(originally published on June 21, 2005)
If Jean Shepherd had allowed Ralphie ("you'll shoot yer eye out!") to compete against an adversary and then grow up and take his rightful place in town, then the result might have resembled Doyon's debut novel for adults -- a wonderfully pointed, sprawling tale infused with great humor, memorable characters adn choice insight into how much potential a person really has, no matter what stage of life he or she is at.
