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Liked It “Four suburban teenagers manage to find big trouble when they come across a meth lab while trying to retrieve Andy’s stolen bike. I’ve wanted to read Charlie Huston for a while and thought this stand-alone thriller would be a good place to start. I wasn’t disappointed. This was a brutal, dark and...” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“Four suburban teenagers manage to find big trouble when they come across a meth lab while trying to retrieve Andy’s stolen bike. I’ve wanted to read Charlie Huston for a while and thought this stand-alone thriller would be a good place to start. I wasn’t disappointed. This was a brutal, dark and compelling slice of suburban life. The characters were very well-developed, the dialogue sharp, and the pace relentless. The story was raw, painful and a believable portrayal of troubled youths, dysfunctional families, and drug use. This was a story about kids who made mistakes and had bad things happen to them; it was about parents who wanted to make a better life and found they couldn’t escape their past. Intense, disturbing, and not for everyone.
Gashlycrumb wrote this review Monday, June 8 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
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“Another great book by Charlie Huston. If you don't like violence, this is not your book. This book will have you looking back at some of the decisions you made as a teenager and wondering how they didn't get you in the type of massive trouble that the kids in Shotgun Rule found themselves in. Everyone remembers the neighborhood boys that like to break into the empty houses, and talk smack etc...this is a stellar example of how that "stuff that teenagers do" can have some serious repercussions and might have you reflecting on the time you finally realized that your parents have a past too.”
Deanna B wrote this review Wednesday, May 27 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This is Charlies first non-series/non-trilogy novel so it's a great starting point for the curious who want to read some of his work.
Mike C wrote this review Tuesday, May 19 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Initially I wasn't getting grabbed by this the same way I was when reading the Henry Thompson Trilogy (as in obsessed with finishing it!!). But once I got to within 100 pages of the ending I had to keep going. The story just takes a little longer to build, despite some very interesting young adult characters.
Huston has a way with realiistic dialogue that reveals much of the story and helps offset some of the vivid brutality and violence in his writings. This takes place in the suburbs of Oakland, California in the early '80's. I suppose that's because setting this in modern times when everyone can call you from a cell phone would ruin not just the plot but the desperate plight of some of the characters.
A band of teenagers (some finishing school, some already dropped out) break into a gang home to retreive a stolen bike and find a crack lab, steal some drugs, and you can guess the rest of it. The involvement (past and present) of two different fathers of the young men adds some complexity and flavor to the whole affair. Worth your time.”
“OMG!!! this is one of the best book's I've ever read. it meant so much to me I can't explain it, its about 4 kids and how one wrong choice and/or action can screw up everything. ur heart will break as u witness the wrong choice and The Shotgun rule gets broken one of my favorite line is from Andy "Daring chaos, the travelers begin their journey." CAUTION: you will fall in love with George, Paul, Hector, and Andy. ”
Patti V wrote this review Sunday, March 30 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I love everything that Charlie Huston writes. This was a fast-paced, often funny and intriguing look into teenage outside culture.”
tmmercury wrote this review Friday, January 4 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Dark, funny, twisted, like all Charlie Huston's books. If you have not read Huston's Hank Thompson and Joe Pitt series, this standalone will be a good introduction, but after you finish you should drop everything and read "Caught Stealing."”
ddurham wrote this review Thursday, August 9 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
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