Bark On by Mason Boyles
Review by Andrea Hunter.
I am not an athlete. Not a runner. Not a swimmer. Cycling? Hell no. So what did I expect to gain from reading a novel in which these things (I assumed) took center stage? To be honest, I'm not exactly sure. But I am surrounded by athletes in my life and have always been curious to know what exactly makes them tick. That is how, and why, I approached this book. Did I learn a little something about a runner's psyche? Absolutely. Was I prepared for the gut-checking, wildly original journey Mason Boyles so brazenly thrust upon me in his debut novel, Bark On? Not even close.
What are you willing to sacrifice to discover just how far you can push yourself, and who will you be once you get there?
Ezra Fogerty and Casper Swayze are triathletes and strangers. Each hurled from his own unique trebuchet of life toward a common goal: win the Chapel Hill Ironman. And as fate would have it, they are tethered by the same counterweight - the hair-chewing, world-renowned (and slightly infamous) coach, Benji Newton. Benji inexplicably shows up in the small, storm-ravaged North Carolina beach town where the bulk of the story unfolds, moving in to train Ezra when his Ma embarks on her own journey of self-discovery and reconciliation. Days later, Casper, aka The Kid, arrives under the pretenses of motivation and healthy competition to train with Ezra. In the days, weeks, and months that follow, under Benji's watchful eye and an oddly attentive growing population of coyotes, the unconventional bond between Ezra and The Kid galvanizes as Ezra's suspicions about their coach's unorthodox training methods grow.
With masterful skill and vivid imagery, Mason Boyles brings each character's voice to life on the page. From Ezra finding confidence outside of authority and ultimately taking control to Casper's unique dialect as he struggles to make sense of his "everywhen," to Benji's strange influence on the athletes and Ma's ultimate acceptance of her life decisions - throughout it all, I was reminded of the transformative nature human beings possess. In this respect, Andrew Davidson's stunning novel, The Gargoyle, comes to mind. But Boyles doesn't rely on prose alone to propel the story. Employing magic as unnerving as what one would expect to find in a Neil Gaiman novel - think The Ocean at the End of the Lane - he conjures a haunting, deeply rooted thread, weaving it seamlessly through the characters and settings of this book.
Bark On is a read that one is not likely to soon forget. Coyotes, a grueling training regimen, and some gritty folk magic dare to rise victorious from the age-grouper ranks to take the reader across the finish line in this impressive debut novel.
I am not an athlete. Not a runner. Not a swimmer. Cycling? Hell no. So what did I expect to gain from reading a novel in which these things (I assumed) took center stage? To be honest, I'm not exactly sure. But I am surrounded by athletes in my life and have always been curious to know what exactly makes them tick. That is how, and why, I approached this book. Did I learn a little something about a runner's psyche? Absolutely. Was I prepared for the gut-checking, wildly original journey Mason Boyles so brazenly thrust upon me in his debut novel, Bark On? Not even close.
What are you willing to sacrifice to discover just how far you can push yourself, and who will you be once you get there?
Ezra Fogerty and Casper Swayze are triathletes and strangers. Each hurled from his own unique trebuchet of life toward a common goal: win the Chapel Hill Ironman. And as fate would have it, they are tethered by the same counterweight - the hair-chewing, world-renowned (and slightly infamous) coach, Benji Newton. Benji inexplicably shows up in the small, storm-ravaged North Carolina beach town where the bulk of the story unfolds, moving in to train Ezra when his Ma embarks on her own journey of self-discovery and reconciliation. Days later, Casper, aka The Kid, arrives under the pretenses of motivation and healthy competition to train with Ezra. In the days, weeks, and months that follow, under Benji's watchful eye and an oddly attentive growing population of coyotes, the unconventional bond between Ezra and The Kid galvanizes as Ezra's suspicions about their coach's unorthodox training methods grow.
With masterful skill and vivid imagery, Mason Boyles brings each character's voice to life on the page. From Ezra finding confidence outside of authority and ultimately taking control to Casper's unique dialect as he struggles to make sense of his "everywhen," to Benji's strange influence on the athletes and Ma's ultimate acceptance of her life decisions - throughout it all, I was reminded of the transformative nature human beings possess. In this respect, Andrew Davidson's stunning novel, The Gargoyle, comes to mind. But Boyles doesn't rely on prose alone to propel the story. Employing magic as unnerving as what one would expect to find in a Neil Gaiman novel - think The Ocean at the End of the Lane - he conjures a haunting, deeply rooted thread, weaving it seamlessly through the characters and settings of this book.
Bark On is a read that one is not likely to soon forget. Coyotes, a grueling training regimen, and some gritty folk magic dare to rise victorious from the age-grouper ranks to take the reader across the finish line in this impressive debut novel.
Andrea Hunter is a creative writer currently situated on her wanna-be homestead in the suburbs of Chicago. Her work has appeared in Fauxmoir Literary Magazine, Sad Girls Club Lit, Shady Grove Literary, Ink and Voices, WOW! Women on Writing Magazine, and others. Connect with Andrea on Instagram: @andrea.hunter3
