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My Thoughts About … ‘Hoodie’ by Brendon Lancaster
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SYNOPSIS
Available From Amazon
From the moment Ben Chapman ( ‘Hoodie’ to the other Shady Boys) crashes out of school, determined never to return and, incidentally, seeking his revenge on the school’s drug dealer by stealing and concealing his stash in his trousers on the way out, you know that this is a boy to whom caution and reticence are alien concepts. Outwardly, he maintains that all he wants is a job, his own money and to follow his heart towards the girl of his dreams, Isabelle. But, underneath that concealing hoodie, Ben has a rich inner life, fed by dope, wine and the belief that he is someone special. During his ‘summer of love’, we follow his attempts to engage with the real world with frustration and compassion. His adventures cause him to question today’s competitive, consumer-based values, eventually challenging his perception of reality and prompting him to reflect upon who and what his purpose in life is before finding himself faced with the definitive test of resolve and bravery. Hoodie’s blend of up-to-date realism, dream-like escapism, fast-paced, hard-hitting action, wistful musings, humour and tragedy, all while the story navigates its way on a magical mystery tour of Ben’s mind, ensures an enjoyable read. It provides the perfect antidote to alarmist Daily Mail reporting of youth issues, exploring the problems facing modern day Britain from the perspective of a disempowered, disaffected teenager.
On a deeper level, there is a moral/spiritual sub-text, fed by Ben’s belief that he has a secret weapon; the simian lines (fused head and heart lines) on the palms of his hands. These are extremely rare and noted as being a genetic abnormality shared by drug addicts, mass murderers, scientific researchers and religious fanatics (and, by sheer coincidence, Tony Blair). Could these lines hold the key to his future?
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brendon Lancaster, grew up and still lives in London and has worked for some 25 years in civil service employment.
Deciding that he then wanted to take time to explore and pursue his creative potential, he discovered that writing gave him the ideal opportunity to daydream, although ‘Hoodie’ is his first published work, with a second novel already on the drawing board.
Brendon has stamped his individuality into the storyline, by giving his principal character Ben, one of his own distinguishing features, having simian lines on the palms of both hands.
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WORDS FROM THE BOOK, WHICH I WANTED TO SHARE
To be honest, there were so many sentences, phrases and even complete paragraphs which fitted into this section, that I eventually settled on this small selection, to illustrate the depth and feeling of Brendon’s narrative.
‘”Learn to read life’s signs. boy. They’re all over the place and full of hidden messages. Your head and heart will sniff them out and lead you to your destiny. Follow your instincts and you’ll be sure to find success over failure, distinguish right from wrong, tell truth from reality. You’re gifted boy.”‘.
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‘”But speak from the heart”, he said profoundly, “for it is only from there that we can see the truth. What’s essential to life is invisible to the eye!”‘
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MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK
I am really struggling to know where to start the discussion about this book, as it stirred so many strong emotions that my allegiances and sympathies constantly shifted back and forth, until I found myself completely ‘sitting on the fence’.
At times I just wanted to put my arms around Ben, let him pour out all his worries and troubles, then help to set him on a hopefully more fulfilling and worthwhile path. Then he would do something so crass and thoughtless, that I just wanted to slap him and tell him that I wanted nothing more to do with him.
Such is the maturity and intensity of Brendon’s superb narrative, with totally believeable and genuine characterisations, relationships and situations.
The book is brutal in its vivid descriptions of the progression through the spectrum of anti-establishment activities, which the gang participates in, and with which they appear to be sending out a challenge, both to authority and to each other, as they increase in intensity and violence … gang membership and violence, teenage sex, underage smoking, alcohol abuse, banned substance abuse, knife culture, illegal possession of firearms, underage driving and murder…
The writing is also perceptive, sensitive, well considered and balanced, when we manage to get Ben on his own and see his true personality begin to develop and expand … Loneliness, aloneness, unhappiness, dysfunctional families who do not communicate, the need to succeed, the feelings that he should start to try and find someone with whom he can share his life. These are all emotions and observations which Ben is more than adaquately able to express , when he puts his mind to it and he is not being led and influenced by others in the gang, or is acting the big shot in front of them, with always something to prove. He is actually quite astute and observational when he takes the time to ‘people watch’, concluding that most of them are inherently unhappy and spend most of their time ‘chasing their tails’, in an effort to appear trendy and part of the ‘in crowd’.
At what point, Ben wonders, was his innocence lost, when did everyone become so judgemental of him that he felt the need to close himself off from the outside world into a place of safety and security by hiding behind his hoodie. Why is it that the only person he feels really wants to talk and (more importantly) listen to him, understands him and is sensitive to his vulnerability is Joe, a disreputable tramp?
Joe is perhaps one of the best supporting characters in the book, although he makes the least appearances. Despite his own obvious fall from the mainstream of life, Joe comes across as an educated man, who is quietly aware and sensitive to Ben’s inner turmoil and is genuinely eager for Ben to get on with his life and make something of himself. Things are going well between them, until Joe badly mis-reads the situation and his relationship with Ben, and makes what is to Ben, a devastating revelation, his reaction to which sends them both into a downwards spiral, with disastrous consequences for both and leading to their combined ultimate sacrifice.
I am not sure whether Brendon deliberately wrote the book in such a way, that the reader is almost forced into this position as a neutral observer, however, after much contemplation, I came up with these clear thoughts about the book …. It is, in almost equal measure ….
- Sickeningly Realistic
- Profoundly Touching
- Emotionally Draining
- Uncomfortable, yet unputdownable
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Would I give this book to a Young Adult to read? … possibly.
For many, it would certainly be all the deterrent needed to avoid this path to certain, total and ultimate self destruction. However, I would worry that for the certain, albeit small minority group, it might only serve as a catalyst to magnify, glorify and promote to exalted status, the power which ‘Hoodie’ and ‘The Shady Boys’, think they command.
On the other hand, I think that ‘Hoodie’ should be compulsory reading for all guardians of young adults, about to enter the ‘Secondary’, or ‘Middle School’ phase of their education. ‘Hoodie’ is an inspirational work of fiction, which speaks to everyone, regardless of age or social class, so if you don’t think this scenario is ever one that you will face with your own young adult, then be sure to track the character of Isabelle, very closely.
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The poignant, emotional and personal poem, with which Brendon chooses to close the story on ‘The Shady Boys’, is a fitting tribute and brings a closure and finality to the book, unlike anything else he may have written in its place.
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On a final, lighter note, I loved the cover graphics for ‘Hoodie’, the design for which became apparent as I followed Ben on his travels to the skatepark, and was brought full circle by its obvious link to the book’s title. So many book covers have no cohesion to the storyline in any way, that ‘Hoodie’ provided a refreshing change and set the scene before I even started to read.
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As this was an author invitation to read and review, a copy of ‘Hoodie’ was sent to me, as a ‘smashwords’ gift, free of charge by its author, Brendon Lancaster.
This will in no way influence any comments I may express about the book, in any blog article I may post. Any thoughts or comments are my own personal opinion and I am in no way being monetarily compensated for this, or any other article.
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Featuring … Newly Published Author Colin Browne, With His Debut Novel ‘The Baggage Handler’
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I was first introduced to author Colin Browne, after he contacted me to enquire whether I would be prepared to read and give my thoughts about his new, debut novel, The Baggage Handler
He had apparently come across Fiction Books, when reading reviews that had been posted here, about his fellow author Nadine Rose Larter’s debut novel, ‘Coffee At Little Angels’.
Colin sold the concept of the book to me, as that of a ‘romantic comedy’ with a twist, it had been written from a man’s perspective … That idea intrigued me no end, and as I am certainly not averse to a light and easy to read interlude, here we are ….
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First lets find out a bit more about the book itself …
Available From Amazon
Martin White, editor of The Shallow Review of Books, likes his life as he likes his work: shallow. Living in purposeful near-isolation in the middle of a crowded city, he keeps his relationships superficial and his life uncomplicated. His deliberate avoidance of social potholes prompts his colleagues to turn to him for assistance handling their own life and relationship baggage, which only strengthens his resolve never to allow any of it into his life. He’s pretty happy, albeit hollow and empty.
But then Kasia turns up. Young, Polish, focused on minding her own business, she neither invites, nor encourages Martin’s flailing attempts at romance, but he can’t help himself. For reasons that defy logic for an isolationist such as he, he falls for her, hard. Years of handling baggage have done nothing to equip him to handle his own however as he realizes with excruciating displays of ineptitude, again and again. He’s way out of his depth …
Faced with a challenge by Rich, his more socially adept colleague, to ask Kasia out within a week or Rich will, Martin has no option but to open the doors to all the complexity of modern life and relationships as he re-emerges from the shadows.
A twisted romantic comedy, written from the male perspective, The Baggage Handler is an acknowledgement that if you’re going to be serious about it, this love stuff is hard.
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… And now, something about the author
Colin Browne, has lived and worked in several countries, including Belgium, Dubai and South Africa, however he has returned to his birthplace of England, where these days, he calls London his home.
Colin’s early career was in business-to-business magazines, writing articles which took him on his worldwide travels.
Latterly, he has become involved in the conception and and start-up of a successful sales resource company, ‘SALESGURU’, in South Africa, which he has now left in the safe hands of his two partners and which continues to flourish and develop.
Today, Colin is still very much in the thrall of corporate culture and it is this energy which drives him to speak on the subject at almost every given opportunity, where he enjoys sharing the hard fought lessons he has learned over the years, with his audience.
He is now making time to indulge in his love of writing, which has been a big part of his life for many years, although this has yet to bring him recognition as a published author.
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I suspect that is all about to change, with the long awaited publication of his first novel ‘The Baggage Handler’. Colin bills this as a romantic comedy with the twist that it has been written from the male perspective.
In itself, this is surprisingly not a rare phenomenon, as there are more male authors out there, writing in the romance genre, than anyone would have guessed at. The difference lies in the fact that the majority of male writers in this genre, are writing under female pseudonyms, whereas Colin has had the courage of his convictions and published under his own name.
I am sure that many male authors, writing under a female alias, would have much preferred to be recognised and received credit for their work, as themselves, and in many cases that I am aware of, it was purely a publishers directive, which brought about the ensuing subterfuge. However, with access to todays increasingly easy to use, self publishing sites, many, if not all of those decisions are very much down to the individual authors discretion.
Colin is very down to earth and circumspect about his writing career and has written a brilliant post on his blog, about ‘Putting The Emphasis Back On Creating, Where It Belongs ..’
I haven’t yet started to read ‘The Baggage Handler’, however the PDF is sat there just looking at me, so I am sure it won’t be long before I am part of this somewhat quirky synopsis.
I wonder what the male equivalent of ‘chick-lit’ is?
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My Thoughts About … ‘The Safety Expert’ by Doug Richardson
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SYNOPSIS
Available From Amazon
“Ben Keller lives life by one simple rule. Safety first. Ben is keenly aware of life’s hidden dangers. Ben never smokes. Ben always uses the crosswalk. Ben always drives within the speed limit. He has to be because safety is his business. From his home in Simi Valley, California, one of the safest cities in the United States, Ben works hard at living a perfectly normal, perfectly uneventful, perfectly safe life.
And life is good until the past reaches into the present. In the dark of the night, a man crosses a lonely intersection and is struck by a car, setting events in motion that will unravel the finely stitched strands of Ben’s cocoon, from a recently retired porn actress who is desperate to be a mother to the butch cop determined to shield her young son from the whisperings of the queen bee moms at his private school to the addict who is clawing to hold onto the sobriety which cages the violence within him.
A long dismissed demon has resurfaced, presenting Ben with a most unsafe dilemma: preserve the haven he has carefully built for himself or confront the evildoer who decimated his carefree young life all those years ago.
Ben is in danger. Ben’s world is unsafe. Ben’s life will be changed forever. Again.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Doug Richardson was born, raised and still lives in the State of California USA, attending ‘the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema’ to complete his education towards his chosen profession of movie director, although he wisely revised this course of action, turning instead to screenplay writing and since then he has never looked back.
His resume reads like a list from ‘who’s who’, with his feature films including * ‘Die Harder’ *, ‘Bad Boys’ and ‘Hostage’, together with his two hugely successful previous novels ‘Dark Horse’ and ‘True Believers‘, which have both received nothing but 5 star reviews.
*I left hubbie watching yet another re-run of this film as I speak, he never seems to tire of this all action hero style movie*
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PASSAGES FROM THE TEXT WHICH I FOUND THOUGHT PROVOKING
“Her boss had a deep wound inside. From that wound he had transformed himself into a human miracle, she thought. A man who had taken the horror from his life and built it into a safe little niche.”
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“It was plain. Both husband and wife were certain they knew the other’s secret. Yet neither knew anything at all.”
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MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK
When ‘Pratt’, a dying convict suddenly decides to have a pang of conscience, his well-meaning actions have a devastating effect on the future of so many, setting off an unstoppable chain reaction of events, which take so many lives into a downward spiral of self-destruction and misery.
Ben, is a model citizen; loving husband, and devoted step-father, existing in his ‘safe’ life, where every action is made only after the considered risk has been analysed and accepted. It isn’t until we discover the horrific demons which haunt Ben’s past life, that we begin to realise just how fragile is the cocoon he has built up around himself and how easily it can shatter into a million pieces, leaving Ben vulnerable once again to his raw feelings and emotions of hatred, revenge and retribution.
When we are first introduced to Stew, it quickly becomes obvious that he has a whole different set of demons all his own, which he battles on a regular daily basis. His naturally violent tendencies and addictions, are only barely controlled, still bubbling away gently, just below the surface veneer of domesticity and respectability he has built up around himself. Repressed memories of his past horrific crimes, are re-played in his mind as always being the ‘other persons’ fault, with himself having been provoked beyond all reason, to carry out the terrible acts of retribution and violence that he has inflicted on so many.
Detective Lydia (Gonzo) Gonzalez, is yet another in a long line of fiction detectives who is trying to juggle the pressures of family life, with the stress and demands of the job and probably achieving neither to their full potential. She makes the fundamental mistake of allowing her heart to rule her head and looses her cool on more than one occasion, only then does she realise that her actions have probably made an already bad situation, much, much worse. In trying to make reparation for her mistakes, her life as well as her career are on the line. Loosing one and narrowly saving the other, forces her to re-evaluate her life and what it really means to her.
The two main supporting players, as this terrible scenario unfolds, are Alex and Pam, Ben and Stew’s respective wives. Although they outwardly appear to be at opposite ends of the social spectrum and are destined never to meet, they are not so different as you might think. Both are determined characters, who will defend their homes and loved ones with their own lives if necessary. Neither however, are strong enough to withstand the combined force of the hatred between their husbands and are powerless to influence the outcome and the effect it will inevitably have on all their futures.
All of the remaining supporting characters are well developed and defined, in a way which is both sympathetic to the overall storyline, yet which is also designed to highlight both their individual strengths and weaknesses.
Ben and Stew, complex and at times almost frightening characters, two men both fighting to keep buried dark memories from the past, controlling demons which, when the layers of the story are peeled back, find them both pushed beyond their limits, hunter and hunted both.
The fast paced storyline flows naturally from one phase to the next, on this horrific roller coaster ride, of high tension and exposed, raw emotions. The storyline is a carefully measured piece of writing, which is equally plot and character driven, creating a finely balanced narrative, which keeps its pace and action right until the very last page. The ending however, did come as something of a surprise and wasn’t quite what I had expected, just one last twist in the tail of this venomous, deadly snake named ‘revenge’.
Given Doug’s hitherto successful screenplay writing career, I think that ‘The Safety Expert’ would definitely, easily lend itself to being adapted as a screenplay script for a film and even the title sounds fantastic as it is.
‘The Safety Expert’ had me in its grip and on the edge of my seat, from the very first page, to the very last word and even then I didn’t want it to end!
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Doug has provided me with a copy of ‘The Safety Expert’, in exchange for me reading and sharing my thoughts. The fact that my copy was gifted, has not influenced, nor in any way will influence in the future, any comments I may express about the book, in any blog article I may post. Any thoughts or comments are my own personal opinion and I am in no way being monetarily compensated for this, or any other article.
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Mailbox Monday … 16/01/2012
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Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house during the last week.
Be warned that Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!
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I think that my luck must really be in, at the moment. My single new book into the house this last week, was another author request for a read and review. I am getting to read so many great new books, from established and debut authors alike and I am discovering a whole new raft of genres, which are stretching my reading preferences beyond belief …. and I am having a whale of a time with all my new discoveries.
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‘THE BAGGAGE HANDLER’ by COLIN BROWNE
Available From Amazon
“Martin White, editor of The Shallow Review of Books, likes his life as he likes his work: shallow. Living in purposeful near-isolation in the middle of a crowded city, he keeps his relationships superficial and his life uncomplicated. His deliberate avoidance of social potholes prompts his colleagues to turn to him for assistance handling their own life and relationship baggage, which only strengthens his resolve never to allow any of it into his life. He’s pretty happy, albeit hollow and empty.
But then Kasia turns up. Young, Polish, focused on minding her own business, she neither invites, nor encourages Martin’s flailing attempts at romance, but he can’t help himself. For reasons that defy logic for an isolationist such as he, he falls for her, hard. Years of handling baggage have done nothing to equip him to handle his own however as he realizes with excruciating displays of ineptitude, again and again. He’s way out of his depth …
Faced with a challenge by Rich, his more socially adept colleague, to ask Kasia out within a week or Rich will, Martin has no option but to open the doors to all the complexity of modern life and relationships as he re-emerges from the shadows.
A twisted romantic comedy, written from the male perspective, The Baggage Handler is an acknowledgement that if you’re going to be serious about it, this love stuff is hard.“
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As this was an author invitation to read and review, a copy of The Baggage Handler was sent to me free of charge by its author, Colin J. Browne.
This will in no way influence any comments I may express about the book, in any blog article I may post. Any thoughts or comments are my own personal opinion and I am in no way being monetarily compensated for this, or any other article.
I hope that you all had some great new arrivals this week, I would love you to share them with me.
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First Lines … ‘Hoodie’ by Brendon Lancaster
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CHAPTER 1
Available From Amazon
His lungs were bursting; his breath was shallow. The result was a mix of fear, adrenaline, thrill and sheer exhilaration, accompanied with a large dose of light-headed madness and a small dose of asthma for good measure.
All triggered at having just pulled off the most daring and high-risk ‘crime’ imaginable.
His lean, sinewy legs had never felt more powerful, propelling him at ever increasing speeds further downwards – at times leaping high over the shoulders of the unfortunate pupils who happened to get in his way – whilst his usually steady hands were shaky and barely able to control themselves. They flapped around at his sides, making his otherwise impressive athletic descent appear more like a bird attempting flight with wings ten sizes too small.”
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I wonder what the daring ‘crime’ is, which Ben has just admitted to committing?
Are we inside a block of residential apartments or a commercial property, from which Ben is making his escape?
I am wondering just how old Ben is, as he seems to be very fit?
Don’t you just love that cover art?
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As usual, so as to avoid too many unwanted spoilers, I have not included a full synopsis of the book in this post. However to find out a little more about the story, before deciding whether it is your ‘cup of tea’, or not, you can either click here, on the book image, or click here to enter the author’s website, where there is some great extra background material.
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They say that the first lines of a piece of writing, are always the most difficult to set down on paper. It seems to me, that they may also be the most definitive, as I find they often set the scene in my mind, even before I have turned the first page… and it is quite disappointing if they don’t…
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What is ‘Book Beginnings’ and how you can join in the fun.
Would the first few lines of your book make you want to read on?
If so, would you like to share them with us, (without revealing too many spoilers of course) ?
Click on the link and visit Katy, at ‘A Few More Pages’
You can then leave a link to your own book beginnings post, or just browse for some great reads, there are always plenty of new authors and titles to be discovered.
Don’t forget that Katy and all the other contributors to this meme love to hear from you, so why not leave a comment or two at the same time.
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This contemporary/YA fiction book, was gifted by Brendon Lancaster, as an author request for me to read and leave my comments about and as such was free of charge.
This will in no way influence any comments I may express about the book, in any blog article I may post. Any thoughts or comments will be my own personal opinion and I am in no way being monetarily compensated for this, or any other article.
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Update 26/01/2012 …. What an awesome read this was, a real tour de force from Brendon. My thoughts about this amazingly authentic story, can be found by clicking here.
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Wondrous Words Wednesday 11/01/2012
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‘Wondrous Words Wednesday’ is a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we have encountered in our reading.
It is hosted by Kathy, over at BermudaOnion’s Weblog. You can either stop by and leave a link to your own ‘mystery’ words of the week, or just browse the eclectic mix of words that others have discovered, there is always a great selection.
Don’t forget that Kathy and the rest of us, all love to read your comments as well!!
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My words this week come from my current read … a gutsy, fast paced thriller,
‘The Safety Expert’ by Doug Richardson
Available From Amazon
“Ben Keller lives life by one simple rule. Safety first. Ben is keenly aware of life’s hidden dangers. Ben never smokes. Ben always uses the crosswalk. Ben always drives within the speed limit. He has to be because safety is his business. From his home in Simi Valley, California, one of the safest cities in the United States, Ben works hard at living a perfectly normal, perfectly uneventful, perfectly safe life.
And life is good until the past reaches into the present. In the dark of the night, a man crosses a lonely intersection and is struck by a car, setting events in motion that will unravel the finely stitched strands of Ben’s cocoon, from a recently retired porn actress who is desperate to be a mother to the butch cop determined to shield her young son from the whisperings of the queen bee moms at his private school to the addict who is clawing to hold onto the sobriety which cages the violence within him.
A long dismissed demon has resurfaced, presenting Ben with a most unsafe dilemma: preserve the haven he has carefully built for himself or confront the evildoer who decimated his carefree young life all those years ago.
Ben is in danger. Ben’s world is unsafe. Ben’s life will be changed forever. Again.”
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1. TROMPED …(I could have guessed this one, but it is such a great word)
‘As Stew tromped toward the rear of his site, he continued his phone conversation.’
TROMPED … 1.To walk heavily and noisily; tramp … 2.To apply heavy foot pressure on something … 3.To trample underfoot … 4.To defeat soundly; trounce.
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2. PONTIFICATE
“In fact, Ben would sometimes pontificate, Americans by in large ignored any and all odds, astronomical or otherwise.”
PONTIFICATE … 1.To express opinions or judgments in a dogmatic way … 2.To administer the office of a pontiff … 3.The office or term of office of a pontiff.
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3 &4. MOOKS & SHIV
‘… and then having to divide the dough with mooks half as smart as himself just to keep someone from sticking a shiv in his back.’
MOOK … An insignificant or contemptible person.
SHIV … A knife, razor, or other sharp or pointed implement, especially one used as a weapon.
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5&6. GENTRIFICATION & BARRIO
‘And as much as the area had been slowly reborn from inevitable urban gentrification, some remnants of its barrio roots remained untouched.’
GENTRIFICATION … The restoration and upgrading of deteriorated urban property by middle-class or affluent people, often resulting in displacement of lower-income people.
BARRIO … 1. An urban district or quarter in a Spanish-speaking country … 2. A chiefly Spanish-speaking community or neighborhood in a U.S. city.
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7. OMNIPOTENCE
‘It stripped the rage and left him with a cozy feeling of omnipotence.‘
OMNIPOTENCE … 1. Having unlimited or universal power, authority, or force; all-powerful … 2. One having unlimited power or authority.
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All definitions are taken from ‘The Free Dictionary’ … http://www.thefreedictionary.com
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