So Far Gone by Jess Walter
on June 10, 2025
Genres: Fiction / Action & Adventure, Fiction / Cultural Heritage, Fiction / Literary
Pages: 272
Format: Hardcover
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Jess Walter’s So Far Gone is an unforgettable, genre-blending novel that combines dark political commentary, family drama, and a wild, suspenseful rescue mission. It’s the kind of book that grabs you early and doesn’t let go.
After a volatile Thanksgiving in 2016, journalist Rhys Kinnick retreats from society, trading smartphones and social strife for solitude in a ramshackle cabin in the Pacific Northwest. Seven years later, his estranged daughter’s children land on his doorstep, desperate for safety. When a radical militia kidnaps the kids, Rhys is forced back into a fractured world he tried to escape. Alongside a bipolar retired detective and a sharp-tongued ex, he embarks on a chaotic, dangerous, and strangely humorous journey of redemption.
This was a 5-star read for me. Walter is a masterful storyteller, and his writing pulled me in immediately. The book is multi-layered—part survival thriller, part darkly funny family saga, and part biting commentary on politics and extremism in America.
What really stood out was the balance of tone. For all its violence and bleak observations, the novel still manages to be touching and even funny at times. Beneath the chaos lies a tender story about fathers, daughters, and the possibility of reconciliation.
Rhys Kinnick is deeply flawed, yet I couldn’t help but love him. His desire to withdraw from an “idiocracy” gone mad felt heartbreakingly human. Chuck, the manic ex-cop, brought both humor and unpredictability, while the grandchildren added a much-needed heart and innocence to the darker threads.
So Far Gone is as messy and complicated as real life—violent, funny, tragic, and full of love all at once. It’s both a razor-sharp cultural critique and a moving family drama. I’ll definitely be picking up more from Jess Walter, who proves once again that he knows how to write stories that entertain, provoke, and resonate.
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