Hello everyone! Welcome back to Book Club!
Today's book is a special one. I was lucky enough to meet the author of this book, Conner Habib, in a Barnes and Noble not long ago. He was on book tour, and was traveling across the country to sign the copies of his new novel, Hawk Mountain. I sat by he and his boyfriend at the cafe, and had a short but nice conversation about writing with them. And, well, that was that. I resolved to read his book soon, but since I was reading other things, I didn't buy it right away, and he hadn't the time for a longer discussion. It was cool to meet a published author though, especially one whose debut novel had just come out.
A few days later, I bought the book. Even if I didn't end up liking it, I still wanted to support someone who has a passion for the same thing I do, and had managed to get it published for everyone to see.
All of this is to say, I was NOT expecting how incredible this novel would be. Part of me still thinks there's something wrong with proclaiming that, as if having met the author somehow tainted my initially unbiased view of the story, but I can't imagine that's truly the case. I'd be singing its praises no matter what.
Hawk Mountain hooks you in with a very simple premise; the protagonist's high school bully somehow worms his way back into his life, seventeen years later, and is making it hell once again. It's marketed as a thriller, and promises twists and tension.
But holy flying fuck, people, does that *not* do it justice.
With each chapter, there's a rising tension in the story about what might become of the protagonist (Todd) and his son (Anthony) in having to interact with Todd's biggest enemy (Jack). While the first third of the story is dark and compelling, everything that happens is nothing quite out of the ordinary from stories like this... yet somehow, things still feel different. There are underlying symbols and themes that start really taking shape. Ones that caught me off guard. And once something unexpected happens after that first third, the novel just flies off the rails.
Somehow this thriller about the vulgarity of bullying, and the trauma that floats to the surface when stalked, or when your life is violated by the same person again once you thought to be rid of them, molds itself around unique animal symbolism and the cyclical nature of bigotry that roots itself in society toward the gay community. Or, more appropriately, toward a gay person.
I am not gay myself, but growing up I watched many of my friends gradually come out of the closet, disclosing to me that they were gay, or bisexual. I was a child in an era (and area) where homophobia was the default -- and while in many places it still is, I'm happy to say that this is changing. Slowly -- as we have much work to do... but even with the biases of a child without the experience of the real world, who lived in a homophobic place, I found myself supportive and accepting of my friends as we grew up anyway. I saw them no differently once they came out, and I detested their families for being so horrible about something as normal and harmless as being gay.
So while much of this book's meaning doesn't exactly pertain to my own life experience, the empathy in which I understand my gay friends helped me really experience the pain this book attempts to convey. Books like this are hard to read, but in a good way, and they have a lot to say. Given that I usually read fantasy/sci fi (and a lot of classics), and those genres are dominated by heterosexuality, I actually haven't had much experience with books about the gay perspective. Obviously I hope to change this, and Hawk Mountain was an incredible start.
But that's not to say it has only one real theme. This novel is full of great explorations of many relatable and urban ideas. It has something critical to say about the ramifications of public school. It has something critical to say about society forcing us to repress integral aspects of ourselves. And it has quite a bit to say about fatherhood, and lies. I think most of the novel is metaphorical, but that might be only half of the truth.
I really loved this book. It was dark and upsetting, but I'm partial to that tone, and if you are too, then I HIGHLY recommend it.
If you'd like to listen to Conner Habib's podcast, Against Everyone with Conner Habib, then you can find it here:
https://connerhabib.com/against-everyone/
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