Book is 4.5 stars; audio book narration takes it to 5+. This is a whisperscream prose-poem of adolescent fury and confusion and despair. Is Shy mad? Or just thoroughly bad? Are the ghosts that haunt him real or figments? Has he fucked his life up completely by sixteen, or is there a way to recover and life a more peaceful life? Is life hope? Or is that not available to him anymore?

This isn't particularly satisfying in a narrative way, but it does feel cathartic. It doesn't have any answers or clear point of view, but the style is inventive in an admirable way (rather than being different 'just because' the varying fonts and styles really reflected Shy's frame of mind.) It made me think about why relatively privileged young white men are so angry, not to the degree Shy is, but just in general. Yet, I felt a lot of sympathy for Shy, while also understanding why many people in his life might never be able to trust or forgive him. It walked a tightrope the whole 2+ hours, and I'm not sure if the ending was a safe landing or a swan dive into oblivion.

I read Grief is the Thing with Feathers earlier this year, but only the print version. This time, I did a hybrid read with the book and audio and would recommend this method. I'm looking forward to trying Lanny that way, too.