The Life of the World to Come

July 1, 2016
Leo and Fiona were lucky enough to find each other just before graduating college. Heading to New York City, law school for him and an acting career for her, they love all the adorable ways they are the perfect couple. And then Fiona finds love on the set of a soap opera. Letting go of his dream girl is the hardest thing Leo has ever had to do, including his current effort to exonerate a death-row inmate who doesn't want to be saved. The narrator in Cluchey's first novel has a tendency toward self-indulgent wallowing, making bonding with him a challenge for readers, leaving them with two basic options: love him, or leave him. For those willing to stay and find the love, Leo's focused contemplation will appeal to the soul-searching reader.Discussions of parallel realities, personal responsibility for actions taken or not taken, the death penalty, and a fascination with President James Buchanan are some of Leo's intriguing obsessions. A good suggestion for readers looking for something a little bit different.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2016

Deserted by the goofy, gorgeous soap opera star who was the love of his life, anxious young lawyer Leo Brice throws himself into his work as a junior advocate for those on death row, trying to save born-again Georgia inmate Michael Tiegs. Featuring a dog named Rafael Uribe Uribe, this debut novel stays quirky even as it considers the big questions. In-house love.

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