Citrus County: Swamps, Passions, and Mosquito Bites

LOVE SHOULD BE HARD, BUT IT DOESN'T. Citrus County, Florida, looks nothing like those television images, with its inviting climate, coconut trees, and surfers. Fourteen-year-old Shelby Register moves to the swamp-smelling town with her father and sister after her mother's death. Perhaps the only thing that interests her is Toby McNurse, a hopeless delinquent serving dozens of detentions. Toby, on the other hand, sees no meaning in life, in the passions of adults, in the fun of friends. He only knows, deep down, that it is his destiny to do evil. And when he observes the angelic Register sisters, he knows his soul's calling is about to be answered. • "A writer to watch, reread, and envy." – Tom Franklin • "Brandon writes about weariness, longing, and ultimately love with an energy and wit that are triumphant and entirely his own." – Deb Olin Unferth • “John Brandon is a prose sniper – half Denis Johnson, half Elmore Leonard.” – Davy Rothbart