Paul Griner's The Book of Otto and Liam named a Foreword INDIES finalist
Cover of The Book of Otto and Liam
Paul Griner's novel The Book of Otto and Liam has been named a finalist for the 2021 Foreword INDIES award for fiction. Foreword Reviews calls it a "biting literary novel that protects a fragile truth with its endearing story of fatherly love," and commends its "colorful scenes" and "dark humor."
Previously, The Book of Otto and Liam was longlisted for the ALA Booklist's Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence. It was also named by Booklist as a "Best New Book" in April 2021 and was a Reading Group Choices "Editors' Pick."
Paul Griner is the author of the novels Collectors, The German Woman, and Second Life, and the story collections Follow Me (a Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers choice) and Hurry Please I Want to Know (winner of the Kentucky Literary Award). He teaches writing and literature at the University of Louisville.
Praise for The Book of Otto and Liam:
"Griner’s novel is a powerful excavation into the darkest recesses of grief. . . . Unabashedly polemical, angry, and heartbreaking." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Griner creates an entirely original portrait of grief, loss, and finding a new way forward in the aftermath of an all too-familiar tragedy." -- ALA Booklist, starred review
"Paul Griner's novel The Book of Otto and Liam manages to be dark, powerful, funny, and timely, often on the same page."-- Largehearted Boy, online
"Paul Griner’s fourth novel, The Book of Otto and Liam, amalgamates artifacts and narrative to not only tell the tragic story of a father reeling from a school shooting that leaves his son in the hospital, but also to examine the conspiracy theories and hoaxes that pervade American society. It’s a novel built on short chapters and precise emotional swings. Griner’s prose is swift and holds steady in the most difficult moments. I frequently found myself pausing to reread and process these short bursts, but finished The Book of Otto and Liam in one sitting." -- Aram Mrjoian, Chicago Review of Books
