The Color Midnight Made by Andrew Winer

I was sucked into Conrad Clay's world, and for those who read my Fiction 101 posts, you know that getting sucked into a fictional world is a very good thing.  It means the writing is successful. Conrad Clay is the ten year old protagonist in The Color Midnight Made by Andrew Winer and published by Washington Square Press. When I first started reading this novel, I wondered about the color metaphors/symbolism, and I wondered about the language, Conrad's speech and vocabulary, wondering if these would continue consistently throughout the book.  I stopped wondering because these elements worked very well, and as I said a few sentences ago, I simply got sucked in.  The story is sensitive and painful, painful in a good way.  There are happy and funny moments too, but Winer doesn't shy away from the difficult life stuff, and that's what makes fiction really good fiction. Conrad Clay is a white kid growing up in a mostly black community in the Bay Area.  His parents have a terrible marriage, but Conrad finds ways to connect meaningfully with people.  I highly recommend this novel.