Book Review: Amanda Stern - The Long Haul

The Long Haul by Amanda Stern is the first of several novels I will be reading this semester for my Contemporary Fiction Craft class at Georgia State.  This is Stern's first novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.  The story concerns two main characters: the unnamed narrator, and her boyfriend, called "The Alcoholic."  Throughout the novel, both characters struggle with their addictions: he to alcohol (obviously) and she to him.  The novel is made up of a series of chapters that could be seen as short stories on their own, similar to Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting (which I happen to have reviewed months before).  Each chapter jumps in time to a different point in the couples relationship.  I found much of the dialogue in the story to be incredibly realistic and modern: some of the discussions could be heard on campus, word for word.  Also, the narrator's love-and-hate relationship with her boyfriend is done beautifully, and goes back and forth just as much as any young adult's feelings do.  At only 142 pages, this is a quick read, and highly recommended.