This Author will Control Your Emotions

It Takes You Over by Nick Healy is his debut short story collection and the winner of New Rivers Press 125^th Many Voices Project. As a native to St. Paul, Minnesota, Healy places each of his stories within the metro area. 

Readers of Minnesota will be pleased to see their native land as a setting; however, many of Healy’s characters turn out to be dislikable. His writing creates strong images of characters, who I was immediately drawn to, but with brushstrokes like an artist, Healy reveals their true personalities, and the protagonists no longer seem positive. This demonstrates Healy’s talent as a writer to control language and to change the readers’ perspectives.

One of the most memorable stories, “The Deep Route,” is observed from the perspective of a young father in Minneapolis/St. Paul. At first readers will respect the father who consciously makes the decision to spend time with his son. But through a short time with a series of events, readers begin to feel uneasy and question the character of the father. Many of Healy’s readers will follow a similar emotional ride when reading individual stories.

In another story, “Close Relations,” we follow the path of a grandmother, and many readers will sympathize with her. Early on we meet her troubled daughter who cannot seem to support herself and her young child. Readers won’t find themselves disliking Lorraine (the grandmother), but her character creates sympathy.

I had hard time rating this collection of short stories, because it isn’t one of my “typical” choice reads. Normally I prefer to relate with my characters on a personal level and love them, so it was difficult for me to feel sympathy and anger at characters. But, I do recognize the power in Healy’s writing because he was able to evoke those emotions within me as I read.

If I were to rate this story on the author’s skill, I can’t help but give him 5 for 5.