The Year of the Storm by John Mantooth

I really dug John’s debut short story collection, Shoebox Trainwreck (what a title, eh?), which mixed horror, noir, and southern gothic, featuring the kind of real, down-and-out characters you could find in  Donald Ray Pollock or Daniel Woodrell story. His first novel does the same juggling act with genre and I’m happy to report, is as successful.

(cue my official blurb)

Weaving together elements of the Southern Gothic tradition, mystery/crime, and dark fantasy, The Year of the Storm is ultimately a powerful coming of age story that bravely doesn’t gloss over the warts and pain of growing up poor in rural Alabama, nor does it shy away from wanting to believe in magic. Mantooth had me believing in Danny from the very first line of page one. The Year of the Storm is storytelling at its finest.