2013 book 328

Jeremy Jackson's Life at These Speeds
I think it's a mark of this book's excellent writing that it affects me so profoundly when I have never had any interest in running, and in fact have always regarded it as a horrible chore--though I was friends with many runners in high school and recognize the atmosphere here. But Jackson's first novel--about a teenager whose track team (including all his friends and his girlfriend) is killed in a car accident, and he's the only survivor, and a year later he's a track superstar, but only has vague memories of his deceased classmates--is extremely moving and very sad, but also beautiful. One of my very favorite books.