|
Loading... The Shotgun Rule: A Novelby Charlie Huston
LibraryThing recommendationsMember recommendationsLoading...
won't like
will probably not like
will probably like
will like
will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. GREAT!  hckavich | Oct 6, 2009 |  wow, great book! great writing,, great story, great dialogue, great execution. syong | Feb 15, 2009 | Set in the summer of 1983 in a northern California suburb, The Shotgun Rule is the story of four teenage boys, on summer vacation living a life of adolescent debauchery. Their days are consumed with thoughts of drugs, booze and sex. They find themselves in trouble when they break into the home of the notorious Arroyo brothers to retrieve a stolen bicycle. In the process, they stumble on the family's meth lab. The boys steal part of the dealer's stash in retribution for the stolen bike. That act of bravado sets off a series of violent events that soon reopens the door to the town's past, when an earlier generation of criminals, including one of the boy's fathers, controlled the streets. Charlie Huston writes in a brutal style; he doesn't know how to even begin to pull a punch. This story is simple, violent and scary; but it's also stark and honest about human nature and what people are capable of when pushed too far. The characters are real and fallible, and the setting is presented in a way that makes you feel the sticky summer heat. Huston is one of the best writers in the genre today, and it's a shame he's not better known. (  ) bibliophool | May 9, 2008 | I was awake until 12:30 am last night. On a school night. I regret it now, but I just couldn't stop reading this adult crime fiction novel until I was satisfied. Here's the thing: I dislike novels where humanity disappoints me. I just can't imagine people living in a world like the one portrayed in this novel. Everything is so dark, gritty, evil, and depressing. Four teenage boys in northern California (seemed like downtown LA or something to me) live a rough life. And they make it worse. They steal, have fun with with every drug and alcohol combination available, and get into trouble. The gang situation in this town is disgusting...yet I had to keep reading. Don't read this if you can't stand gore, cuss words, and pointless violence. I was grimacing toward the end. Yuck. (  ) sarahthelibrarian | Dec 4, 2007 | It's the early 80's in the sun-blasted wastelands of working class California, and group of teenagers are desperate for anything to do to make the make the summer pass by. Blasting punk rock and heavy metal, they ride their neighborhood looking for trouble. Boy, do they ever find it. When one of their bikes is stolen by some neighborhood criminals, they break into the house looking to recover it, only to stumble into an illegal drug lab. This sets of an unstoppable series of events resulting in crime, violence and retribution. Charlie Huston has elevated pulp fiction to a fine art in his previous novels, and in this narrative he does so again. His young characters are so believable, that the remind me of people I knew growing up. His profanity laced rapid fire dialogue is reminiscent of playwright David Mamet, and his use of dark humor is bitter and scalding. This is one of the finest coming of age stories I have read. It dark night of the soul is not for the faint of heart, but the story is unforgettable and cries out to be read. ( ) blueslibrarian | Sep 25, 2007 |  no reviews | add a review
References to this work on external resources.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Book description |
|
(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:57:53 -0400)
The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details.
Quick Links |
Wikipedia in English
