Delighted to be the latest stop on the Blog tour for JOHNNY RUIND by DAN DALTON. My thanks to the author, publisher and Anne of Random Things Tours for the copy of the book and letting me be part of the tour.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Depression can be hell. Heartbroken and lonely, the narrator has made an attempt on his own life. Whether he meant to or not he can’t say. But now he’s stuck in his own head, and time is running out. To save himself, he embarks on a journey across an imagined America, one haunted by his doomed relationship and the memory of a road trip that ended in tragedy. Help arrives in the guise of Jon Bon Jovi, rock star and childhood hero. An unlikely spirit guide, perhaps, but he’s going to give it a shot...
P R A I S E
‘If you found yourself in a dark wood in the middle of your life, who would you want to lead you out of it? Virgil or Jon Bon Jovi? Dan Dalton chose the latter for a guide and the result is this marvellously strange and sad novel, shot through with a dark gleaming wit’ Jenny Offill
‘Strange, intense, brilliant’ S. J. Watson
‘A great big howl from the abyss of a broken heart. Incredible’ Richard Skinner
‘I read Johnny Ruin with a lump in my throat. It’s raw and beautiful and odd and brokenhearted’ Ali Land
PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon UK £8.46
hive.co.uk £7.49
whsmith £6.47
MY REVIEW
Sometimes life gets tough and you need Jon Bon Jovi to see you through the darker times, and that is exactly what happens in Johnny Ruin as he’s left to mourn a relationship and all the depression and misery that may bring with it. It’s a brilliant example of how twisted a mind can become as it processes changes and how replaying moments from the past can either clarify the situation or just muddy the waters.
I loved the way this story is told – the voice of the narrator is clearly struggling with his mental wellbeing and you’re taken along for the ride – it’s very dark, often explicit but it’s a process he needs to go through and he uses the ‘help’ of Jon Bon Jovi as that takes him back to a happier time of his life and remembers how hearing his songs made him feel.
I found it fascinating to hear the thoughts of a bloke going through depression and grieving the loss of loved ones – it’s not all rainbows and unicorns and seeing how dark the mind can turn when you feel there’s no hope was quite disturbing. I keep remembering the phrase ‘life is consequences’ which features and that becomes very apparent as he looks back over his life and past relationships. It brings him comfort to remember happier times.
This was a gritty, angry, reflective book full of dark humour and I loved the raw honesty of the character throughout.
★★★★
Books and Me! 
Fab review!
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Thanks so much Karen xx
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always welcome Anne! x
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