Willy Vlautin's stunning fourth novel opens with Leroy, a young, wounded, Iraq veteran, waking to a rare moment of clarity. When his attempt to end his half-life fails, he is taken to the local hospital where he is looked after by a...

Fifteen-year-old Charley Thompson wants a home; food on the table; a school he can attend for more than a few months; and some structure to his life. But he's been pretty much on his own for some time. Charley takes a stables job,...