Dirty Liar

I decided to take a break from the feminine side of literature and delved into a book written by a male author this week. Dirty Liar by Brian James was different in the sense that the choice in words was so powerful that it made my skin crawl. The overall plot was a different experience for me as a reader. The main character, Benji, is a teenage boy in the midst of a troubled life. He has an alcoholic mom, disapproving father, only a few close friends who really understand him, and a cold view of the world, which is basically the recipe for disaster. The set up in this novel was similar to Stolen because it is first person point of view with a constant stream of thought that was by no means bowdlerized. Benji communicates his troubles with a set up like a diary in Dirty Liar with entries like Monday 2:08 pm within chapters. I enjoyed taking on a male perspective for once because I always seem to gravitate toward the popular, romantic, happy-ever-after type of books and this one was just the opposite. It gave me another perspective on the troubles that people cope with and encounter every day. James is careful in the delivery of darkness, violence, and helplessness while also creating a microcosm of paradise in Benji’s life with the aid of a female, Rianna, at the same time. Yes life is not fair, and, believe it or not, there are ways to overcome obstacles. Life isn’t all about the destination, it’s about the journey and experiences that mold us and shape us into who we are.