Carry Me Down

Book Review

MJ Hyland

Carry Me Down is the story of a twelve-year-old boy named John Egan. He lives in Ireland in his grandmother's house with his mother and father. His father has quit his job, and is studying for the entrance exam at Trinity College . John is obsessed with the Guinness Book of World Records, and wants more than anything to be in it. When he notices a physical manifestation in his body when someone lies to him, he thinks he could make it into the book as the first human lie detector. John pursues truth relentlessly in his quest to get into the book, at the risk of damaging his relationships with friends and family. The book follows John's quest through his parents' marital problems, his father's rift with his grandmother, and through their reduced circumstances after his grandmother kicks them out – leading up to a terrible, and somewhat implausible solution.

Hyland writes a compelling narrative. This is definitely a page-turner, and the reader is able to identify with John up until the novel's shocking conclusion. There is something missing, however, some elegance of writing style or profound statement on humanity that renders the book unmemorable. It will be interesting to see what Hyland can do to enhance her storytelling skills in the future.

Unfortunately, the TurboBookSnob didn't mark any passages in this book. The plot kept her reading, but the writing style didn't wow her – despite the accolades from J.M. Coetzee and Ali Smith on the front and back covers.