After growing up with an alcoholic mother and an intermittent stepfather Alex pines for connection even as he sabotages his life with substances and substitutes one failed relationship for the next. Shuffling from troubled home to chaotic institution he narrates his strange search through Chicagos gritty gutters and lonely lakefront spaces with a voice that is clear honestand unforgettable.Anthony Korandaamp8217s debut Broken Bottles is earning comparisons to Denis Johnson and Nelson Algren. Itamp8217s a searing debut destined for a space among the classics of Chicago literatureamp8212a story both strange and familiar about one personamp8217s path through the chaos of youth in a quest for acceptance and hope.amp10