Raise a Holler

by Jason Stuart

"It's, more or less, The Hobbit re-imagined as a series of southern-fried crime misadventures. Hank Grady's far-flung higher-n-hobbit-height tall tales are the stuff of legend." --Jedidiah Ayres, Editor of NOIR @ THE BAR and DICKED, AN ANTHOLOGY. "An amazingly fun page-turner." --Heath Lowrance, Author of THE BASTARD HAND and DIG TEN GRAVES "A cross between REPO MAN and THE WILD AND WONDERFUL WHITES OF WEST VIRGINIA." --David James Keaton, Editor of FLYWHEEL MAGAZINE and Author of ZEE BEE & BEE. "Raise a Holler is furious and carnal, a rampage of country madness and vigor. Imagine a resurrected Sherwood Anderson tearing through Mississippi, drinking PBRs with Harry Crews, gravel flinging from their mudflaps. Here is a cataclysm of spectacle and fate told in hard jabbing language. Stuart is a literary man on the loose." --Charles Dodd White, author of LAMBS OF MEN and SINNERS OF SANCTION COUNTY It’s summer, 1967, and 16 year old Hank Grady could do with a lot less of his daddy’s whippings and his daddy’s Jesus, so when a one-eyed traveling rocket salesman tells him and his friend Billy of a lost stash of bootleg whisky leftover from the old days, they’re off and running. But, a gaggle of fat hags, an angry militia, and a full host of other strange obstacles will impede their mission at every turn. Nonetheless, Hank Grady, the future outlaw of Culloden County, Mississippi, is determined to get to the whisky that will make him a legend.

Genres: Fiction

246 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 4, 2011

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book read like a movie, which I mean mostly as a compliment. It was well-paced, not heavy on detail but providing enough to let your mind fill in the gaps. The characters were interesting and kept the story moving well. The only way in which this book reading like a movie might be a criticism is that at times you're left wanting more from a scene, wishing to stay in one locale and learn more. But, as it is, it's a fun, quick read that doesn't disappoint.

[David Keaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wild man Hank Grady in Raise A Holler (or The Ballad Of Them Boys And The Bomb) is a barn burner. And if anyone's ever seen the first five minutes of The Long Hot Summer, you'll know how I'm using that term. Here's a man who drives so fast, the cops needs helicopters to give him a ticket. I loved the voice of this book. Reminded me a bit of Chuck Kinder's voice in Last Mountain Dancer. But there isn't just one voice to contend with. Sort of like the Spoon River Anthology, between each chapter are these colorful interludes where locals reminisce about the events depicted, which gives the whole thing a ring of authenticity, something that may have been sacrificed by the increasingly strange cast of characters. And just like any other disreputable outlaw heir to Huck Finn, this sucker comes with a map! Apparently included in case you want to go try to lay a flower on the graves of these maniacs. So, yeah, it was exactly what I wanted for a summer read. A cross between Repo Man and The Wild And Wonderful Whites of West Virginia. Trust me. My science is sound

[Jadrick Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t believe the few amount of reviews on this book. Read and review guys. This is a gritty, fun, tall tale of legend. This book pulled me out of a 3 month reading funk. I’m a thriller/mystery fan by default, but lately they’ve been running together. I wanted something different, so I decided to give Raise A Holler a try. What a surprise!

Now, you’ve heard this one’s hilarious, and it is, but there’s more underneath the southern fried humor. It paints a picture of what its like growing up in a small bible belt town. It’s a coming of age story for these two uncultured 16 year old boys who haven’t lived much, but will soon have experienced it all. I was shocked to catch myself relating to the main character-Hank.

I loved it so much, and I can’t recommend it enough. It’s most suited for men who want a good laugh and a cool adventure they’ll never forget. I thought the adventure Hank and Billy sat out on was one my buddy’s and I would’ve tried in our teens.

[Heath Lowrance · Rating 5 out of 5]

This mad-cap romp through the backwoods of Colleden County is an amazingly fun page-turner. Redneck teens Hank and Billy, on a half-ass quest to find a cache of hidden bootleg booze, wind up on a—really, there’s no other way to put it—journey of self-discovery, encountering a family of vile females looking for a baby-daddy, a gaggle of drugged-out hippies, an escape by hot-air balloon, corrupt law, an insane swamp man, a bad-ass Chevy and a pampered tiger among other things. It’s a nicely episodic novel, one that makes it impossible to guess what madness the boys will stumble into next.

[Robert Hazelwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh this is good. Really good. Jason Stuart writes a good yarn.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a funny book! Great phraseology, descriptions, etc. If you want to laugh until you hurt, read this book.