Fiction

After the Lights Go Out

After the Lights Go Out

  • Downloads：5168
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-06-30 06:19:36
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：John Vercher
  • ISBN：1641293314
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

Pauline Harris ，

Wow was the constant word coming out of my head during this read。 This is not what we call a feel good read in any aspect- but it is extremely real。 This explores a lot of important topics。 I have never been into fighting so this gave s totally new perspective on that aspect of life。 A good， haunting read I would say。 Thanks to goodreads for the copy of this book to read。

Beth ，

DNF。 Was readable。 Just decided I wanted to read cheerier books

TC ，

RecommendedReview posted at Tzer Island book blog:https://www。tzerisland。com/bookblog/2。。。 RecommendedReview posted at Tzer Island book blog:https://www。tzerisland。com/bookblog/2。。。 。。。more

Kelly Parker ，

This is definitely not going on anyone’s list of “feel good” books， but it was still a good， albeit depressing， read。 Xavier is an MMA fighter coming off a yearlong suspension。 He’s attempting a comeback while also trying to help care for his dad， who’s suffering from dementia。 The problem is that Xavier is almost certainly suffering from CTE from too many blows to the head。 He blacks out frequently， and also becomes seriously violent， both of which forces him to deal with some pretty severe con This is definitely not going on anyone’s list of “feel good” books， but it was still a good， albeit depressing， read。 Xavier is an MMA fighter coming off a yearlong suspension。 He’s attempting a comeback while also trying to help care for his dad， who’s suffering from dementia。 The problem is that Xavier is almost certainly suffering from CTE from too many blows to the head。 He blacks out frequently， and also becomes seriously violent， both of which forces him to deal with some pretty severe consequences when he comes to。 Despite his crippling issue， fighting is all he knows and all he wants to do。 While this was quite engaging， it was not an easy read。 At one point， I thought I was going to have to quit the book when a dog was involved， but things didn’t get as bad as I feared。 I couldn’t help but root for Xavier throughout the story， even as his situation seemed to get progressively worse。 The author pulled no punches with this one， forgive the pun。 This was just a really sad， seemingly authentic， commentary on what athletes in certain sports have to deal with if they want to compete。 Thanks to #netgalley and #sohopress for this #arc of #afterthelightsgoout in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Faith ，

“We created all these rules that moved our violence to the ring， the mats， the cage， the field， the ice， and then we created rules， turned it into sport， turned our primal urges into a desire for the most yards， the most points， the most wins in the season， the belt， the trophy。 The people cheer the loudest at a hockey game when the fights break out。 People lose their damn minds when a race car flips end over end at two-hundred miles per hour。 People tell themselves they shouldn’t get out of the “We created all these rules that moved our violence to the ring， the mats， the cage， the field， the ice， and then we created rules， turned it into sport， turned our primal urges into a desire for the most yards， the most points， the most wins in the season， the belt， the trophy。 The people cheer the loudest at a hockey game when the fights break out。 People lose their damn minds when a race car flips end over end at two-hundred miles per hour。 People tell themselves they shouldn’t get out of the car at the light after someone cut them off in traffic， to pull them out of their car by their hair and bash their head off the hood until their teeth scatter because it’s just so wrong。 But they want to。 Oooh， boy， they all want to visit some violence on that fool。 That urge to destroy just claws at them from inside their chest。”Xavier "Scarecrow" Wallace is an MMA fighter， approaching 40 and suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy （CTE）。 He has headaches， dizziness， memory loss and ringing in his ears。 He even forgets where he lives， that he has adopted a dog， and that he has already bought groceries。 He is frightened by the similarities between his symptoms and those of his father Sam who is in assisted living in the late stages of dementia。 Xavier’s white father and black mother separated when Xavier was 13。 Xavier always blamed his mother for leaving， but Sam’s dementia reveals the ugly truth of why Eveylyn had to leave。 All of his life Xavier has had to deal with people （like his neighbor） who think he is too black and by some （like his childhood tormentors） who think he is not black enough。 This book is about the world of a particularly violent sport， the difficulties of deteriorating health， racism， colorism and complicated family relationships。 So much of this book is heart breaking。 There is probably no one on earth who is less interested in MMA than I am。 I find the whole concept repellent， demeaning， inhumane， completely stupid and a lot of other negative adjectives。 Also， books never make me cry。 Nevertheless， I loved this book。 At the end I literally screamed NO！ and started to sob。 The writing was perceptive， intelligent and beautiful。 The author really dug into Xavier。 Everything about this book felt so honest and raw。 Just read it。 I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher。 I also listened to the audio book which was narrated perfectly by Sean Crisden。 。。。more

H。L。H。 ，

A downward spiral of a story that highlights corruption in sports and entertainment， as well as the power of love。 Devastating， breathtaking。

Colette ，

I love sports， LOVE them and I am a sucked for a book that revolves around sports in any way shape or form。 Add in the family dynamics， cultural issues and more and I'm sold。What I appreciated most is that the characters are aware of what their sport is doing to their bodies and yet they just can't stop， if anything it's the only thing that takes the pain away。 Whilst I love sports， I feel like we do very little to protect our athletes; from themselves， racism， homophobia， injury， re-injury and I love sports， LOVE them and I am a sucked for a book that revolves around sports in any way shape or form。 Add in the family dynamics， cultural issues and more and I'm sold。What I appreciated most is that the characters are aware of what their sport is doing to their bodies and yet they just can't stop， if anything it's the only thing that takes the pain away。 Whilst I love sports， I feel like we do very little to protect our athletes; from themselves， racism， homophobia， injury， re-injury and more。 We just pat them on the back and send them back out there to entertain us with very little thought for the individual。 This is something I think Vercher nailed perfectly in this book， to the point that sometimes it was actual painful and sad to read。The family element of this book was also important to Xavier's story and I could relate to the impact of a loved one with dementia。 The other elements relating to his parents were also very interesting to read and something I would have liked to have explored in greater detail。 It really did highlight that the argument of 'I'm not racist because I have a black child/partner/friend' is very much a redundant arguement。Be aware that elements of this book were brutal to read， especially one fight scene which had me wincing， but nothing ever felt gratuitous。 There was also a scene with a dog that made me uncomfortable， but I also appreciated why it was in there。 I would definitely read more by Vercher， I enjoyed his insights， writing and storytelling。 。。。more

April McGlothin-Eller ，

I got a third of the way in and couldn't finish it。 It's hauntingly beautiful， but the subject matter was too much for this empath。 I got a third of the way in and couldn't finish it。 It's hauntingly beautiful， but the subject matter was too much for this empath。 。。。more

Mark Westmoreland ，

This book is devastating。

Kristian Beverly ，

Oh my god was my brain the whole time I was in this story。

Sharon B ，

"After the Lights Go Out" is such a powerful novel。 At first I wasn't sure I would be able to dwell in the world of the story， because I am not a fan of MMA and the plot hinges in part on the sport。 But John Vercher's writing and insights and humanity create such a transcendent work of literature that I was completely immersed and captivated。 As you read you will find yourself thinking deeply about race， family， love， violence， competition， memory， and betrayal。 The book is like a somber piece o "After the Lights Go Out" is such a powerful novel。 At first I wasn't sure I would be able to dwell in the world of the story， because I am not a fan of MMA and the plot hinges in part on the sport。 But John Vercher's writing and insights and humanity create such a transcendent work of literature that I was completely immersed and captivated。 As you read you will find yourself thinking deeply about race， family， love， violence， competition， memory， and betrayal。 The book is like a somber piece of chamber music， of exquisite beauty and echoing with grief。 I highly recommend this。 After the Lights Go Out 。。。more

Stephanie ，

Thanks #netgalley for this book in exchange for an honest review。 I had high hopes for this book but it wasn't for me。 Thanks #netgalley for this book in exchange for an honest review。 I had high hopes for this book but it wasn't for me。 。。。more

G。J。 Minett ，

A few months ago I read 'Three-Fifths' by John Vercher and was blown away by it。 In fact， I'd go as far as to say it's the best debut novel I've read in quite a while and I've been waiting since then to see whether his follow-up will fall foul of the dreaded second book syndrome or confirm that we have a new major talent on the scene。 Having managed to get hold of an advance review copy of 'After The Lights Go Out'， I'm delighted to say it's very much the latter scenario。The subject matter may s A few months ago I read 'Three-Fifths' by John Vercher and was blown away by it。 In fact， I'd go as far as to say it's the best debut novel I've read in quite a while and I've been waiting since then to see whether his follow-up will fall foul of the dreaded second book syndrome or confirm that we have a new major talent on the scene。 Having managed to get hold of an advance review copy of 'After The Lights Go Out'， I'm delighted to say it's very much the latter scenario。The subject matter may sound unpromising to some readers， especially those with little or no interest in Mixed Martial Arts and its long-term after-effects which ruin the lives of those who take part in it， but I would urge you not to rush to judgement without giving it a chance to work on you。 If you can read the first 50 pages or so and not be moved to tears on several occasions， you're a tougher person than I am。Xavier， the central character， is suffering from CTE， or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy， a condition almost certainly brought on by repeated head traumas。 Increasingly he has gaps in his short-term memory， a problem which makes it difficult for him to function on a day-to-day basis without potentially disastrous consequences。 Alone and tormented by his decision to place his father in a home where his dementia can be better managed， he stumbles from one crisis to another， alienating those who try to help him and desperately striving to pretend that this brain damage is just another opponent he can defeat。The book， as is the case with its predecessor， deals with really important themes - father/son relationships， childhood trauma， loss of those who matter most and， most importantly of all， issues of race and identity。 It's beautifully observed， impeccably researched and couched in wonderfully crafted prose which lingers long in the memory。 It is studded with scenes which you know are going to hurt you as an onlooker and which you pray will somehow work out OK and give Xavier a break， but Jon Vercher doesn't write fairy tales and refuses to allow us to look away。This novel， I would venture to suggest， will stay with me for a good while。 It is an absolute must read for any fan of boxing or MMA but， much more important than that， it's a novel that addresses really important social issues and tackles them head on。 As such， I honestly think there is plenty there for everyone to take away from it。Can't speak too highly of it。 And watch out for the name John Vercher - you're going to hear a lot about him before long。 。。。more

Linda McCutcheon ，

At the end of the phenomenal brutally honest After The Lights Go Out by profound author John Vercher I sat in silence with tears on my face。 Listening to the journey of MMA fighter Xavier "Scarecrow" Wallace nearly broke me but as a reviewer of literature it left me in awe。Getting older， being alone and forced into a year suspension Xavier is lost。 He refuses to acknowledge the persistent symptoms of his Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy （CTE） also known as puglistic dementia。 He loses time， his At the end of the phenomenal brutally honest After The Lights Go Out by profound author John Vercher I sat in silence with tears on my face。 Listening to the journey of MMA fighter Xavier "Scarecrow" Wallace nearly broke me but as a reviewer of literature it left me in awe。Getting older， being alone and forced into a year suspension Xavier is lost。 He refuses to acknowledge the persistent symptoms of his Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy （CTE） also known as puglistic dementia。 He loses time， his memory， and suffers black out rages that have disastrous repercussions。He has the anxiety of putting his emphysema suffering father in a nursing home。 Having lived through this guilt ridden life moment myself my heart went out to him。 The writer got all the emotions especially the fear， the self hate and self doubt 100% right。I listen to audiobooks everyday。 But nothing prepared me for the realistic rawness from narrator Sean Crisden when Xavier faces the gut wrenching harshness of his white father calling him the "N" word or his black mother leaving when his father's passive aggressive racism is just too much emotional abuse。 Give all the audio awards to Sean Crisden。The fight scenes are precise and bloody。 The family dynamic is often too honest in its dysfunction。 Even Xavier's manager cousin "Shot" can't decide if he's Xavier's advocate or his tormentor。 Xavier gets a chance to fight for maybe the last time， to be in the limelight again， to hear the crowd roar and to matter once more。 This author made me feel， made me root for Xavier， he even played with my heart by adding a misunderstood pitbull。 What he did best was not lie to me about what often happens after the lights go out。Pre Order After The Lights before 6/7/22！I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publishers via #netgalley for a fair and honest review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more

Heaven Protsman ，

This was book was dark and emotional， but so wonderfully written。 The story follows Xavier， an MMA fighter dealing with intense CTE， family issues， and internal struggles。 The characters were all so well done and I was gripped from the start。 It's hard to explain just how intense this story and writing style is without you having read it， so be sure to get a copy when it's published。 Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy。 This was book was dark and emotional， but so wonderfully written。 The story follows Xavier， an MMA fighter dealing with intense CTE， family issues， and internal struggles。 The characters were all so well done and I was gripped from the start。 It's hard to explain just how intense this story and writing style is without you having read it， so be sure to get a copy when it's published。 Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy。 。。。more

Lindsay Nixon ，

This book was too painful and emotionally difficult for me to read。 I couldn't finish it。 What I can say out of praise is the author does a tremendous job of accurately describing the current healthcare system in America （as terrible as it is）， brain injury， and living with pain （physical， emotional， psychological）。 I had asked for this book because I am fascinated by fighters and boxing （though have trouble being an actual supporter knowing they are going to have brain damage after; I do not wa This book was too painful and emotionally difficult for me to read。 I couldn't finish it。 What I can say out of praise is the author does a tremendous job of accurately describing the current healthcare system in America （as terrible as it is）， brain injury， and living with pain （physical， emotional， psychological）。 I had asked for this book because I am fascinated by fighters and boxing （though have trouble being an actual supporter knowing they are going to have brain damage after; I do not watch American football for the same reason。 That barbaric sport literally kills people; it's another way privileged white people use black bodies imho） and I love a good comeback/underdog story。 It is that， but not with the happy vibes I was hoping for， which I suppose only makes the book more real and authentic。 As another reviewer said， it was a real right hook to the head and a "wake up call。"I also really struggled with the injury to the dog at the beginning， even if it was accidental。 Bottom line: Excellent writer， just not a story I can jive with emotionally right now。 I applaud the author for writing this book。 I did like the narrator and felt he brought the characters to live and did a superb job with different voices and accents。 Thank you netgalley for my ARC。 。。。more

Madalynn ，

I was excited to read this novel because my spouse is a huge MMA fan and I've started watching along with him。 This novel was so cinematic， I could see it being adapted to the screen。 The characters were really well defined and strong， I liked Xavier and Shot's characters。 Something that didn't work for me was the disembodied narrator egging Xavier on。 I read this book as an audiobook， and it completely came out of nowhere。 Some of the moments broke my heart and were really brutal to read， but t I was excited to read this novel because my spouse is a huge MMA fan and I've started watching along with him。 This novel was so cinematic， I could see it being adapted to the screen。 The characters were really well defined and strong， I liked Xavier and Shot's characters。 Something that didn't work for me was the disembodied narrator egging Xavier on。 I read this book as an audiobook， and it completely came out of nowhere。 Some of the moments broke my heart and were really brutal to read， but they so neatly characterized Xavier's decline。  。。。more

Garrett Zecker ，

John Vercher’s After the Lights Go Out is a stunning sophomore release from the Edgar and Anthony Award-nominated author of Three-Fifths。 I absolutely loved the grittiness and social commentary of Three-Fifths and looked forward to his latest release with great anticipation。 After the Lights Go Out is a fight novel， and honestly， I think it is the first one that I’ve ever read。 Knowing what I know about fight cinema， however， it’s clear that the heart and strength of Vercher’s character-driven s John Vercher’s After the Lights Go Out is a stunning sophomore release from the Edgar and Anthony Award-nominated author of Three-Fifths。 I absolutely loved the grittiness and social commentary of Three-Fifths and looked forward to his latest release with great anticipation。 After the Lights Go Out is a fight novel， and honestly， I think it is the first one that I’ve ever read。 Knowing what I know about fight cinema， however， it’s clear that the heart and strength of Vercher’s character-driven story has the momentum of an emotionally gripping comeback story unparalleled in the sports fiction genre。The Scarecrow Xavier Wallace is reentering his MMA career after a stint of being away from the sport after accidentally taking banned drugs in an earlier fight。 It’s time to see if his chops still keep him a contender in the cage， but some major puzzle pieces from his life seem to encroach on his confidence and training time as contest opportunities get nearer。 There are interpersonal politics with his cousin at the MMA gym that end up coming to a head， caring for his father with dementia at his nursing home where his mental acuity unveils frightening truths about their relationship， an estranged mother， a mistreated dog up for adoption that needs the love he never had。。。 And atop all of this， X struggles with an undiagnosed and increasingly severe case of undiagnosed Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy （CTE） that is taking a larger and larger toll on his perception of the world， his relationships， and a fear that he might end up just like his father。 The question remains whether he will be able to cut weight and prove himself in the cage one more time and keep the teetering house of cards that is his life together before it all topples down。This novel was a powerhouse of character-driven moments where we see the life of a fighter with dreams and aspirations of living a good life with an early retirement seem just out of reach。 But the story’s complex narrative has a much more human component than that， from examining the effects of divorce on a grown man trying to manage the feelings of resentment and responsibility for his parents’ lives to navigating the difficult to define needs of his own life。 These aspects of the piece hit home for me at such a visceral level， as a middle-aged man trying to attain my aspirations but balance a career， death， mental illness， and relationships that， no matter how much you water and tend to the common garden， are the weeds that sap the nutrients of self-growth。 There are other aspects to the book that fascinated my sense of storytelling that Vercher is incredibly adept at including into an already packed piece， such as the effects of race on a family and a community struggling with identity， or the debilitating effects of head injuries on athletes that he presents with an understated but increasingly chilling impact on our narrator’s perception of his world and the way in which the story is told。Vercher’s second release is another triumphant piece at the beginning of a promising and increasingly vibrant career。 While I have not been a fan of sports novels， this one is truly magnificent and engaging and reminded me of the wonder and heartbreak I had at the end of Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler。 As always， I am hungry for more from Vercher。 。。。more

Eli Cranor ，

After The Lights Go Out doesn't pull any punches。 Vercher employs the world of mixed-martial arts like a scalpel， peeling the violent sport back layer by layer， exposing painful truths about racism， family ties， and the current state of healthcare in America。 This novel is a hard right hook to the head， a wake up call you won't forget。 After The Lights Go Out doesn't pull any punches。 Vercher employs the world of mixed-martial arts like a scalpel， peeling the violent sport back layer by layer， exposing painful truths about racism， family ties， and the current state of healthcare in America。 This novel is a hard right hook to the head， a wake up call you won't forget。 。。。more

Scott Atkinson ，

Vercher strikes again！ Above all， this is a damn good story， but you're certain to walk away with some new perspectives on race， violence， and so many other things that define our society today。 A must read。 Vercher strikes again！ Above all， this is a damn good story， but you're certain to walk away with some new perspectives on race， violence， and so many other things that define our society today。 A must read。 。。。more

Brannan ，

I had the immense privilege of reading this in advance of pub， and have been itching to see it on the shelf ever since。 Summer cannot come soon enough。 John's got such a skill for crafting characters who are Real （painfully so）， in circumstances that are Real （if unfamiliar to many of us）， then pulling apart all the threads of their reasoning， emotions， pain， struggle， and joy in a way that makes you ache for them。 Excuse the pun that I'm sure others are going to use or have already， but John do I had the immense privilege of reading this in advance of pub， and have been itching to see it on the shelf ever since。 Summer cannot come soon enough。 John's got such a skill for crafting characters who are Real （painfully so）， in circumstances that are Real （if unfamiliar to many of us）， then pulling apart all the threads of their reasoning， emotions， pain， struggle， and joy in a way that makes you ache for them。 Excuse the pun that I'm sure others are going to use or have already， but John doesn't pull any punches here。 And we're all so much better off because of it。 。。。more

Matt Coleman ，

John Vercher started his writing career with one of the best debuts in recent memory （THREE-FIFTHS）， which was as noir as crime fiction can get， but， more importantly， gave us one of the best examinations of race and racial belonging in literature。 With his second novel， Vercher pivots away from crime fiction while doubling down on the noir。 Brutal and dark and heart-breaking and resonant with an almost lyrical examination of family 。。。 of commitment 。。。 of the drive and will to live。 AFTER THE John Vercher started his writing career with one of the best debuts in recent memory （THREE-FIFTHS）， which was as noir as crime fiction can get， but， more importantly， gave us one of the best examinations of race and racial belonging in literature。 With his second novel， Vercher pivots away from crime fiction while doubling down on the noir。 Brutal and dark and heart-breaking and resonant with an almost lyrical examination of family 。。。 of commitment 。。。 of the drive and will to live。 AFTER THE LIGHTS GO OUT reads like a psychological thriller， but， in this case， the impending sense of dread is much more real than some masked killer。 Vercher opens up the skulls of his characters and lets us peek between our fingers at the mazes of their minds。 Beautifully written and brilliantly paced， this book is dark tragedy that lives up to its name， sticking around with you long after the lights go out。 。。。more

Ted Flanagan ，

John Vercher’s follow-up to his amazing debut， THREE FIFTHS， is a scorcher of a novel， destined for ALL the best-of lists。 An evocative， searing examination of memory and loss， of duty and family， AFTER THE LIGHTS GO OUT will undoubtedly be one of the best books of 2022 or any other year！