REVIEWS

“Rarely told in American literature is the story of those left behind in the great sweeping saga of the nation’s forward movement. Particularly neglected are the White working classes whose stories ceased to interest literary elites a half century or so ago. Kevin Brady knows those stories well. This semi-autobiographical novel captures the lives of a group of friends as they struggle to make sense of their existence amidst the conspicuous industrial decay of Elizabeth, New Jersey. The story Brady tells is at times humorous, at times tragic, and always true. Part love story, part murder mystery, local in its setting, but universal in its appeal. Highly recommend!”

– Jack Cashill, a widely published author and documentary producer as well as a Newark native

As a boy, I would listen to Paul Harvey on the radio when he did his feature on “The Rest of the Story.” Later I would listen to MTV’s “Behind the Music.” Both told the story behind the story, what you didn’t know and was fascinating to learn.

“North End Boy is a book in this same vein, revealing the street story of growing up in Elizabeth’s North End neighborhood. Everybody hustles and those who don’t hustle work the angles to sidestep the pitfalls and traps strewn across the city. Justice plays out in unexpected but satisfactory ways, where quiet communions between cops and criminals can momentarily occur – and vanish just as quickly. At heart, it’s a story of friendship, love and shifting alliances, that perfectly reflects growing up in the sixties and seventies in working class New Jersey.”

– Jose Rios, Vice President of News at Fox Television Stations, Award-winning Journalist and Elizabeth native

“Having come of age in northern New Jersey during the same turbulent years Kevin Brady so wistfully memorializes in his gripping debut novel, I was transported back to many of its same streets and locales while reading it. And I’ll admit, I read it in a single sitting – I was that entranced. Like the author, I too was shaped by the harsh brash realities of a changing society during those revolutionary years. And I too leaned on a small group of trusted pals in trying to navigate the cultural evolution that was unfolding around us. Looking back, I believe that evolution was justified, inevitable and over-do, though I’m not sure the author would concur. Regardless, this is an impressive first novel by an important new voice, filled with humor and grit. Kevin Brady can turn a phrase and stir the pot. I hope this is the first of many books to come.”

– Ed Harrington, Award-winning Film-maker, Painter, and Graduate of St. Benedict’s

“The themes are deep and deftly presented. It’s about human fallibility in all its beauty. How certain people strive and reach and fail and disappoint and hopefully, find their way home. It’s about random survival, a compelling meditation wrapped in an engaging set of plots. It would make a great movie.”

– Peter Wilderotter, St. Benedict’s Preparatory School Board Member