Everyone's a Good Kid, Sans Circumstance

By Robert G.

Saint Iggy,  a 2006 novel written by K.L. Going, tells the story of the life and , the search for redemption of a highschooler named Iggy Corso. From his first-person perspective, Iggy tells us how a stupid mistake gets him expelled and how he went on a journey to seek a means of redeeming himself in the eyes of those who look at him with disdain. He guides the reader, in sporadic thought with a deficit of attention, through his broken home in public housing, through crack homes where his mother lives, through the richer side of life, and finally to the house of God. Iggy shows us where he and so many other children fail. After all, in the beginning, "Every kid is a good kid" (Saint Iggy, page 255)

K.L.Going  is absolutely outstanding with her characterization, both of Iggy and everyone who surrounds him. From Iggy's prose, which reflect perfectly the thoughts of a person with ADHD who lives with a family of drug addicts, to his naive enlightenment seeking friend Mo, all the to his stern principal who loses sleep over all the children with no place in the world, Going is stunning in her character development. Another aspect of her writing which deserves praise is her world building. She creates an environment that is not only believable, but hauntingly realistic. From the shattered homes of drug addicts to the privileged homes of the wealthy white collar gentry, she hits her setting with the precision of a master marksman. Going's message is her strongest point though. The idea of Saint Iggy is that people pulling themselves up by their bootstraps is bull. Iggy struggles to overcome his circumstances and fails by himself. He is a product of his environment and it's not his fault. Not gonna spoil anymore, but it's a tearjerker.

So should you read this book? Absolutely, you won't find a better illustration of this particular set of urban ills. It's well written and it reads fast especially towards the end. So pick it up at your local library or whatever.

Works Cited

K.L. Going, Saint Iggy, Harcourt, 2006