Beautiful Children

August 27, 2007
A wide-ranging portrait of an almost mythically depraved Las Vegas, this sweeping debut takes in everything from the bland misery of suburban Nevada to the exploitative Vegas sex industry. At the nexus of this Dickensian universe is Newell Ewing, a hyperactive 12-year-old boy with a comic-book obsession. One Saturday night, Newell disappears after going out with his socially awkward, considerably older friend. Orbiting around that central mystery are a web of sufferers: Newell's distraught parents, clinging onto a fraught but tender marriage; a growth-stunted comic book illustrator; a stripper who sacrifices bodily integrity for success; and a gang of street kids. Into their varying Vegas tableaux, Bock stuffs an overwhelming amount of evocative detail and brutally revealing dialogue (sometimes in the form of online chats). The story occasionally gets lost in amateur skin flicks, unmentionable body alterations and tattoos, and the greasy cruelty of adolescents, all of which are given unflinching and often deft closeups. The bleak, orgiastic final sequence, drawing together the disparate plot threads, feels contrived, but Bock's Vegas has hope, compassion and humor, and his set pieces are sharp and accomplished.

Starred review from October 1, 2007
With blunt and sometimes uncomfortable descriptions of abuse and squalor, this debut novel addresses the harrowing issue of this country's runaway children. Set in the sex-charged city of Las Vegas, the spellbinding plot centers on missing 12-year-old Newell Ewing, covering both the hours surrounding his disappearance and the situation's devastating effect on his parents. Complex characters playing a role in Newell's disappearance occasion a stark look into the grimy world of hustling, strip clubs, and a porn industry drawing transient and desperate teens. Among these characters are the spoiled Newell; Kenny, whose low self-esteem makes him hook up with a younger boy; Cheri, a high-class stripper involved with a skuzzy predator named Ponyboy; a pitiful comic-book artist named Bing; and a host of homeless teenagers like Danger-Prone Daphneypregnant, doped up, and from an upper-middle-class family. This powerful indictment of a culture of "people hurting people for no reason" promises to shake up the moral conscience of every reader. A comprehensive drama; highly recommended for every collection. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 9/1/07.]David A. Beronä, Plymouth State Univ., NH

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2007
What seems initially to be another missing-child story turns more sordid, exposing the underbelly of Las Vegas, its setting, and the precarious lot of runaway teens. When 12-year-old Newell Ewing, a generally dislikable kid, doesnt come home from an evening out with a teenage friend, his parents take refuge in videos of their only child as this crisis threatens their marriage. The narrative moves backward and forward from the evening of Newells disappearance, with unflinching details of depravity and street life described in separate story lines about a comic book artist, a stripper susceptible to the entreaties of her mooching boyfriend who works for a porn movie maker, and street kids, one of whom remarks that Vegas is a good place to run to. Bocks characters are well drawn, he works to tie his plot threads together, and he clearly cares about runaways (to the extent of listing resources for parents), but his debut novel deflates too abruptly at its close. More raw than its title suggests, this is not for the weak of stomach or faint of heart.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)