The Last Good Halloween - by Giano Cromley (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Like most teenagers, Kirby Russo doesn't want much: a calm home life, a couple close friends, a sense of direction and purpose. And a chance to relax with a cocktail now and then. And maybe some privacy whenever fantasy and hormones get the better of him. But his world's upended when he comes home from computer camp to find his stepfather gone and his mom sleeping with their neighbor. In short order, he has to plan an epic road trip to save his family. Never mind the fact that he's at that age where you take yourself seriously, but no one else does. Never mind the fact that he doesn't have a car-it's really more like borrowing when it's a friend's parent's car and they won't know it's gone. And never mind the fact that he doesn't know as much about life as he thinks he does.

Review Quotes

"...the story and tone have a timeless feel, and Kirby's struggles with self-exploration are very relatable. Overall, the novel's strength lies in its evocation of how it feels to live in a sometimes-disappointing world. A well-structured, enjoyable tale about growing up and letting go." - Kirkus Reviews

"With nods to Ferris Bueller's Day Off and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Giano Cromley's The Last Good Halloween artfully reminds us what it's like to be young and angry, and raging against a universe we can't possibly yet understand." - Ben Tanzer, author of My Father's House and Orphans

"High school sophomore Kirby Russo carries a talisman in his wallet-a dollar bill signed by Doug Henning-but Giano Cromley is the real magician here. With sensitivity, wit, and wisdom he conjures up a real and complex kid, a vulnerable smart-ass who earnestly seeks guidance from the culture around him as he slides deeper and deeper into trouble. Kirby touched my heart to the point I felt guilty every time this novel made me laugh out loud." - Diane Lefer, author of The Fiery Alphabet, Nobody Wakes Up Pretty, and the Mary McCarthy Prize-winning California Transit

RECOMMENDED. "It gets a lot of things right about the teenage experience: the bad decisions, the awkward sexuality, and the narrow-minded perspective...(t)here's a powerful irony in Kirby's search for a father in a country that supposedly had a clear patriarch." - Newcity

About the Author

Giano Cromley was born in Billings, Montana. His writing has appeared in The Threepenny Review, Literal Latte, and The Bygone Bureau, among others. He is a recipient of an Artists Fellowship from the Illinois Arts Council. He teaches English at Kennedy-King College and lives on Chicago's South Side with his wife and two dogs.