Review - Tales of the Madman Underground by John Barnes

This book takes place over the course of six days in 1973. Karl Shoemaker starts his senior year determined to be "normal." Karl is anything but a normal high school student, though. He works five jobs to try to support his family, but his alcoholic mother steals whatever money she can find in their house. He has been a member of the "Madman Underground," a group of students in therapy at school, for years, and he now wants to distance himself from that group.

There really isn't a lot happening plot-wise in this book. Much time is spent explaining the backstory of Karl and his Madmen friends. They are all really complex and interesting characters who are fully realized throughout the course of the book. Despite the horrors they have each endured in their home lives, the Madmen demonstrate strength and maturity, and they are fiercely loyal to one another.

I have to admit that had a hard time finishing this book (it's about 500 pages long) - I was hoping for a little more action and a little less exposition. In the end, though, I did enjoy Tales of the Madman Underground's message about the powerful nature of friendship in the face of adversity.

Rating: 3/5

This review is cross-posted on goodreads.