Lynch's Shadow Boxer (1993) and Iceman can easily be labeled as coming-of-age novels. Such categorizing isn't quite as accurate for his latest, which has the distinct feel of adult fiction. Although filtered, in part, through the eyes of a young, retarded boy, Davey (2 years old at the outset and 12 at the close), the book is much more than a growing-up story. In fact, it's the wrangling within Davey's dysfunctional family, particularly between his needy, irresponsible mother, Lois, and his angry sister, Joanne, that holds readers fast. Davey, alternately loved and emotionally abused, is simply caught between the woman and the girl, a catalyst and an observer of their vitriolic relationship. That his mother and sister actually love him in their odd, selfish ways helps Davey develop an innate sense of the way things ought to be for his baby nephew, Dennis. His devotion to the child, whom he loves like nobody ever loved babies before, is his way of speaking out against his own dreadful home life. Many questions go unanswered in the story, the plot is episodic, awkwardly so at times, and Davey's occasional stream-of-consciousness interjections seem forced. Yet the characters are finely drawn, and Lynch creates some fascinating parallels between Lois and Joanne who at the outset, seem so different. The depiction of Davey's surroundings is harsh and hauntingly realistic (casual sex, alcohol abuse, and street language are givens); loneliness and frustration seem, at first glance, the only things people can count on. It's Davey's surprising, artless ability to rise above it all and keep on going that proves first impressions wrong. (Reviewed October 1, 1994)

A well-intentioned boy with unspecified mental limitations, Davey tries to keep his promiscuous mother afloat, help his older sister care for her baby, and make his father stay at home. Alternating with chapters in the third person, the twelve-year-old's naive narrative belies his wisdom and capacity to help his family. Though his character is sometimes hard to believe, Davey's narration brings his family to life.

Slow-witted, 12-year-old Davey lived with his neglectful and sometimes abusive mother, Lois, and his older sister, Joanne, until Joanne moved out at 17 to get married. She was pregnant at the time, and now Davey baby-sits for her son, Dennis, as Joanne follows in her mother's footsteps. Davey narrates the present, while alternating chapters fill in events from the past about Davey's and Joanne's childhood; how Joanne became Davey's surrogate mother (she was seven, he was two); how she eventually gave up trying to raise him and keep house and joined a gang; how she finally became what she most hated—her mother. Gypsy Davey—as he is nicknamed by his only friend, a drug dealer who is later killed by a rival—finds solace in riding his bike, caring for his nephew, and the occasional visits of his absentee father. But Lynch's (Iceman, p. 146, etc.) story is less about Davey than about the two women in his life and their struggle against each other and themselves. Ultimately, they both lose, and it is Davey who suffers. A grim and penetrating look at the cycle of abuse. (Fiction. 12+)"

Lynch describes in unflinching detail a squalid, urban scene,"""" said PW, calling this novel """"meticulously crafted, its prose evocative and lyrical--and almost excruciating to read."""" Ages 12-up. (Oct.) r

Gr 9 Up-Spanning the first 12 years of Davey's life, this book skillfully portrays the subject of childhood neglect and deprivation. Relegated to the care of his older sister, Davey spends hours in front of the television or riding aimlessly through the city on the mountain bike given to him by his deadbeat dad. Occasionally he accompanies his sister to the porch hangout of her dope-smoking friends or is dumped at a bar by his mom, where he is left in the charge of the bartender. Davey lives on macaroni and cheese and he rarely talks. His only friend (if you can call him that) is a local drug dealer who nicknames him Gypsy Davey. One day the friend is gone from the street with only the chalk outline of his dead body left. To complete this depressing cycle, Davey, before he is a teenager, becomes the caretaker of his sister's new baby. The characters are well drawn and elicit readers' concern. The dialogue crackles with realism including sporadic profanities. But the masterful prose is often overwhelmed by the brutal reality and the gloomy hopelessness of Davey's situation. Unlike his acclaimed novel, Shadow Boxer (HarperCollins, 1993), Lynch here gives us little to cheer about. Davey's father does return, but just for the warm months. And the rainbow in this story is found in an oily puddle of rainwater along the street gutter. In terms of literary quality, this work is outstanding. The book would inspire serious discussions in English classes, and, particularly with the guidance of a good teacher, will give worthwhile insights into parenting and family issues.-Tim Rausch, Crescent View Middle School, Sandy, UT