As an adult reading this story, we know that high school is only a blip on the radar, but Perrotta so deftly writes the character's pain and frustration, that you can't help but have sympathy for him, even through his dramatic teenage gestures and complaints.

The lines between adults and children are often blurred.Īnother great piece was Senior Season, about a boy whose football injuries prevent him from playing in his senior year and the impact that it has both on his social life and the way that he views his life trajectory. Perrotta has a unique spin on what it means to grow up and often plays with ideas of how we are shaped by our childhood. It has a completely different feel from the other stories, yet it still keeps with Perrotta's usual theme of adult/teenager connections. However, the big stand-out was The Chosen Girl about a lonely senior citizen who reaches out to a young girl in a religious cult. Perrotta really excels at writing both novels and short stories, but as I have a huge affinity for shorts, making me extra excited for this collection. Nine Inches Stories is Perrotta's second collection of shorts. He is among a handful of authors of which I most eagerly anticipate their new releases and that I will purchase their books without a care towards reviews or subject matter. Perrotta's keen mix of humor and heart, even amid awkward and morally tenuous situations, grabbed my attention.

I raced through all of his book as I sat with her through chemotherapy appointments and long nights in hospital rooms. I discovered Tom Perrotta back in 2008, when my mom was dying of cancer.

Tom perrotta the leftovers review