The Year It Snowed in April

This uneven debut novel begins in the heart of the African-American community in Harlem, circa 1983, where Avery Clarke, 13, is living with his grandparents. His mother, Carla, long ago rejected her upwardly mobile family and the responsibilities of motherhood for drugs and alcohol. Avery comes across as too good to be true: a “straight-A student who avoided conflict and never wanted to cause anyone any unnecessary strife or irritation.” Then Carla shows up, and concerned that her son may be too sheltered and even gay, she begins having him come over to her apartment for profanity-filled conversations, cigarettes, and pot. At a frankly unbelievable pace, Avery begins cussing his grandparents, getting into fights, and having an incestuous relationship with mom. Melodramatic events pile up, leaving Avery in Carla’s care and the abuses subsequently spiral out of control. There is no suspense because it’s clear early on that nothing good can come from Avery living with his mother. Despite some good dialogue and a well-drawn Manhattan setting, the story remains unfocused, with too many plot lines. (Apr.)