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Summary: A BRILLIANT DEBUT NOVEL BY A BORN STORY-TELLER
Review: 'If only I could have stopped the most important person in my life from dying . . . alone.' Thus speaks the protagonist of Boy Still Missing, a stunning debut novel by John Searles, the senior books editor at Cosmopolitan magazine. By becoming infatuated with Edie Kramer, his father's seductive mistress, Dominick Pindle, 15, initiates (continues?) a chain of events that ends in tragedy. The time is 1972. On his 16th birthday, Dominick is holed up in a Holedo, Mass., motel. Having stolen thousands of dollars and kidnapped a baby, he finds himself surrounded by police who demand his surrender. Strangely enough, this teenager is not a monster. As Dominick tells his tale, one begins to pull for him and hope against hope that he can find redemption. As I read this novel, two thoughts kept recurring: 'He is more sinned against than sinning' and 'We have met the enemy and he is us!' Who is responsible for the blame and shame that hovers around Dominick like a dark cloud? For centuries, philosophers have debated the problem of determinism vs. free will. Are we inextricably trapped in the inexorable causality of fate? Or are we, by our choices (and by random chance) forging our own character and, hence, our own destiny? Dominick Pindle finds himself in a tangled web woven by his own bad decisions and by the bad decisions of countless others--his contemporaries and his long-deceased ancestors. Critics have compared Boy Still Missing to J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye (1951). Like Holden Caulfield, Dominick Pindle experiences 'rites of passage' from adolescent to adulthood. Searles's coming-of-age tale, however, is superior to Salinger's, and Dominick Pindle has far more 'soul' or 'spirit' than does Holden Caulfield. Beautifully written, Boy Still Missing is replete with striking descriptions, analogies, and metaphors. The dialogue is superb. The best news is that Boy Still Missing is a page-turning, captivating story. Searles will make you angry and make you cheer. He will tease you with hope and taunt you with despair. He will make you laugh and make you cry. He will lift your spirit and break your heart. He will take you on a roller-coaster ride that you will not soon forget.
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Summary: Vivid and Imaginative! Read this Book!
Review: Before obtaining a copy of Senior "Cosmopolitan" Book Editor John Searles' "Boy Still Missing", I had been touting another fine work of fiction as one of the more important books I have had the pleasure of reading. Now, though, that's all changed. Searles work is vividly imagined and riveting, one of those rare page-turners that avid readers seek out so frequently...reminiscent of that "next fix" mentality."Boy Still Missing", with its numerous twists and turns, tells the story of 15-year-old Dominick Pindle, a somewhat troubled teen for whom the wheels of life seem to threaten running him over rather than carrying him to any great destinations. His mother spends many nights dragging him around their "nowhere" New England town, searching rabidly for his father, who may or may not be having an affair with the town beauty. On one of these numerous drive-by's, Dominick meets Edie, the "other woman", and nothing is the same ever again. Finding himself caught up in an escalating nightmare from which he cannot awaken, Dominick watches in horror as his world begins to crash in upon itself. Searles builds his tension masterfully page after page, culminating in a nail-biting climax that's sure to impress even the most jaded reader. I found myself having to set this book down and walking away from it for a minute to calm myself down. Thoroughly engrossing, I advise you to buy this book now and devour it...again and again!
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Summary: A fabulous debut
Review: BOY STILL MISSING is a sensitive and poignant novel, the story of sixteen year-old Dominick Pindle and what occurs in the aftermath of his beloved mother's death.
Beautifully written, full of unexpected twists and turns and fully realized characters, John Searles addresses the themes of love, loss and betrayal in an unforgettable debut novel that is both rare and compelling.
Rating: 
Summary: If you have time
Review: I am not an avid reader and when I decided to read this book based on reviews I was highly disappointed. I can watch this plot on TV. If you have the time, then great, read it. I would have rather read something more deep, historical, and poetic. Sorry, not my recommendation.
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Summary: a page turner but not a classic
Review: I am somewhat miffed over all the 5 star reviews for this work. A classic it ain't. The author propels his story with enough interesting twists and turns to keep the reader engaged, which makes for a decent reading experience, but there are some serious flaws..
Some of the story development is beyond believability for me. Most of the characters are thin, and some (Special ED) should probably have been omitted from the story.
The style reads to me like a screenplay from the Lifetime channel, a lot of gloss and sentimentality. Writing in the first person, from the viewpoint of a fifteen year old is difficult to pull off intelligently; I labored over some of the direct statements made by Dominic and his peers.
All in all, I would recommend this book for someone who wants to be entertained by a quick read. To be enlightened, look elsewhere.
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Summary: Poignant
Review: I couldn't put this book down, and when it was, I was worrying about how Dominick would pull himself out of the tangled mess he had been spun into. Dominick, his mother, Leon and Jeanny were exceptionally wonderful characters, but the others were all slightly underdeveloped for believeability. The storyline was great and the writing style was easy to read and flowed well. I miss the characters already!
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Summary: a book that deserves more attention
Review: I read so many book covers and reviews. Some people hate the book and some people love it. How do you make a good book selection with so much on the market and such varying points of view? John Searles may have bridged the gap of fickle book readers by writing this novel that will appeal to everyone. It has suspense, mystery, love and action. The words flow beautifully and the chronology is smooth. Even the name of the main character, "Dominick", is especially appealing. Ever read a book that introduces so many characters with similar names that you need a family tree to keep them apart? Not here. Searles makes each character distinct and special. Dominick is a hard luck teen with a [junky] family. His father's an alcoholic and Mom is neglected. He tries to make them all happy but how can he when the core is rotten. Dominick finds solace in this friends. But when he is taken advantage of by his father's girlfriend it sends him off the deep end. Read for the plot or the people, it makes no difference. Both engage you for the entire 292 pages. Just long enough to make you want more but not get bored.
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Summary: Good for debut....
Review: I really loved this book but at the same time I was a little disappointed. I felt it could have been a little less loosely written. It was meaty but was missing the potatoes in some parts!
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Summary: Don't Miss This One!
Review: I started reading this novel right after finishing another book, and my intention was to only read a few pages at that time. I did not set it down until I was about half-way through, it was just that captivating. I have not cared about a character as much as I did for Dominick Pindle for a long, long time. You just want to reach into the pages and rescue him. This is a truly compelling read, I dare you to try to stop reading once you start. Highly recommended!
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Summary: Terrific Debut Novel
Review: In 1971, fifteen year old Dominick Pindle, spends most Saturday nights driving around the blue collar town of Holedo, Massachusetts with his mother, trying to track down his dad, a notorious womanizer and weekend drunk. He's always wondered about his sunny mother whose life seems full of secrets. She's alluded to "other lives" in far off places like New Mexico and Dominick knows he has a half brother, Truman, in New York City, though he has never met him. But on this Saturday night, Dominick meets and falls madly in lust with his father's pregnant ex-mistress, Edie and begins a sexual relationship. Edie, eventually manipulates him into stealing money his mother has saved and hidden away and this sets off a horrific chain of events that not only ruins Dominick's family but destroys the one person he loves most..... John Searles stunning coming of age novel will grab you from page one, pull you into the story and won't let you go even after you've finished reading the last page. His well paced, intricate and compelling plot is full of suspense, surprising twists and vivid, riveting scenes. But the real strength of this novel is Mr Searle's powerful, eloquent writing and beautifully drawn characters that makes this story come alive on the page. Boy Still Missing is a gripping story of love, loss, guilt and forgiveness, of growing up too fast and hard choices, told with great insight and wisdom; a stunning debut that shouldn't be missed.
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