[.ca] The Color Midnight Made: A Novel (ISBN 0743439929)

The author's a superb wordsmith:
While it's true that coming-of-age stories are not infrequently found in literature, the way Andrew Winer treats his subject is fresh, engaging and relevant. This tale of young Conrad Clay butting up against the painful realities of adulthood broke my heart, but then the story knitted the fissures and gave me hope. Having no first-hand experience at being a ten-year-old boy, I was grateful for the guided tour into this young man's heart and head. Evenso, Conrad's story brought up a flood of memories -- being a girl child isn't really so very different. This is what makes Winer's book, and Conrad's tale, the reader's own: being ten, having to deal with the fallibility of adults, living in a tired ol' neighborhood, or watching your parents split up are experiences that many, many people can relate to intimately; but connecting into this man-child's heartaching experience, and watching him survive, made me think I can, too. I am astonished at the dexterity of Winer's wordsmithing, and the wickedly funny (the morgue scene!) and heart-wrenching dialogue. The way he draws descriptions was nothing short of extraordinary, and some of the scene settings left me gasping. This is an excellent debut novel and I look forward to upcoming wordsmithing by Andrew Winer.

Overrated:
This novel rates, at most, a passable 3 stars,... but it is certainly not worth 5 stars. The writing is easy to read, in fact, very simple. The main character, Conrad Clay, is a petty, self-centered egotist who is only concerned with his own 10-year-old desires. Clay's parents have significant financial and marital problems and don't have time to deal with the selfish needs of a child who thinks the world revolves around him so Conrad attempts to lash out by building a home-made bomb to feed his need for attention. The characters of the immediate family were well-developed but the other characters including Clay's best friend Loop were not fully brought to life, only used as a vehicle for Conrad to act or react upon. The novel is, fortunately, fairly short and joins the ranks of the many disposable books available for a long wait at the airport.

Innocence and Truth:
Conrad Clay, the ten-year-old protagonist of "The Color Midnight Made" is the center of his own universe...one that's slowly but inexorably going to pieces. Growing up white in a predominantly black area of San Francisco isn't easy--but "Con" is adaptable and trusting. Perhaps too trusting. As he watches his family crumble, and his relationship with his best buddy "Loop" (a derivative of "Froot Loops")grow distant, Con moves through the world like a lost soul. Andrew Winer has created a character in Conrad equal to Holden Caulfield--a rebellious, naive and innocent young man searching for truth. "The Color Midnight Made" is darkly poetic, moving, and wonderfully told. This is a story that stays in your mind long after you've finished reading it.

Good book:
I enjoyed this book. It reminded me of some aspects of my own childhood (parents not getting along, father getting drunk and swearing, feeling alone in the world, unhappy about family life). At first I thought it was a bit slow but then it picked up (not too far into it) and never lost my attention after that. The author keeps an even pace between hardship and humor so one does not get depressed reading the book. The part I remember the most (and still gives me a chuckle) is when Conrad is in church (forced to go my his mother who does not attend with him). Apparently the church choir is predominately white (if not all white) and a black church choir comes to visit. Conrad is bored and not very interesetd in the strained singing of the white church choir but when the black church choir comes in with their own unique way it makes Conrad sit up and pay attention and he thinks to himself "We have a situation!" If you didn't get a chuckle out of that you'll have to read the book and see how the author described it. It is poignant. I recommend this book. It is an easy and relativly fast read. I loaned it to my 15-year-old nephew. He has to do several book reports for school and needs something that he can read that isn't too long. I felt this was a good balance between not too long but would also hold his attention and be a pleasure to read.

A good read:
This book is interesting and a good read. Characters in the book are well developed throughout the story and create a sense of reality for the reader. I would highly recommend those who read this book to read the whole book at once so they don't forget important details throughout the story and grasp the full meaning of this book.