Only Child

Navin’s gripping debut opens with first grader Zach Taylor huddling in a closet with his teacher and classmates while shots and screams echo in his school’s corridors. After the shooting, Zach’s parents’ frantically search for Andy, Zach’s older brother, only to discover that he is one of the victims. Zach’s gradual comprehension of the tragedy includes his bewilderment when people bring food to his house, which he thinks of as an unseemly party. As he works through his memories of Andy, he comes to an aching realization of the depth of his loss. His parents are too preoccupied with their own grief to notice Zach’s anguish or to bring him to therapy. He takes refuge in books, reading hidden in Andy’s bedroom closet, and is the bystander to his mother’s nervous volatility and his father’s adulterous liaison. When his mother resolves to bring a lawsuit against the parents of the boy who wielded the gun, in spite of the fact that the two families have had a longtime friendly relationship, Zach conceives a dangerous “mission” to bring healing to his parents and the community. Those who can handle the difficult subject matter will find the plot to be a page-turner; Navin also excels in brilliantly capturing Zach’s perspective. 125,000-copy announced first printing. (Feb.)