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The Man Who Saved Two Notch
In a post-apocalyptic world, society reverts to the lawlessness of the old West. Twelve-year-old Henry Arnaught is given the task by the dying town of Two Notch’s rector and dictator to find and hire a remorseless Killer named Abel Decker to defend their town against a band of approaching marauders. It is a trek that will bring Henry face to face with the man people call the Devil himself and change the boy’s life forever.
260 pages, Paperback
First published June 20, 2011
3 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
R.W. Ridley
10 books60 followersR.W. Ridley is the author of the IPPY award winning novels The Takers: Book One of the Oz Chronicles, and Delon City: Book Two of the Oz Chronicles. His titles also include The Pure: Book Three of the Oz Chronicles, The Land of the Dead: Book Four of the Oz Chronicles, Lost Days, and The Man Who Saved Two Notch. The Takers is the winner of The Writer's Digest International Self-Published Book Award in the Middle Grade/Young Adult Category. He lives with his beautiful wife, a hyperactive dog, an arrogant cat, and one ugly mortgage.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 31, 2013
I really liked this novel. It's one of the best I've picked up for free on Amazon. It's definitely worth the normal, listed cost.
The characters were vividly written and the setting was handled just right.
There's no reason for me to write an overview of the novel because the author and others have successfully done so. I'll just say that Henry, our young protagonist, is a joy to read.
There's no reason for me to write an overview of the novel because the author and others have successfully done so. I'll just say that Henry, our young protagonist, is a joy to read.
This is the best of the futuristic westerns I've read, and while there are a billion post-apocalyptic tales swimming around in the pool of recent books, I was glad to see that this element of the story was not a focal point. It helped define and shape characters and the setting. It didn't become the crux of the tale. There's also the tried and true coming off age story here, and while it is a lot like many others, Henry is too dynamic to not enjoy.
There were a few bad moments. Grammatical errors were an issue a little too often for me to ignore. The same can be said for odd moments, especially at the beginning of the novel, where characters act or speak in ways that do not make a great deal of sense. Luckily for the reader, those moments are few, and it doesn't take long for the story to take the reader right back into Henry's world.
It isn't a world anyone in their right mind would want to live in, but damned if I'm not looking forward to visiting it again.
The characters were vividly written and the setting was handled just right.
There's no reason for me to write an overview of the novel because the author and others have successfully done so. I'll just say that Henry, our young protagonist, is a joy to read.
There's no reason for me to write an overview of the novel because the author and others have successfully done so. I'll just say that Henry, our young protagonist, is a joy to read.
This is the best of the futuristic westerns I've read, and while there are a billion post-apocalyptic tales swimming around in the pool of recent books, I was glad to see that this element of the story was not a focal point. It helped define and shape characters and the setting. It didn't become the crux of the tale. There's also the tried and true coming off age story here, and while it is a lot like many others, Henry is too dynamic to not enjoy.
There were a few bad moments. Grammatical errors were an issue a little too often for me to ignore. The same can be said for odd moments, especially at the beginning of the novel, where characters act or speak in ways that do not make a great deal of sense. Luckily for the reader, those moments are few, and it doesn't take long for the story to take the reader right back into Henry's world.
It isn't a world anyone in their right mind would want to live in, but damned if I'm not looking forward to visiting it again.
July 18, 2016
I consider this book an old western in the future. There is no law, or much of anything else. They don't say what year you are in, just that the war was started "75 years ago". Everything as we know it today is basically gone, including electricity. Our narrator for this story is a 12 year old named Henry. His whole life has been in Two Notch, which has pretty much less than nothing. Sadly, I could see the world like this if the way people think doesn't change.
This was not a book I would typically pick up, but boring it was not. If you are looking for something a little different to read, you might want to check this story out.
This was not a book I would typically pick up, but boring it was not. If you are looking for something a little different to read, you might want to check this story out.
September 11, 2012
My first exposure to Ridley, and likely not my last. I found this poking the the Kindle Prime lending library and read it in one sitting. Great stuff! The main characters are well developed, and there are some great plot twists.
It was exactly what I expected -- a post-apocalyptic sci-fi western. More like this please!
* Couldn't finish
** I had nothing else to do
*** Passed the time, would be **** for genre / author fans
**** Everyone could enjoy this book
***** Everyone should read this book, I'll read it again
It was exactly what I expected -- a post-apocalyptic sci-fi western. More like this please!
* Couldn't finish
** I had nothing else to do
*** Passed the time, would be **** for genre / author fans
**** Everyone could enjoy this book
***** Everyone should read this book, I'll read it again
January 31, 2016
PA Fiction with grit and gore but also tongue-firmly-wedged-in-cheek
Abel Decker, Ike Decker, Miss Connie, spunky mite Doreen and the protagonist, Henry Arnaught are characters infused with life, warts and all in RWRidley's THE MAN WHO SAVED TWO NOTCH. Set decades after the SHTF, TMWSTN is part Western, part morality play, and part PA action adventure. Give it a lazy afternoon's read - You won't remember much of it months later, but you'll enjoy the ride.
Abel Decker, Ike Decker, Miss Connie, spunky mite Doreen and the protagonist, Henry Arnaught are characters infused with life, warts and all in RWRidley's THE MAN WHO SAVED TWO NOTCH. Set decades after the SHTF, TMWSTN is part Western, part morality play, and part PA action adventure. Give it a lazy afternoon's read - You won't remember much of it months later, but you'll enjoy the ride.
January 21, 2016
I absolutely loved this book. The setting is an unnamed world that is devastated after a 75 year war, and life has become bare subsistence, much resembling the Old West. It's a loss of innocence story about young Henry, and you'll love/hate the character of Abel Decker. If you liked Guns of Seneca 6 you'll love this one.
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June 14, 2012My homage to Cormac McCarthy and Charles Portis.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews