Avery Colt is a Snake, a Thief, a Liar

by Ron A. Austin

Austin’s semi-autobiographical, linked story collection follows the misadventures of Avery Colt as he struggles to survive in North St. Louis alongside his family. Learning the best way to slaughter a goat, rebuilding his family’s corner market, and reckoning the weight of a revolver are a few of the challenges Avery faces. As he matures through each page, Avery takes control of his circumstances and attempts dangerous feats of alchemy. Charged with urgency and emotion, Austin’s prose faithfully renders a community determined to overcome crisis with strength, dark humor, and plenty of heart.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

172 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2019

Reviews

[Brigitte]

The stories of Avery are as much a microcosmic look into North St. Louis, of the grieving, survival, and continued perseverance of the area. The book redefines tenderness and triumph, forces us to stay with Avery no matter how uncomfortable the experience, and we stick around because there’s an origin story of sorts happening. We end on a series of clicks and we won’t see what it comes to, but there’s a hopeful note in the continued action—knowing that the click is still echoing as something in Avery shifts each time.

[Morgan Brown]

Every story in this collection is equally strong. The prose is crisp, the narrative is compelling, the characters are well-defined. Austin’s writing is tinged with a dark humor that, though much of the book is from a young boy’s perspective, handles complicated and often grim realities with the perfect balance of honesty and sensitivity. No complaints.

[Hannah]

First: amazing title and cover art. I guess you're not supposed to judge books by their covers, but that's what I did, and it worked. Avery Colt is an introspective, sort of nerdy kid trying to meet the conflicting expectations of the adults around him, a task that seems basically impossible. His stories are woven together with the stories of his family and neighbors to create a vibrant portrait of a St. Louis neighborhood. The author's writing style is rich in detail without feeling over-written. I wondered if the order of chapters was changed at some point, because there are some references to an event that had already been described, in a way that felt like something was out of order.

The ending took me completely by surprise and revealed new layers of meaning. The questions I'm left with are: What happens when others stake claim to what was always yours? Does the identity of those others affect the meaning of their claim? I can't wait to read what Ron Austin writes next.

[Joe Sacksteder]

Great voice, makes me a believer in the novel-in-stories again. And what an ambiguous final story and chilling final paragraph—leaves the whole book open to readers so it can continue operating on our minds and hearts. I love how Austin often deploys a rigid syntactic parallelism, the simplicity of which is counterbalanced by the wildness of myth and hyperbole-infused imaginative flights. I'll be recommending this book to everyone.

[Isabel]

This is a compelling collection of stories set in North St. Louis. Austin provides a glimpse into a world where respected neighbors creep out to buy crack during a violent storm, where physical violence is a daily threat or occurrence, and where many are struggling to pull themselves out of poverty. It’s also about the bonds of family and a protagonist who doesn’t really fit and is trying to find his place. The characters are rich and the writing is excellent. If you are offended by bad language, this book is not for you. If you are interested in reading about a life different than your own, I definitely recommend.

[Luke Rolfes]

Wonderfully written, engaging, and sometimes harrowing. These characters and stories stuck with me for a long, long time.

[Cheri Johnson]

Any time anyone has asked me in the last two years for fiction recommendations, I've told them about this book. I loved everything about it: the setting/world, which felt like nothing I'd ever seen in fiction before; the incredibly engaging narrator; the drama and fear and humor and the cast of captivating characters. And the illustrations! I loved the illustrations. Reading this book felt like American fiction being expanded and changed right before my eyes. I highly recommend it.

[Valerie]

This book is set in North St. Louis. If you are from St. Louis you will smile broadly at the characters and location and appreciate the keen insight that Austin brings to his work. The description is elevated and puts you right in scene complete with smells, taste, touch, and hearing. Parts of this book are ridiculously funny. I could barely get the words out when I read the passage out loud to my kids and husband because I was laughing so hard that I teared up.