* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. *

Jerkwater by Jamie Zerndt is a short, contemporary read that feels as if it has much more to say.

Zerndt's characters are well-written with strong personalities. The story pivots through several points of view, giving a well-rounded picture of the setting and each of the protagonist's lives. Though not feeling fully developed, the character of Peyton Crane exists more as an evil shadow, a non-traditional but still fairly effective approach to the creation of an antagonist.

The narrative can be a bit choppy, moving from one story to the next with occasionally hazy transitions. This tends to slow the read a bit. However, the bones of the story are very solid and the crux of the story is one that is very powerful and important.

This is a definite adult novel with situations and language that can easily prove uncomfortable for some readers. It is humanity stripped bare. Zerndt does not shy away from painting a clear picture of the racism present in his fictional presentation of the community, including some very brash language. This can feel (rightly so) a bit like a gut punch upon reading, but keeps the realism of the narrative plain.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and found myself both comfortable and appropriately uncomfortable with Zerndt's writing. Though the book does work okay as a short standalone, I was left wanting. This may be a good thing, as it has prompted me to continue to consider the characters and the narrative, but I feel as though this serves as more of a snippet of the potential that this story contains. I hope to see more of Zerndt's exploration of these characters in the future.