, weaving in and out of focus, rushing around the corners to spotlight specific turning points of her life.

Weighing in at a little over 350 pages, I found that Kramon managed to get a lot of story into such a small book. At times, perhaps due to the lower page count, there were sections of the story that felt unnecessarily rushed, though it did not take anything away from the overall novel.

As I read the book, which is told in third person omniscient, I often wondered what it would have been like to experience it in the first person - from Finny's point of view. Third person places an outside observer into a story, which can cause some of the human feelings and emotions to become diluted or lost. The narrator of the third person POV is not experiencing the story first hand, rather he is recording what is going on and filtering what he is seeing in order to pass it on to us, the reader.

Would Finny have packed a bigger punch had it been narrated in first person? Would that have turned this into the next best book for me?
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Sep 15, 2010 Rebecca Buss rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed reading this story. I won a signed copy from the author and he added a real feather which I thought was a wonderful touch and a perfect bookmark. Sometimes when I read a book or watch a movie I think to myself " oh I know exactly how this is going to end " and it usually does , but I was happy to discover that this book was not like that. I fell in love with different characters and I could see them and their little quirks being played out live in my imagination. It was fun and...more

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Oct 26, 2010 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have been sitting here trying to figure out how to write a review, when it really shouldn't be that difficult. I adored this book. It was a delightful story of a young girl who grows up to be a lovely woman. Finny has a wry sense of humor who never really fits in with her family. It's like she is the odd man out. But as she grows up, the people she meets and stays in touch with, become the family she longed for. They give her a sense of belonging and warmth. They accept her as she is.

Early on...more I have been sitting here trying to figure out how to write a review, when it really shouldn't be that difficult. I adored this book. It was a delightful story of a young girl who grows up to be a lovely woman. Finny has a wry sense of humor who never really fits in with her family. It's like she is the odd man out. But as she grows up, the people she meets and stays in touch with, become the family she longed for. They give her a sense of belonging and warmth. They accept her as she is.

Early on Finny meets the love of her life, Earl. Earl is a lonely, quiet, and sincere boy. He also doesn't quite fit in with life, and maybe that's why when he and Finny meet, they click immediately, like two kindred spirits. They find in each other someone who understands and accepts them. Finny and Earl are rather sweet together.

Finny experiences many trials and tribulations, as we all do in life, and she manages them quite well. Even when she experiences heartache and loss, she doesn't let it bring her down. She remains positive and pushes on through life. I think that's why I like her and this story so much. Finny just rolls with the punches.

The secondary characters in the book, Finny's "family", are wonderfully odd, and I loved every one of them. I especially liked Poplan who becomes a mother to Finny. As for Finny's best friend Judith, some will probably not like her, but I did. She is what she is, and I could see where she was coming from. Judith doesn't quite fit in with her life and family either. Now that I think about it, almost all of these characters don't mesh with their original families and surroundings. But by coming together and becoming friends they form a sort of misfit family that works. They all accept one another and at the end of the day, that's all that counts.

I really enjoyed reading this book and it made up for some of the less entertaining stuff I had been reading lately. It's like every other book was a stinker, and Finny reminded me how many fun books are out there waiting to be read. I will certainly be on the look out for more books from Kramon.
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About Justin Kramon

Justin Kramon is the author of the novel Finny, published by Random House in July, 2010.

A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, he has published stories in Glimmer Train, Story Quarterly, Boulevard, Fence, TriQuarterly, and others. He has received honors from the Michener-Copernicus Society of America, Best American Short Stories, the Hawthornden International Writers’ Fellowship, and the Boglia...more

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