Idiot!

by: Christopher Klim

Published by: Hopewell Publications

Reviewed by Julie Failla Earhart

When I first received Idiot! in mail, I was mildly disappointed as I was hoping for another Boot Means novel. It was a momentary thing though. I enjoy Christopher Klim’s work. Idiot!, like other Klim’s works (Jesus Lives in Trenton and Everything Burns), he always gives me something different than I would suspect.

This time Klim takes readers to the Pine Barrens forests of New Jersey and Cranfield Lakes. Fungus has killed the cranberry bogs, and the town is on the verge of going completely under and abandoned. You’ll get a wonderful sense of the scenery without it dragging on and on.

The protagonist of the story is forest ranger Thomas King. The people of Cranfield Lakes have always considered him slow and a little more than slightly retarded, mainly due to his lack of social skills and his habit of collecting garbage from the forest. There are piles and piles of it around his little cottage deep in the pines, neatly arranged and noted. If I say anymore I will give too much away and I hate it when reviewers do that, but what Tom does with the garbage is noble and serious.

The town drunk is King’s old high school crush, Claire Wethers. Her children were supposedly stolen by her ex-husband. I found it odd, distracting, and the book’s major flaw that the townspeople have almost no compassion for Claire although the abduction was only two years prior. Maybe I watch too many newscasts, but here in Missouri, when children are missing for that short of time frame, there is still a vigorous search.

Claire and Tom team up unwittingly to save the Barrens from developers. The loudest mouth for a new strip mall and other development is Drew, Cranfield Lakes Police Chief and Claire’s sort of boyfriend. Drew is a bully through and through; there is nothing remotely likable about his character, especially the way he treats Claire and Tom.

Then Tom makes a startling discovery in the forest at the site of an old forge, both he and Claire have something to fight Drew and his developer buddies.

All in all, Idiot! is not Klim’s best, but still a worthy effort from one of my favorite undiscovered writers.

Armchair Interviews says: Interesting story that affects many small towns—not always popular development.

Author’s Web site: http://www.ChristopherKlim.com