The Lost Prayers of Ricky Graves
A review of James Han Mattson’s debut novel
In March 2018, I read the debut novel of author James Han Mattson, The Lost Prayers of Ricky Graves. I’ll admit, it sat in my queue on Kindle since I chose it as my first read in November 2017.
I probably read 20 books from November until March. Each time it came up as the next book to read, I found something else to read instead. But after the Parkland school shooting, I decided I needed to read it immediately.
To my knowledge, the Parkland shooter didn’t go on his spree because of being tormented, teased, or otherwise harassed for being gay. Honestly, other than being mentally ill and getting no help, I don’t know his reasons for doing what he did.
But something about this tragedy pushed me to read this novel.
Mattson was inspired in part by the case of Tyler Clementi, who committed suicide after his college roommate publicly outed his intimate encounters with another man.
“I remember reading that, and just being completely repulsed by it, and having this kind of visceral reaction to it,” Mattson says. “And when I have a reaction like that, I know I have to write about it.”
Ricky Graves was a tortured young man living in a small town in New Hampshire. He was the…
