HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SAVE YOURSELF

Damien Christopher's honest, reflective tone is well matched to the author's raw, evocative writing. Spanning a decade in the lives of four African-American men from Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Holmes's story collection interweaves friendship, struggle, social pressure, and the desire to achieve against a variety of backdrops and experiences. Holmes's characters are flawed and real, and Christopher's forceful portrayals and layered expression give depth and life to complex coming-of-age themes. With measured pacing and an overall earnest tone, Christopher and Holmes delve into relationships, hard choices, race, and family dynamics. Christopher captures the pain, hope, and desire that permeate the lives of each of Holmes's characters, while slight alterations of tone help listeners differentiate characters and points of view in each story. A powerful debut and a skillful delivery. K.S.B. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2019]