Never Cry Again

This debut novel by Jim Cole takes the reader on a journey with Drew, an incredible but mistreated child who lived his life with strength, courage, and integrity. Drew's adventures/misadventures, while extreme at times, were ultimately believable and I found myself cheering for him all of the way. The author drew me in with prose that could have been written by a seasoned author. His word choices were excellent and the storyline was captivating. Character background was extensive and the characters wound their ways throughout ups and downs that had me hooked from the beginning. Even though Drew's mother was an awful mother, the author made me feel some kindness towards her - at least at the beginning of the book. Some of the language was hard to read, but it was appropriate for the setting. Racism, homophobia, and violence were evident, but so was love, honor, and hope. This well-written book was surprisingly good and I'm so glad I got to share this adventure with Drew.

This book is utterly beautiful and amazingly real. Mr. Cole brought history to life in a moving way while also showing the true meaning of family and overcoming hardship while still retaining your soul.

I volunteered to give an honest review in exchange for a free copy of the book. The book is set in the 1920s and 1930s in the south. A little boy is born to a poor woman working as a prostitute. His mother doesn't want him, and she lets the African American maid and the maids black church community raise him until about age 5. The mother leaves the brothel to be cared for by a man, and she has to take her son with her. He goes through turbulent times while living with his mother. This book has a lot of the discrimination against the blacks during this time period. The author does a good job of making you sad and angry. I cried at the ending. I look forward to more books from this author.

This was an okay read. The flow was a little choppy for my taste, but the overall storyline was good. I enjoy reading and writing Southern fiction, so I can appreciate a good story from the segregated south days. Some of the language struck me hard as being harsh, but I couldn't complain when I utilize the same words in my own books. I felt really bad for Drew so many times while reading this story. His early childhood with his prostitute of a mother was horrid. Thanks for the chance of reading this.

*This book was provided by Net Galley in exchange for an honest review*

It takes a lot for me to cry while reading a book and this book did exactly that. While reading I was crying and longing to help Drew. This book was heart-wrenching and heart stopping. I couldn't put it down and I wanted to see what would happen to Drew.

The character backgrounds are rich and well developed as is the plot. Some parts seemed a bit choppy but I barely noticed.

The author made me mad, sad and happy which sometimes doesn't happen. The author made me feel the pain and sorrow and I could feel it coming through the pages.

I look forward to reading more from this author.

This is one of best debut novels I've ever read, and I've read over 2,000 books in my lifetime, so far. The suspense, unlike a thriller, is ongoing with bits if foreshadowing and the development of the story as the reader desires to find out what happens next in the life journey of the main character. The main character and a few of the re-appearing characters are well developed, and I am left with a sense of saying good-bye to good friends.

There are a few punctuation errors and misused words in the text but not enough to cause a glaring distraction from the writing. In one instance the injuries sustained by two characters were switched around and left me chuckling at the editor's oversight. The story is engrossing and the flow and continuity of the story are spot-on. I'll probably buy my own copy so I can read it again. The characters are portrayed accurately as are the culture and atmosphere of the time period in which the story occurs.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC copy of the book. The opinions expressed above are my own.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks NetGalley!

This book is beautiful. It's about a mistreated little boy in the 20s & 30s whom was born to a prostitute.

The story is well-written, easy to read, and i read it quickly! Buy it!

Drew is just eleven years old when he makes his way into a church. He is older than his years. He has gone through so much in his young life, abuse, neglect. He has finally made his way to this small church, hoping to find food and shelter. What he finds is a kind priest. A priest that will nurture, protect and love him. Someone who helps him find a home and a loving father figure. He will encounter numerous people who will influence his life. He will bring the love that he has for the black people and stand up for them. Through many ordeals he will finally reach the goals that he has wanted to achieve. And one day he will become a lawyer and help change the course of history.
Phenomenal!
Great storyline and strong characters. Strongly recommended.

Some women are not cut out to be mothers. Drew's mom Edith is one of them. Edith was only 13 the first time her father raped her and it wasn't much longer until the day she decided to go for a walk and never return. Having no place to stay and no way to earn money she ends up in a hotel with a married man. When he tells her that he is going back to his wife she is once again on her own. Edith ends up giving birth in a brothel and becomes a prostitute. She seems to enjoy this lifestyle as there is no shortage of other prostitutes to take care of her son, who she wants nothing to do with. This becomes a problem as Drew grows up and begins attending church, the only white boy in the all black congregation. The brothel owner feels she is already at risk having a child on the premises but the Klan may make trouble as well so Edith is sold off to one of her customers and she is not happy that she is expected to take her son with her and be a mother to him. By this point Edith is already a raging alcoholic with no maternal skills and Drew must basically fend for himself. He follows in his mother's footsteps of becoming a runaway after an attempted rape and is homeless and alone at 10 years old. Drew meets a multitude of people in his travels, some good and others who mean him harm though he never seems to give up hope of living a decent life.

This is usually my favorite time period for historical fiction and while I understand that racial tensions ran hot in the south it still seemed a bit heavier on the N word than was required and the (phonetically correct?) spellings of the way black people are portrayed as pronouncing certain words seemed over done and unnecessary. I'm not as in love with this book as I'd hoped to be.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

I loved reading this book. Word of warning...this book contains some language and situations that may make some very uncomfortable. That being said I liked the realness of the story and found myself very involved in reading on to the next page even when I was tired. So it kept me very interested! I gave the book only four stars because of the language. But I understand why the language and situations were told the way they were...for me it gave the story depth and showed the intensity of the situations that occurred.

This is a very well written easy read. I liked the historical references and how inspiring Drew’s story is. He is determined to do well in life.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This is one of the saddest books I've ever read. Although painful to read, the story was written in such a way that I had to keep reading. Drew was a character that I could relate to, empathize with, and root for. If you like literary fiction, this book is for you!

a story set in 1930 america boy born in neglect unloved and poor. he suffers starvation abuse and then sexual
abuse which his mother did not try to stop drove this 10 year old to leave home.What follows is his struggle to get by. But he comes out a responsible young man. Very well written hard to put down. Had to know what happens
next.

I read a whole book in 24 hours but there was no way I was putting down Never Cry Again is a complex, painful family love .. Real and raw .. Loved it!’

A very emotive and beautiful story about a boy growing up in some very difficult times. The story is very well written and you can't help but feel a sense of drive and determination for the main character to do well. Brilliant debut novel, I look forward to reading more from this author

I really liked this book! Great racial storyline following a six year old boy thru to his 20’s! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The son of a prostitute, Drew makes a vow to himself to never cry again after he leaves home.
The story follows his life in the 1930's and 40's through five states including Oklahoma,Arkansas,New Mexico,Louisiana and Texas. Racial tensions were flaring and there was the turbulence of WW II and it's effects on the country.

Pub Date 16 Apr 2016
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

A beautiful story about overcoming obstacles. This was well written and I look forward to seeing what else the author has to offer.

This was not a light read by any stretch of the imagination - it covers various heavy topics including extreme poverty, abuse, and rape. By the age of ten, Drew has lived a hard life, but his adventures are only beginning. You'll easily fall in love with Drew, he's a well-developed character with plenty of depth. It's easy to imagine him as a real person navigating America in the early to mid 20th century. Cole does an excellent job of bringing the historical setting to life, drawing the reader in with vivid descriptions. Perfect for historical fiction lovers.