Nickolas Butler's debut 'Shotgun Lovesongs' impresses critics
鈥淪hotgun Lovesongs鈥� is author Nickolas Butler鈥檚 debut novel, but it鈥檚 already making his name a familiar one to book industry watchers.
Butler released 鈥淟ovesongs,鈥� which centers on a group of friends who grew up in a small Wisconsin town and who return there for a wedding, on March 11. The book was picked as one of Amazon鈥檚 ten best books of the month and took the number one spot on IndieBound鈥檚 list. The novel also placed number 13 in the Hardcover Fiction list on the IndieBound bestseller list for March 27.
鈥淭his is a spectacular first novel, full of wit, energy, love, and a true feeling of home that other writers strive to achieve but few actually succeed in creating,鈥� Bill Carl of Ohio鈥檚 The Booksellers wrote for the Indie Next list.
Meanwhile, Amazon editorial director Sara Nelson called 鈥淟ovesongs鈥� 鈥渁 beautiful portrait of small-town America鈥� and all the ways that people cross paths."
critic Janet Maslin called the book 鈥渋mpressively original,鈥� noting Butler鈥檚 鈥渒een鈥� instincts for how his characters would interact, though she said Butler occasionally indulged in 鈥渙verwriting.鈥�
鈥淭he most lyrical parts of this big-hearted book are about how all the characters, including the star, are almost physically drawn to the town and one another,鈥� she wrote.
And reviewer Jaclyn Fulwood found 鈥淟ovesongs鈥� to be an 鈥渆legant but down-to-earth debut.鈥�
鈥淏utler's story of five 30-somethings seeking to make sense of how their future relates to their beginnings may focus on small town living, but it will resonate with anyone who ever struggled to reconcile dreams with financial security, true love with real life, and unwelcome changes with changes that never seem to come,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淏utler doesn't fall into the trap of romanticizing small town life, instead showing the difficulties that make rural living often more trying than rewarding.鈥�
(Also check out a preview of the audiobook of the novel.)
