I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Every now and then I read a book that stops me dead in my tracks when I finish it. It's the sort of book that sticks to you like after you finish it. It lingers like a scent in the air and no matter what you do you can't really get past it. It's there, lodged into your soul like a bullet and nothing will ever take it out. Pride & Joy, like so much of what I've read of Ennis, was just that sort of book.

It was just what I was hoping it would be.

This is a basic revenge tale, but told from the perspective of the people being hunted rather than the hunter. This is a story of what it means to be a man, and the shifting definitions of such a title. It's about growing up and the difficulty in defining your own self and taking responsibility for your actions. It's hard, but what else would you expect from Ennis? It's ugly. It's everything I wanted it to be.

Ennis has a way of romanticizing the old cowboy ethic macho bullshit while simultaneously realizing all of its faults. I've yet to find another writer like him. I'm grateful that his work keeps popping up into my life.

Further, the artwork in this book was fantastic. It melded perfectly with the writing, and the dark palette really fit the tone of the story, interspersed with the neon red of blood. It was evocative without being distracting, subtle and rewarding those who look closer.

Great book. Vaguely reminiscent of Fargo's season 1 in some places. Powerful stuff. ( )

quick and midly violent. it is a surprise that the story had some moral view to it. ( )