Willy Vlauntin. Have you read his work? Well, you should.

Willy Vlauntin is a Portland resident who moved here about 15 years ago from Reno. A Real nice guy and is in a really great band called Richmond Fontaine. Both his writing and his music is well worth picking up. He recently did a reading at the St.Helens book shop. He read some excerpts from his book, played a few songs and signed books for a slew of older ladies.

I Read Willy's first book Motel life a few weeks back and i just finished Lean on Pete about 5 minutes ago and they both are amazing books. The way Vlauntin writes really makes you empathize for the characters and you cant help but feel the hopelessness and despair that the characters are dealing with. I've read a lot of different authors but Willy Vlauntin just nails it on the head.

Motel Life deals with a set of socially forgotten brothers trying to run away from there problems and loosing what little hope they have left.

Lean on Pete is Willy's Third book and follows a 15 year old who just moved to Portland dealing with his own share of hardships and being more or less on his own. Things get far worse and it follow Charlie as he tries to hold himself together as he travels east.
Not the best synopsis i know

If you get a chance pick up one of his books, I would start with Lean On Pete.
You can order any of his books from the St.Helens book shop and get it personalized.

But has anyone else around here read one or both of these books? What did you think about them?