Sweet Tooth: Deluxe Edition, Book One: 03/13/18

Sweet Tooth: Deluxe Edition, Book One by Jeff Lemire is an omnibus of volumes one (Out of the Deep Woods) and two (In Captivity). The story is divided by two points of view: Gus's — the deer antlered boy on the cover, and, Jepperd a man who takes Gus under his wing for reasons all his own.

At first it seems that Gus is a one of kind freak of nature kid. He's being kept in isolation by his ailing father who claims to speak directly with God. When the father dies of the illness that apparently has been killing most people these last seven or so years. Gus is left on his own. That's when he runs into Jepperd and goes via horseback on a roadtrip in search of a sanctuary that takes in kids like Gus.

The book opens in the deep woods of an old state forest in a post apocalyptic Nebraska. Nebraska being pretty much grasslands, only has a few forested areas. The most likely location being around Crawford, along highway 20.

Despite being set in the breadbasket of United States, Lemire uses distinctly Canadian motifs to build his story. Instead of being along a cornfield or other type of multi-acre farm, Gus and his father live in a cabin in the woods. It brings to mind the Oshawa / Toronto connection I discussed in Three Years with the Rat by Jay Hosking (2017). Likewise, in Jepperd's memories of the before time, there is a post hockey game frame recapitulated in Roughneck.

Originally the series had six books. In the deluxe editions (the ones I'm reading through my library), there are three.

Four stars

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