M. Thomas Gammarino

At turns crass and cerebral, "Big in Japan" captures the distinctive blend of ambivilence and desperation that characterizes the transition from childhood to adulthood.

It's risky to place an emotionally stunted character at the apex of a novel, and Brain Tesdesco is nothing if not stunted. But Gammarino imbued him with a naked vulnerability that was both endearing and relatable. Even when Brain's behavior crosses the line from self-defeating into selfish and cruel, I couldn't write him off as just another man behaving badly. His motivations were far too complex and his psyche too broken for me to turn on him. Gammarino deserves a world of credit for creating a character whose humanity is never eclipsed by his moronic behavior.

Brain's insatiable desire to do and be something more than the anxious, insecure, angry boy that he is leads him to a life of debauchery. He gluts himself on sex until the activity becomes toxic; a mechanical act that he no longer enjoys but can't bring himself to stop. At it's core "Big in Japan" isn't just a coming-of-age story. It isn't just about sex or sexism or fetishism. It's about learning to balance the desires of the body with those of the heart.

Gammarino's writing is strong and evocative. Normally, I'm a serial reader. I finish one book and dive straight into another. I couldn't do that with Big in Japan. I had to take two days to emotionally process the story before I could bring myself to start a new book, that's how much it got to me.… (meer)