I am not familiar with this coming-of-age genre; this is my first experience with it.
Possible spoiler
Below Torrential Hill is a story about the personal struggles of Tristen. This protagonist tries to make sense of everything as we enter his mind, feeling his despair, confusion, helplessness, sorrow, hope, denial, and alcoholism.
Personally, reading between the lines of rich and imaginative language is not my cup of tea. The flow of the story is very descriptive and imaginative, but I am often left to ponder, 'what do I get from this scene?' And there are times when I struggle to differentiate whether the character actually experiences what he describes or is it just another metaphor, especially when things start to detour, and the line between imagination is blurred. However, this style is appreciated by many, and it is fitting for this genre, too, especially when the reality blur is intentional. If readers are looking for this, you are in for a treat because the writing style is very creative and expressive.
There are also some not too/way too distinctive subjects/characters that sometimes it isn't easy to figure out who is talking. For example, when there are only two characters, a male and female, or when there is only one character, the name is being used repeatedly instead of referring to them as he and she. However, when there are two male characters, sometimes it needs to be clarified who is talking, especially when the conversations from two speakers are put in the same paragraph.
I wish there were more balance between the struggle and the conclusion. I feel like we are in the mud for 85-90% of the book, and the leftover is insufficient for the optimistic conclusion, mainly because, along the way, we touch a lot of disturbing things that are not adequately explored. Abusive parents, domestic violence, a possible murder (?), and I wish we know more about Lave's character because he plays a significant role in the conclusion.
Round up the star for the creativity of involving readers in the character's struggle.
3.5 makeshift trees of out 5 Christmases
