Take Me With You, Steven Rowley (Review by Kristin Kurek)

Another foray into perfection by Steven Rowley! Once again, Steven Rowley weaves a story with equal parts humor and heart. I laughed, cried, and will keep these characters near to my heart for the rest of my days. Don’t let the unique premise fool you. This is not a novel for the weak. Take Me With You follows Jesse del Ruth as he deals with the aftermath of his husband, Norman, walking out of their house into a strange beam of light and disappearing. How can Jesse explain the disappearance? Will he be blamed? Has Jesse caused this abandonment? Does he deserve it? Jesse is left wondering what to do with himself now that his husband is gone. He has been a part of a relationship so long, that he has to redevelop his sense of self from scratch. This novel explores themes of abandonment. As a relationship develops, does the loss of self occur commensurately? I greatly enjoyed this book and found myself wondering about who I am in reference to the relationships that I have formed around myself. I love books that explore the “self” in a vacuum of external influence. How does a novel about alien abduction leave me staring out the window of my office and contemplating codependence and self-discovery? The author has a specific voice that pervades all his novels. He excels at infusing horrific situations with a sense of humor. His characters feel real: flawed yet relatable. How does Steven Rowley make me laugh so uproariously but make my heart absolutely ache for his characters? For sure, I will continue to read (and re-read) all of his works for that exact replication of the human experience. This is a masterful work by a true artist!