Equal parts family drama, mystery, coming-of-age and meditation on mental illness, Nathan Filer's unusual and haunting debut novel, Where the Moon Isn't, defies easy categorization. Whereas many genre-bending novels tend to overreach, this one succeeds on every level, most notably with its affecting--and perhaps unreliable--protagonist, Matthew Homes. He introduces his brother this way: "His name's Simon. I think you'll like him. I really do. But in a couple of pages he'll be dead. And he was never the same after that." Yet as Matthew reveals himself through letters, documents, memories, observations of others and even his drawings, it becomes clear that he is one of the most honest narrators you will ever meet.
Matthew grieves the loss of Simon, who had Down Syndrome and died when they were both children. He also suffers from a mental illness that is gradually revealed. He has hallucinations, alternating periods of mania and depression, and a tendency not to take his medication or follow the outpatient treatment program designed for him. His grief is not simple; it's mixed with guilt because he believes he is responsible for his brother's death.
When Matthew talks about being visited by Simon, it makes sense to us in the same way it does to Matthew, and this window into a mental illness that is so often misunderstood and misrepresented is both interesting and enlightening. Despite his turmoil, Matthew is great company. Smart, funny and compassionate, he makes us believe, if only for a moment, that it is possible to conjure a loved one simply through the energy of longing and memory. --Debra Ginsberg, author