A streak of violence runs through the stories in Refresh, Refresh. Young men, old men, bears – all angry and violent. Women are often the victims – if not of the violence, then the anger. Boys are the victims of missing fathers.

The title story is the best by far: A searing view of boys in Oregon haunted by the absence of fathers off fighting in the Middle East. They try to become the rough men they imagine their fathers to be and wait in dread for the knock on the door telling them they are now the men in the family. "Caves" portrays the fractured marriage of a couple that lives in a house built over a cave. "Meltdown" is the intriguing story in one man’s view after a nuclear accident renders the Western U.S. a ghost area where only bandits and the brave exist. "Whispers" tells of a man who has always coveted his brother’s wife and goes to great lengths to make her his. In "When the Bear Came" a young man decides to kill a bear that has attacked two girls.

The stories in Refresh, Refresh are alive with the dread, pain and challenges of living. ( )

Don't bother. Read the first story if you can do so without buying the book. ( )

This is one of the best collections of stories I've ever read. Each one blew me away, especially 'The Caves of Oregon.'

Following his debut collection, The Language of Elk, Percy crafts a powerful collection of short stories set in Oregon. His skilled storytelling and his gift of characterization make him one of the most unique and dynamic of contemporary writers. ( )