Scorched

Coming-of-age stories are perennial favorites because most of us get the chance to come-of-age at some point. You may know a few immature adults, but when it comes down to it, they are not walking around in short trousers and attending school. The reason that we do not all write about our own story is because most of us are a little mundane, but there is something to be said about a life that is only a little less ordinary. Scorched by Don Silver tells the story of Jonas Shore and the friends that he meets at school, not an exceptional life, but an interesting one. 

Jonas drifts through his school days, uninterested in learning and not popular. When his father dies suddenly, he needs to make cash to help at home, so a plan is formed to supply drugs to the ‘in’ crowd. This leads to an unfortunate accident and Jonas being sent to the Lafayette Academy where he is placed with a small group of other boys. Lifelong loyalties will be made and tested over the next two decades when they must take a shared secret into adulthood. 

As a science fiction fan, a simple tale told well is not the norm. There are no spaceships in Jonas’ life, just a young lad trying to get by. The coming-of-age trope is all over genre fiction and is sometimes used lazily as a simple way to capture a younger audience or set off a series of books. Scorched is a true coming of age story, the first half is all about how Jonas the boy develops into the man. There are no gimmicks, just a series of events that lead Jonas down the path of his life. The book is not noir, but it has dark crime elements to it. It is more in the Kitchen Sink genre, a realistic portrayal of this young man’s life. 

Events are a little bleak, but always compelling. Silver has a realistic way of writing. The book is full of flawed characters, not at least Jonas, but they all act in a way that feels truthful. The book is split into two distinct acts; Jonas the child and Jonas the man. 

Part two brings to the fore the scorched element of the book as we deal with Jonas’ mental health. Hints are already present in the past, but the future brings them to the fore. Is it the memorable moment in the past that has caused Jonas’ mania, or has it always been present? The characters from the Academy are reintroduced as adults and we get to see what they made of their lives.  

I was so invested in the coming-of-age aspect of the story that I felt a little flat when the story jumped forwards two decades, but this second act still has its moments. The perspective of the book is shared more. Jonas’ wife being given large segments, it was interesting to see the character of Jonas from someone else’s viewpoint. This section of the book also has a more traditional crime element that fans of that genre will enjoy. Without the crime narrative, the book would have been straight general fiction, not something I would have minded, but it did give the book direction. 

Scorched is an interesting book and not one I as a genre reader and reviewer would normally read. It is crime fiction, but that is not its main purpose. This is a story about a life and learning how to deal with all it throws at you. Lucas’ life may be bleak and mundane to him, but as a reader it is compelling, you want to see how things turn out. I think that crime fans will enjoy the book, but it works for any reader who just likes an enjoyable read.