Eye of a Fly

JD Salinger for the New Millenium. A brutal delight written with the compassion and wisdom of the greats, Eye of a Fly by Justin R Smith is one of my favorite books by a living author.

Written in simple, honest and accessible poetic language, it goes right to the reader’s heart. There is so much more to this story than the description would suggest. A truly beautiful transcendent reading experience cleverly disguised as a sincere and heartfelt urban coming of age tale, it is, in fact a journey into the heart of redemption of the human spirit.

And even being at times a real tear-jerker, the book has humorously slapstick moments which are so rude and outright funny, I nearly s**t my pants laughing. The scene at the butcher’s counter at the corner grocery store is one of those hilariously surreal literary memories that I will doubtless take with me to the grave — and quite probably beyond. Justin Smith with this splendid new book has earned himself a place as the new millennium's answer to JD Salinger. Bravo!

— Jonathan Shaw
Author of Narcisa, Our Lady of Ashes and Scab Vendor.