Marlin Stains lives in a trailer and cares for his dying mother, being the only remaining family member that she has left. Marlin blames himself for his twin’s death in the womb. And having buried his estranged father years earlier, he still grapples with accepting the relationship that he had with his on-again, off-again parent. He’s lonely and exhausted. So when his high school crush asks for a favor, he considers this his chance at changing his life for the better. Snarl by John Boden is a moving yet dark novella about a young man’s efforts to do the right thing. But forces outside of his control change his trajectory toward a dark path. 

Marlin definitely has a way with words. He has experienced much loss in his life and feels that he is responsible for how things turned out. So he navigates these feelings with his writing. And even though he has plenty of material to share – about 300 notebooks worth – he doesn’t share his poignant talent with anyone. His talent undoubtedly helps him cope. But it does nothing to help his lack of companionship with anyone outside of his mother and boss. 

Marlin’s childhood crush, Lisa, comes to him and confesses that her husband Joe has been abusing her. Seeing her plea as a chance to act on his feelings, he consults with his boss, Sorrel, as to how he should handle the situation. Little does he know, his boss sees his own opportunity to take advantage. And while Marlin is not aware of his boss’s plans, he is unfortunately affected by the outcome. 

Snarl is my first encounter with Boden’s work. But as those who are already familiar with his writing know, Boden has a tendency to paint a picture in the reader’s head with how he crafts his words on the page. And Snarl is no different. The story is inventive, sad, profound, and meaningful. And even though Marlin’s situation isn’t quite relatable, his apathetic attitude towards life will still resonate with readers who have had their fair share of grief and misery. Or at least for those who feel as if they are simply going through the motions, waiting for the other shoe to drop. And drop it does. 

Snarl is available now.