Hello, my name is Jenna, welcome to Jenna’s Side, the Official Forsaken Press reviews page.  I’m 33 and I’m the Social Media Manager for Forsaken Press.  I live in a small town in Saskatchewan, Canada, and I’m slowly but surely working on my first novel.  I like books more than most people, and I also like books more than most people.  Ba dum tish.  So when Cam asked me to write regular reviews for the Forsaken Press blog, I jumped at the chance.  Let’s start with our newest release, The Roots of Marvis Jedd by Ken Dixon.

The book’s blurb:

“Returning apprehensively to his home town of Thune, writer Clay Reston endeavors to document the early years of enigmatic musician and fellow Thune native, Marvis Jedd. At every turn, he is reminded of the many reasons they both left as soon as they could.

The Roots of Marvis Jedd is a satirical, somewhat absurdist portrayal of small town life in the United States. Baring similarities to the work of existential philosopher Albert Camus, Clay Reston struggles to find a sense of meaning and purpose to his own existence and the people and events taking place around him, while writing a biography on his home town’s most famous son, Marvis Jedd.”

Do you love music? Mysteries? Stories of dysfunctional families and what passes for drama in small towns? The Roots of Marvis Jedd by Ken Dixon has all of this, and since I love all of these things, I love it. It turns the traditional literary pilgrimage story on its head, when Clay Reston somehow gets more and less than he bargained for at the same time.

My friends and I used to affectionately refer to a fun escape as a “turn-off-your-brain” story, and that’s what this is. But don’t mistake that for stupid or poorly written. The characters are engaging, although most of them would consider that an insult rather than a compliment. I relate strongly to Clay’s position as an outsider, wondering when or if he had ever belonged in the town, and trying to decide if he even wants to belong.

If you grew up in a small town like I did, you’ll recognize Thune.  The only thing everyone can agree on is Things need to be Done. But what things, and how?  Shrug.

If, like me and like Clay, you left and then came back, you live in Thune.  “No one ever comes back,” seemingly ignoring the many who do. I can hear the coffee row gossip at the diner in Thune now:  there’s Something Wrong with that boy. It’s said in hushed tones not quite hushed enough, because it isn’t just gossip, it’s public shaming with plausible deniability.  Because no one ever comes back really means no one leaves and gets away with it.

In addition, Ken Dixon perfectly captures the small-town waiting for something but pretending you’re not, caring deeply but pretending you don’t vibe, in a way that is slightly reminiscent of a combination of Waiting For Godot and Corner Gas, or like a town from a David Lynch or Terry Gilliam movie, for those of you not familiar with the prior examples.  Nothing ever happens, of course it doesn’t. Except for when it does.

Although he writes that he doesn’t live in Thune, I bet Ken Dixon did at some point.  He handles all of this with the dark humour of someone who has been there. This makes what could be a really depressing story into one which allows you to laugh at the absurdity of it all.

So if you’re looking for a good fun quick escape read, look no further, you’ve found one. If you are looking for some social commentary, you’ve found that too.

Rating:  5/5.