Vernon God Little

Vernon God Little Summary | Plot Summary

Vernon God Little follows an intelligent teenager, innocently accused of capital murder, on his adventures through the penal and legal system. He briefly escapes to Acapulco into the arms of a lover, who brays him. The story shows reality television invading Death Row, and Vernon gaining a last second pardon through a remarkable series of phone calls to enemies and friends.

Vernon Little's life as a normal teenager falls apart, when his best friend, Jesus Navarro, murders their classmates in the schoolyard, and Vernon is taken in for questioning. He cooperates with Deputy Vain Gurie, because he had been running an errand for a teacher, Mr. Nuckles, and is not involved in the massacre. The perception of Vernon's innocence weakens, when Doris Little's best friend, the food-obsessed Palmyra (Pam,) arrives and, against Vernon's better judgment, whisks him off to Bar-B-Chew Barn, allowing the police to claim he is a flight risk. Eulalio ("Lally") Ledesma, supposedly a CNN reporter, ingratiates himself to Mom and promises to help Vernon "shift the paradigm" of his story. Instead, Lally betrays Vernon, who is returned to jail pending a psychiatric analysis. Vernon's jailhouse dream is beautiful but unattainable Taylor Figueroa living on the beach with him in Mexico. When the court-appointed shrink, Dr. Goosens, touches him inappropriately, Vernon leaves, knowing it can wreck hopes for bail.

Vernon's bail hearing suggests a possible alibi and no grounds for holding him, so Vernon is released as Goosens' outpatient, subject to regular sessions. Vernon, however is intent on living out the movie Against All Odds, repelled by Lally's not only betraying him again with a video interview with Nuckles, but also by insinuating himself into Vernon's family life - including sharing Mom's bedroom. Learning a posse intends to search Keeter's field, where his rifle is hidden, Vernon races to beat them, but meets a stranger who reveals Lally is a fraud. Vernon confirms it by phoning Lally's blind, neglected mother, and plans how to get her to talk with Mom. Vernon cannot control his temper well enough to make the evidence stick, however, but Lally worries enough to bails out and moves in with Leona. To pacify Mom, Vernon lies about finding a job, but when he skips a session with Goosens and word comes that his rifle has been found, he extorts money from an old pervert by photographing him with Ella and catches a bus to San Antonio. There he phones Taylor, meets her in Houston, but their meeting ends, when Taylor turns out to be Leona's niece.

Fast talk and money get Vernon into Mexico without identification, and a truck driver, Pelayo, takes him to his dream world on the beach near Acapulco. Vernon awakens on his 16th birthday on top of the world, but plunges, when Taylor's wired $600 does not arrive. Instead, against all odds, Taylor comes in person, takes him to a fancy hotel, and uses her wiles to get him to admit he is a murderer. Not suspecting a string of murders across Central Texas are attributed to him or Lally has recruited Taylor, but knowing from movies girls like bad boys who swear and commit crimes for them, and given just enough sex to admit anything, Vernon gives an out-of-context confession. Lally's people seize Vernon, turn him over to Federal marshals, and he lands in the Harris County lock-up for the summer. In the fall, as Vernon's trial is televised drama, with court officials, witnesses, and Vernon being made up for the cameras. Vernon trusts the system implicitly. His lawyer exposes Goosens' criminal behavior, discrediting his testimony for the State, and Taylor and Lally are seen entrapping Vernon. Vernon's attempt to tell the whole truth fails, however, when the State produces Pelayo's affidavit, which provides no alibi, because Vernon uses an alias in Mexico. Nuckles alone can clear Vernon when he testifies, but explosively calls him a murderer. Vernon is cleared of the Central Texas rampage but convicted of the schoolyard slayings and is sent to Death Row.

Lally has expanded his multi-media empire to include the ultimate reality show - an execution lottery. An axe murderer turned popular preacher helps Vernon figure out his feelings towards Mom, advises him to watch animal and human behavior and to realize Vernon is God. Vernon struggles to do this as he survives several votes, but eventually his turn comes. He thinks about what presents he can give the various people in his life. He makes kind phone calls to people calculated able to pull together an operation that destroys Lally and proves Vernon's innocence. A pardon comes seconds before the deadly chemicals are to flow into his arm. The den also yields up Jesus' suicide note, condemning Goosens and Nuckles to prison for pedophilia. Vernon and Ella prepare for a vacation in Mexico, Mom's fridge finally arrives, and everything in Martirio returns to normal.