This is a very short book written by Pete Wentz, the bassist for the band Fall Out Boy. He explains in the prologue that as a child he had a horrifying reoccurring dream that inspired this book. I was interested in reading this not only because I love Pete Wentz and Fall Out Boy, but also because the premise of it sounded very intriguing.
In short, I loved this little book. I read it in one sitting (which is quite easy to do), and once I was finished, I had to just sit there for a moment to think. The writing is captivating and beautiful, and, though it is prose, the words flow poetically and I could not help but read it in a certain poetic voice in my head. The songwriter in Wentz definitely shows in his writing, and a good number of sentences or phrases sound as if they could be lyrics to a Fall Out Boy song (which is a good thing, in my opinion).
The plot itself is dark and morbid, and Wentz captured the dream-like state in his writing so well. While reading this, I felt as if I was part of this dream, even if only seeing it from outside of the action. The scenes seem to jump with little or no transition, just as dreams usually do. As Wentz states at the end of the book, there is no point to it. There is no clear explanation or analysis of the dream, yet I related to The Boy and saw glimmers of meaning and deep thought throughout this short book.
Even if you are not a fan of Pete Wentz or Fall Out Boy, I highly recommend this book if you are interested in dreams and nightmares or just want a quick horror story.
Rating: 5/5 stars
Swimming Through Literature 