The New Boy Harley Tat 9780984923403 Books
Download As PDF : The New Boy Harley Tat 9780984923403 Books
It's the early 1980s and college freshman Andy Martin has a lot more on his mind than sex and term papers. He is a murder suspect, and at the same time embroiled in the chaotic world of college rugby—a world of rabid rituals, sadistic hazing, and heroic, non-stop parties. While this “New Boy” earns his stripes on the team, he uncovers a sordid family secret that undermines his beliefs. His existence becomes a series of mistruths and misfires ... to the point where even he begins to wonder if he might be a killer. This is a story of the rite of passage between boy and man, and man and marauding beast.
The New Boy Harley Tat 9780984923403 Books
This book started off on a real high. Yes, the introduction was violent, but the first half of the book was interesting, fast paced and pulled me into the world of college ruggers. The second half of the novel became more disjointed, reflecting the main character's mental status. The problem was that there was no narrative voice to help the reader see what was actually happening vs. what was part of the mania. I felt like the book ended 15 pages too soon as one of the major plot elements was never resolved in either the main's mind or mine. I did really enjoy the first half of the book and would love to see more from this author, but perhaps with a better editor to help deliver a complete book.Product details
|
Tags : The New Boy [Harley Tat] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. It's the early 1980s and college freshman Andy Martin has a lot more on his mind than sex and term papers. He is a murder suspect,Harley Tat,The New Boy,Berkshire Pop,0984923403,FICTION Sports,Fiction - General,Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945),Sports
People also read other books :
- Old Greek Stories By James Baldwin Illustrated James Baldwin Vincent 9781533440181 Books
- The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe of York Mariner Daniel Defoe Books
- Charity for All William Brennan 9781615828968 Books
- High Road To Tibet John Dwyer 9781445246147 Books
- Bats and Bones The Frannie Shoemaker Campground Mysteries (Audible Audio Edition) Karen Musser Nortman Rebecca Roberts Karen Nortman Books
The New Boy Harley Tat 9780984923403 Books Reviews
The New Boy is such a brilliant read with great twists and turns that kept me captivated, intrigued and guessing to the end.I read half the book in one sitting. The descriptive components around college rugby life brought back some great memories of my crazy college and club days.
There's a real risk in writing an unreliable main character. When it's done poorly, it will inevitably make a mess of what might have been a good book. When it's done well, though - when it's done well it can make a good story great. I'm pleased to say that Harley Tat, with 'The New Boy,' pulls off the trick quite well.
'The New Boy' doesn't waste time getting into the thick of it. It begins with a wild ride to a late-night clinic, to stitch up a nearly-severed tongue, the result of a rugby game that got exceptionally rough for at least one player. Enter Andy Martin, the titular "New Boy" on the team and the owner of the wounded tongue. The journey to the hospital, in a VW driven by a fellow rugby player who we only know as The Troll, sets the tone for the rest of the book - chaos and quick bursts of observation.
Later, after Andy is on the mend, a rugby team party turns into a nightmare when he's witness to the discovery of a dead body - the first, as it turns out, of many.
This is a book about rugby, and it's a book about murder. Between those two things alone, it gets pretty violent in these pages. Consider yourself warned.
There are some very nice touches in this book. Setting it in the 1980's creates an enforced distance from the modern reader, but also a sense of nostalgia for those (yes, like me) who were around in that age of cassette tapes and VCR's, before cell phones and all things digital. I enjoyed these little notes of recent history, and Tat played them well. Also handled nicely was his sense of place, especially for me. 'The New Boy' is set mainly in Bellingham, Washington, and Tat has spent some time there. He does good work in giving the novel a real sense of place - you feel like you're not just somewhere random that the author pulled out of a hat, but somewhere in the world, somewhere solid and real.
Where 'The New Boy' is not as strong mostly in Tat's grasp of dialogue. Conversations often seem stilted, and characters speak more floridly than might be expected. They're a little too eager to show off obscure musical knowledge, expounding not only bands but specific performers. They're a little too descriptive in general, saying more when less would have been more in character. I appreciate descriptive language in a book, but even more I like a good ear for natural dialogue - some of the conversations in 'The New Boy' almost knocked me out of the narrative.
The narrative, though, is compelling. Told in staccato bursts of rugby action, drinking and drugs at college parties, and police procedural, in combination with the increasingly-uncertain memories of Andy Martin, this is a story that really does keep you guessing. So much so, in fact, that it borders on surreal, where some passages seem too strange to have really happened. I found myself questioning the character's reliability, his sanity, even his grasp on reality as the book progressed.
And I loved that.
The conclusion was satisfying and had a couple nice surprises in store, and even left a few questions unanswered. I appreciate a story that doesn't spoon-feed you the whole shebang, and Tat leaves just enough up to the reader to keep it interesting, without being frustrating.
Harley Tat deserves credit for taking a risk in the first place with a troubled, unreliable main character and a complex story. And he should be congratulated for mostly pulling it off.
I received a free copy of 'The New Boy' from the author in exchange for reviewing it.
So I'll admit that I'm not a big reader... Books simply don't capture my attention and sure as heck don't keep it in the rare occasion they do capture it. This book was recommended to me by my friend who understands my book dislike. So I figured why not and for the whopping 4 bucks bought it. Man was my friend's recommendation a good one! I started reading this book 4 days ago and am already finished with it! It was exciting, intense and an easy read that kept me wanting more. Something I can rarely say about a book. I don't leave book reviews because I don't love that many books. This one, however, was great! I might even be as bold to say this book restored my faith a little bit in books and I might read another one... Maybe.
After the first few pages, I was reminded of a sign I once saw on a souped-up car here in the South that said, "Get in, sit down, shut up, and hang on!" This ain't gonna be your grand-daddy's feel-good story about a boy's initiation to a sport. It's a real slobber knocker that isn't for the faint of heart. However, if you hang on til the end, you'll find yourself wanting a sequel .
Sometimes I just want to read a pleasant story, I was not in the rough mood required by this violent start....sorry, had to delete it. I imagine it will find an audience.
You know you are in for a ride when rugby is the softer side of this murder mystery. Great read. If you play rugby, it's a must read. Tat really captures the rare breed that takes a shine to bloody noses and cleat mark face lifts. If you like murder thrillers, you'll find yourself questioning the ending that's unpredictable and will have you thinking.
I don't know rugby - I mean at all - but that didn't stop me from getting engrossed in this dark period novel about a 'new boy' on a rugby team who finds a bruising camaraderie with group of pill popping, booze guzzling, hard fighting rugby players.
What starts out as a joy ride through northern Washington state, with an 80s hit soundtrack blaring on the stereo, quickly crashes through the guard rail and goes off-the-road as the new boy gets in way over his head. Blood flows, body counts rise, and the line between reality and psychosis get blurred.
Definitely recommended for fans of Bret Easton Ellis and his hard-bitten brand of youth gone wild.
This book started off on a real high. Yes, the introduction was violent, but the first half of the book was interesting, fast paced and pulled me into the world of college ruggers. The second half of the novel became more disjointed, reflecting the main character's mental status. The problem was that there was no narrative voice to help the reader see what was actually happening vs. what was part of the mania. I felt like the book ended 15 pages too soon as one of the major plot elements was never resolved in either the main's mind or mine. I did really enjoy the first half of the book and would love to see more from this author, but perhaps with a better editor to help deliver a complete book.
0 Response to "[MLD]⇒ PDF The New Boy Harley Tat 9780984923403 Books"
Post a Comment