After a lot of dense and lifeless non-fiction, I found this novel a really enjoyable, page-turning read. Shades of Forrest Gump in that the narrator is telling his life story, alternating between his past and current day. My criticism is that all the characters were very cliche stereotypes: the outcast brilliant kid, the bully, the doting mother, etc. and everything wrapped up a little too nice and neat for my taste. Beyond that, I was entertained by the story (even with its predictableness given the cliche characters). It’s a story of growing up as an outcast – the protagonist/narrator is born with red eyes – and how does an outcast deal with inequity. It’s also an exploration of faith (Catholicism) and how faith squares with the seemingly random misfortunes of life. I did question how mistreated a kid with red eyes would actually be. Kinda a stretch, I think, but again it didn’t really deter from the story or my opinion of the book.