October 13, 2014
“The Outside” has never seemed as dangerous and as magical as in the debut novel by Christie (the story collection The Beggar’s Garden) about a boy who lives confined in his home with his agoraphobic mother. Until the age of 11, Will has never set foot Outside; he spends his time indoors painting “masterpieces,” conducting Destructivity experiments, and dealing with the many deliverymen his mother fears. When a strange noise brings Will outdoors for the first time, he encounters a boy who soon disappears, sparking Will’s curiosity about not only the boy’s whereabouts but also the Outside world in general. Against his mother’s wishes, he starts attending school, making friends, and picking up skateboarding. Alternating chapters between Will’s increasingly daring adventures Outside and his mother’s increasing reclusiveness hint at his mother’s past and the source of her condition. While the mysterious family backstory at times distracts from the delightful simplicity of Will’s misadventures, the boy’s raw but clever commentary brims with a fierce poignancy that makes the book very difficult to put down. Agent: Bill Clegg, Clegg Agency.
August 1, 2014
Christie, whose debut collection won the City of Vancouver Book Award, makes his first U.S. appearance with a coming-of-age debut novel. The former professional skateboarder's young hero, long confined to home by an agoraphobic mother, finds his way in the world by making a friend who teaches him to skate.
Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
December 1, 2014
Will Cardiel and his mother are shut-ins, staying inside their house in a rural lakeside town in Canada because his mother has Will convinced that the outside world is fatally dangerous. One day, however, curiosity overcomes him, and he ventures out and meets another boy. Their brief encounter leads him to further exploration and interaction with other children, but the boy he first met has vanished. Prying himself further from his mother's grip, Will enrolls in school and slowly tries to make sense of other human beings and the world, even as his mother's tragic story is gradually revealed, Will's search for his missing friend results in him meeting another boy, with whom he takes up skateboarding (debut novelist Christie was a professional skateboarder), and together they begin to uncover the dark side of the town. In the meantime, Will bravely pursues clues to his first friend's disappearance despite threats from some local thugs, and his mother may actually have to leave the house to save him. VERDICT While vividly and imaginatively depicting the claustrophobic lifestyle of Will and his mother, this novel is somewhat of a slow starter. But with its many mysteries, it gathers momentum as it moves toward an exciting climax. [See Prepub Alert, 7/14/14.]--James Coan, SUNY at Oneonta Lib.
Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.