Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Overview
Troubled Cesar is in the middle of nowhere, Alaska, because his Eskimo mother has moved home where she hopes they can both carve out a fresh start. But he's convinced he's just biding his time until he can get back to LA. Cesar's charmingly offbeat cousin, Go-boy, who believes he's part of a good world conspiracy, is equally convinced that Caesar will stay. And so they set a wager. If Cesar is still in Unalakleet in a year, he has to get a copy of Go-boy's Eskimo Jesus tattoo.
At first Cesar considers Go-boy half crazy, but over time in this village, with his father absent and his brother in jail for murder, Cesar begins to see the beauty and hope Go-boy represents.
Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same is the surprising story of a young man finding his way and his place in a world that can seem both too large and too small. What Cesar finally discovers is the power of friendship and the potential positive strength that springs from a tight-knit community. He learns the ways in which becoming a part of that community, though at times scary and restrictive, can also be fulfilling and even exhilarating.
Synopsis
Troubled Cesar is in the middle of nowhere, Alaska, because his Eskimo mother has moved home where she hopes they can both carve out a fresh start. But he's convinced he's just biding his time until he can get back to LA. Cesar's charmingly offbeat cousin, Go-boy, who believes he's part of a good world conspiracy, is equally convinced that Caesar will stay. And so they set a wager. If Cesar is still in Unalakleet in a year, he has to get a copy of Go-boy's Eskimo Jesus tattoo.
At first Cesar considers Go-boy half crazy, but over time in this village, with his father absent and his brother in jail for murder, Cesar begins to see the beauty and hope Go-boy represents.
Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same is the surprising story of a young man finding his way and his place in a world that can seem both too large and too small. What Cesar finally discovers is the power of friendship and the potential positive strength that springs from a tight-knit community. He learns the ways in which becoming a part of that community, though at times scary and restrictive, can also be fulfilling and even exhilarating.
The New York Times - Joseph Salvatore
…[a] thoughtful first novel…Particularly in the middle stretch it feels as though Roesch, who started his career as a story writer, is still learning how to work the stick shift on a long-distance trip, lingering too long in second gear. But he deftly portrays Unalakleet, where "every yard is littered with skeletons of four-wheelers and snow machines and fishing boats," and once he gets the hang of it, he delivers the narrative soundly to its climactic destination.
Editorials
Joseph Salvatore
…[a] thoughtful first novel…Particularly in the middle stretch it feels as though Roesch, who started his career as a story writer, is still learning how to work the stick shift on a long-distance trip, lingering too long in second gear. But he deftly portrays Unalakleet, where "every yard is littered with skeletons of four-wheelers and snow machines and fishing boats," and once he gets the hang of it, he delivers the narrative soundly to its climactic destination.—The New York Times
Publishers Weekly
Roesch's offbeat debut is set in Unalakleet, Alaska, population 700, a destination that seems like the end of the world for teenage L.A. gang member Cesar Stone, uprooted by his mother after his older brother catches a murder conviction and a life sentence. Navigating without his brother or father, Cesar dwells on regrets while attempting to find himself in the refuge of his mom's native Alaska. Aggrieved at leaving L.A., but also relieved to be free from the gang's demands, Cesar bonds with his older cousin Go-boy, a Native with an optimistic outlook that belies personal tragedies. Go-boy bets a homemade tattoo of "Eskimo Jesus" that Cesar will stay in Alaska for a year, where he believes Cesar truly belongs. After becoming accustomed to Go-Boy's peculiar dependability, Cesar begins to see troubling changes in his cousin; as he charts Go-boy's drift, he begins to see himself changing as well. Roesch's compelling story, exotic setting and eccentric characters make this coming-of-age tale a fresh, welcome read. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.