Where All Light Tends to Go

By: David Joy

Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews

THE INSPIRATION FOR THE MAJOR MOTION PICTURE DEVIL'S PEAK—starring Billy Bob Thornton, Robin Wright, Hopper Penn, and Jackie Earle Haley!

In the country-noir tradition of Winter's Bone meets Breaking Bad, a savage and beautiful story of a young man seeking redemption—a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best First Novel.

The area surrounding Cashiers, North Carolina, is home to people of all kinds, but the world that Jacob McNeely lives in is crueler than most. His father runs a methodically organized meth ring, with local authorities on the dime to turn a blind eye to his dealings. Having dropped out of high school and cut himself off from his peers, Jacob has been working for this father for years, all on the promise that his payday will come eventually. The only joy he finds comes from reuniting with Maggie, his first love, and a girl clearly bound for bigger and better things than their hardscrabble town.

Jacob has always been resigned to play the cards that were dealt him, but when a fatal mistake changes everything, he’s faced with a choice: stay and appease his father, or leave the mountains with the girl he loves. In a place where blood is thicker than water and hope takes a back seat to fate, Jacob wonders if he can muster the strength to rise above the only life he’s ever known.


“Remarkable...This isn’t your ordinary coming-of-age novel, but with his bone-cutting insights into these men and the region that bred them, Joy makes it an extraordinarily intimate experience.”—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review

“Lyrical, propulsive, dark and compelling. Joy knows well the grit and gravel of his world, the soul and blemishes of the place.”—Daniel Woodrell

Bummer

The narrator did a fantastic job but the book was shallow and kind of cliche. I'm really surprised that there are so many positive reviews. I wish there was more of a back story to Jacobs parents and more insight to his childhood that helped me to understand why they were the way they had become. The book was okay, not bad, not great. I only gave it three stars because of the narrator.

MacLeod Andrews put in a 5-star performance

I enjoyed the story well enough, but there's no question in my mind that Andrew's elevated Joy's work. Great stuff.

wow

i just finished his other book when i started this one, the line that held us. and ive gotta say, overall i liked that one better for the beginning. but the ending of this one is just savage and beautiful and tragic and... wow. im glad i hung in there. sad though. man, sad.

Very honest

I really enjoyed the book, very honest and gritty. I loved the narrator, really made the story feel very authentic.

Harsh but touching

Great debut novel of boy growing up in hill country with drug dysfunctional parents. Poetic language with beautiful descriptions offset the ugliness. Can't believe it took me so long to listen and look forward to more from this author. Right up there with Taylor Bown and John Hart.