PADDYLAST INC.

Published March 7th 2017
Format: Novel
Genre: Coming-of-Age, Fiction /Family/Contemporary/YA
Length: 452 pages, Hardcover
Publisher: Clarion Books
Cover Artist: Antonio Castro H.
Ebook ASIN/ISBN: 0544586506 (ISBN13: 9780544586505)
Characters: Salvador Silva, Samantha Diaz, Vicente Silva, Fito Fresqeuz

Blurb: The first day of senior year:

Everything is about to change. Until this moment, Sal has always been certain of his place with his adoptive gay father and their loving Mexican-American family. But now his own history unexpectedly haunts him, and life-altering events force him and his best friend, Samantha, to confront issues of faith, loss, and grief.

Suddenly Sal is throwing punches, questioning everything, and discovering that he no longer knows who he really is—but if Sal’s not who he thought he was, who is he?

I couldn’t wait to read “The Inexplicable Logic Of My Life” by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. I chose to wait for the physical book instead of the ebook, and it was definitely worth it. And let me just say, it was an experience worth every moment of anticipation. This book, in its entirety, is a masterpiece.

The characters—Sal, Sam, Mr. V, Fito, Mima, and the others—leap off the pages with such vibrancy that they feel like friends you’d eagerly welcome into your life. Each character carries their own captivating story, enriching the tapestry of the narrative.

Salvador, the heart and soul of the tale, captured my admiration from the very beginning. His maturity juxtaposed with moments of childlike innocence endeared him to me in a profound way. If there ever was a fictional character to aspire to, Sal would be it.

In Sam, we find the perfect complement to Sal’s character—feisty, distinct, and an embodiment of unwavering friendship. Their dynamic is a testament to the richness of their bond.

Mr. V, or Vicente, stands out as a paragon of what it means to be a man—a complex portrayal that adds depth to the narrative’s exploration of masculinity.

Fito’s journey tugged at my heartstrings, showcasing resilience in the face of adversity—an admirable trait that resonates deeply with readers.

The beautiful language of the story goes beyond ordinary words, stirring a range of emotions that profoundly connect with me. It seamlessly intertwines themes of family, individuality, and love, prompting readers to contemplate their own journeys.

In all honesty, this book stands as the pinnacle of my reading journey this year. Benjamin Alire Sáenz has crafted a work of art that is simply unparalleled.

Benjamin Alire Saenz, you are incomparable!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

About The Author
Benjamin Alire Sáenz (born 16 August 1954) is an award-winning American poet, novelist and writer of children’s books.

He was born at Old Picacho, New Mexico, the fourth of seven children, and was raised on a small farm near Mesilla, New Mexico. He graduated from Las Cruces High School in 1972. That fall, he entered St. Thomas Seminary in Denver, Colorado where he received a B.A. degree in Humanities and Philosophy in 1977. He studied Theology at the University of Louvain in Leuven, Belgium from 1977 to 1981. He was a priest for a few years in El Paso, Texas before leaving the order.

In 1985, he returned to school, and studied English and Creative Writing at the University of Texas at El Paso where he earned an M.A. degree in Creative Writing. He then spent a year at the University of Iowa as a PhD student in American Literature. A year later, he was awarded a Wallace E. Stegner fellowship. While at Stanford University under the guidance of Denise Levertov, he completed his first book of poems, Calendar of Dust, which won an American Book Award in 1992. He entered the Ph.D. program at Stanford and continued his studies for two more years. Before completing his Ph.D., he moved back to the border and began teaching at the University of Texas at El Paso in the bilingual MFA program.

His first novel, Carry Me Like Water was a saga that brought together the Victorian novel and the Latin American tradition of magic realism and received much critical attention.

In The Book of What Remains (Copper Canyon Press, 2010), his fifth book of poems, he writes to the core truth of life’s ever-shifting memories. Set along the Mexican border, the contrast between the desert’s austere beauty and the brutality of border politics mirrors humanity’s capacity for both generosity and cruelty.

In 2005, he curated a show of photographs by Julian Cardona.

He continues to teach in the Creative Writing Department at the University of Texas at El Paso.