Mike Munoz is a 23 year old poor Mexican man. However, his journey, problems and emotions hold no prejudice.
Lawn Boy is not a sensational coming of age novel where Mike triumphs over an insurmountable travesty to accomplish some one-in-a-million feat, and that is the book’s charm. It is real. One of the biggest obstacles Mike faces and eventually overcomes is himself.
Mike lives at home with his mom who works two jobs, his mentally handicapped, 300lb older brother and a jobless, yet surprisingly wise, tenant. On the surface, I have essentially nothing in common with Mike. However, I strongly related to his inner monologue and daily struggles and believe anyone could – white, black, rich, poor, man or woman.
The frustrations and victories of Mike and his family with respect to jobs, friends, romance and self-discovery are the focus of the story. Evison constantly uses descriptive writing and humor to really capture the reader’s emotions and attention for seemingly every day minutia. If you find the below excerpt entertaining and thought-provoking, I would strongly consider this read:
I’m not gonna get all nuanced about the art of landscaping or start in with any of that navel-gazing philosophical crap like they do in books–it’s not a metaphor for the human condition, it’s a fucking yard. Just know that I’m a guy who really enjoys maintaining them, generally speaking. And yea, maybe someday I’ll write the Great American Landscaping Novel, but in the meantime, Tuesdays are a bitch.
While the ending of this novel felt a bit forced and on-the-nose, I really enjoyed this one. If you are a dreamer, hustler, down-on-your-lucker or even a coaster, definitely try out this thought-provoking and humbling novel.
Verdict: Read (4/5 Stars)
Length: 320 pages
When: For your next snarky, sarcastic yet very real story
Also Try: I oddly relate this style to Jonathan Franzen. My favorite of his is Freedom (even though The Corrections gets more hype).
Buy Lawn Boy HERE
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