Review: Clicking Beat on the Brink of Nada by Keith Hale

Clicking Beat on the Brink of Nada by Keith Hale

Review by: Lauren

Copy From: I bought this...all images are not my own though

Review: I couldn't find an official summary for the book, so I'm going to do my best to describe the book via the review. To be honest, this is a hard book to summarize. It follows Steven Trottingham Taylor, or Trotsky, as those who know him best call him. He has just moved to Little Rock with his mom and younger brother, Freddy. Trotsky first meets Cody in history class and immediately becomes a bit mesmerized by him. Cody is a good-looking guy, who isn't afraid to say what he feels in class, and who everyone seems to like. Trotsky and Cody eventually end up friends, Cody letting Trotsky join his circle of best friends with Christian and Flipping (who are both in a band together).

Cody is an interesting character because you really aren't sure about his sexuality for awhile. I don't want to give anything away, as the answers don't really come until near the end, and even then...it's what you would call complicated. Trotsky loves him though, whether they are just friends or not. It's not quite enough though, and he does find himself attracted to Freddy's friend, Mark.

One of the bigger instances in the book is with Trotsky's mom, who is a professor at a local college. Students begin to complain about her being a Socialist and talking about that in class. There are a lot of protests for and against his mom losing her job, and many threats from those that don't believe in her way of thinking. If I remember correctly, the book takes place in the 1970's, so it's not a current novel. It was heartbreaking to see how cruel people could be, but I did love how the family stuck together. Trotsky could leave all the hate and move away from Little Rock, but he refuses to leave his mom.

For just one novel, there is a lot heartbreak and devastating moments, with at least one death. Again, I don't want to give things away...so you'll have to read the book to see what happens. It was very much a book about a time period in someone's life, and how people come and go, and as time goes on, it's all just a memory.

Clicking Beat on the Brink of Nada is what I would call an intellectual novel. There are a lot of deep, philosophical questions pondered, especially between Cody and Trotsky. It's a book that makes the reader think and wonder and in the end, you feel for these characters as if they were real. It's a slow-moving book at parts, and faster in others. It's not full of action, but there are parts that make you laugh, parts that make you sad, parts that make you think. It was an interesting novel and it's one I'm glad I finally got around to reading.