By Andrew Katz (Out March 11, 2025)

Notes from Cole:

An invitation into something different. This book will companion readers through a journey with complex loss and rooted grief. The writing is both punchy and astringent and journal entries provide a post-mortem of the ‘prefacing’ so many of us have to do when we tell the story of our loss. I appreciate there being a title like this out there—a great read for punks, angry grievers, and people avoiding platitudes. These are compliments!

I received an ARC copy of this book from Lanternfish Press! Thank you!

"A brutal yet compassionate portrait of a family at war."

—Stephanie Feldman, author of Saturnalia

You could say Kyle Jr. grew up in a dysfunctional family. That’d be an understatement. His mother’s wealthy family disinherited her for marrying the working-class Kyle Sr., and she’s never forgiven him (or KJ) for that.

When his father’s suicide turns his life upside down, KJ fills his therapist-recommended grief journal with plenty of sarcasm, excerpts from sweary, punny high-school short stories, and fourth-wall-breaking asides. Through all the bravado and swagger, a portrait emerges of a young man confronting a dark past with genuine compassion and keen insight. He’s determined to reconcile with its legacy–and to survive.