Reviews

Amazon.com July 22, 2009

5.0 out of 5 stars

By Donna Aviles, author, Beyond The Orphan Train (Delaware)

Excellent read for young and old alike!

Woody Elmont of Ogamesh, Georgia has more on his plate, and on his mind, than most sixteen-year-olds. His father abandoned the family when his mother was pregnant with Woody's younger brother. His mom later died leaving her two sons in the care of their Aunt Zee. By the time the story opens, the tables have turned and the aging Aunt Zee is the one who needs to be cared for as her mind and body begin to fail. To complicate things, Woody's younger brother, Tick, is mildly developmentally disabled with little understanding of right and wrong. Woody tries to be the man of the house and handle all these circumstances, but when Tick is sent to a juvenile home for shoplifting, Woody has a guilty sense of relief that at least one burden is in someone else's hands. When Tick disappears from St. Anselm's after a questionable fire at the facility, Woody feels it's his responsibility to bring his "zoo headed brother" back home before he finds himself in even more trouble.

Calling Out Your Name by Ned White is an exciting and adventuresome tale of one boy's journey towards adulthood as he makes his way across the country seeking to find and save his brother. The story is chock full of well-developed, believable characters who each, in their own way, teach Woody meaningful life lessons. A unique and surprising twist at the end of Woody's journey helps him to fully understand earlier events in his life and leaves the reader with a satisfying ending. Mr. White writes with an authentic southern voice, placing the reader in the center of the action, thus making for an engaging, enjoyable read. Technically, this book is professionally presented with only a few errors - nothing that causes the reader to become distracted.

Although billed as a "novel for young adults", Calling Out Your Name is a story that will be enjoyed by both young and old alike. Mr. White is a talented writer - this is the second of his books that I have reviewed - and I look forward to reading more.

Amazon.com July 8, 2009

5.0 out of 5 stars

By Eric Jones, BookReview.com

A wonderful story that maintains its integrity from beginning to end.

I grew up in Macon, GA, with all of those southern fixin's that Ned White describes in his coming-of-age tale, Calling Out Your Name. When I was sixteen I did many of the same things that Woody Elmont does in Macon; going to the mall to window shop, traveling to friend's houses to sit out under the stars and drink in secret, and chase my brother on foot along the Bible Belt in a frantic bid to clear his name from an arson and possible murder charge with the police hot on my heels. Ah, those were the days.

Apart from reminding me of my own childhood, Calling Out Your Name has a lot going for it in the spirit of Huckleberry Finn, modernized with Buicks instead of rafts, telephones instead of carried missives, and crooks who rob liquor stores instead of impersonating English dukes. There is even a misperceived death which features prominently in the finale, which might be a call back to Huck's faking his own death before setting off down the Mississippi River, or in this case, highway.

Also like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Calling Out Your Name is written in the first person, using a colloquial southern style that I've been working hard to shed since I moved to Wisconsin last year. It's nice to see it appear fondly here, and White appropriately tosses in plenty of good ole' southern analogies like "that there won't amount to a peehole in Georgia clay!" or "I scurried away like a cat up a tree". Much of it works well in support of the protagonist's personality and lends a lighthearted luminance to some of the darker parts of the story.

Woody's brother, Tick, has a mild mental handicap that eventually lands him in juvenile detention after shoplifting from the local mall. Woody is relieved for a bit, enjoying the opportunity of living without the incessant responsibility of caring for both his brother and their aging aunt Zee. Then he gets word that a fire has reduced the facility to smoldering ruin and his brother is now on the lamb from the police, along with a friend of Woody's who was also serving time, and both are suspected of having started it. This sends Woody on a cross-country adventure to find and retrieve both of them and clear their name.

The story is constructed episodically, with Woody running into various characters who offer help in his mission in exchange for work or companionship. The adventures of Woody are not devoid of humor, but White seems to favor an introspective mood that more often confirms Woody in his moral decision to lie and evade police in favor of finding his brother. This also parallels Huck's decision to go against societal rules by allying himself with an African American, and solidifies White's novel as a successful update of Twain's classic tale while still standing on it's own right as well.

Calling Out Your Name is a wonderful story, and maintains its integrity from beginning to finish, taking readers on a journey from one American coast to the next; from youth to manhood in a single arching stroke against a canvas with several layers. It's a mystery tale, an adventure tale, a humorous tale, and a tale of growing up in the south. It has a breadth that is both broad and indelibly fine, making it a worthy comparison to its predecessor and a delightful inclusion for any book collection.

Smashwords June 03, 2009

5 stars

By Chris Sabga

I love road trips. I love coming of age stories. And I love books featuring great characters you care about traversing through rich settings you can visualize.

Calling Out Your Name by Ned White features all of the above - and more. There's action, adventure, and even a bit of romance strewn in for good measure.

Woody Elmont is the one of the most likable and interesting characters I've come across in my reading as of late. If you're anything like me, you will feel a compulsive need to turn the pages - because you'll just have to find out what happens next as Woody travels beyond his sleepy hometown of Ogamesh, Georgia in search of his younger brother.

The author conveys a convincing Southern cadence that's always comfortable and pleasant to read - never distracting or grating, which is a trap other writers and books have fallen into. In fact, it's a pleasure to spend time with the main character and imagine the soothing sounds of his congenial country dialect.

When it's all said and done, Ned White's Calling Out Your Name packs quite an emotional wallop.

This is storytelling at its finest.

Amazon.com May 12, 2009

5.0 out of 5 stars

By Barbara Macy

Calling Out Your Name

The heart of the main character remains true throughout the book no matter what name he is using. Life lessons, coping strategies and people skills develop as the young man travels across the country. Description and narrative blend seamlessly to create a book that is readable, informative and entertaining. With such vibrant detail, it is easy to imagine this book becoming the basis for a movie with broad appeal.