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Jack Palms Crime
Young Junius
In 1987, fourteen-year-old Junius Posey sets out on the cold Cambridge (MA) streets to find his brother’s killer in a cluster of low-income housing towers—prime drug-dealing territory. After committing a murder to protect his friend, he finds himself without protection from retribution. His mother gives him fifty dollars and instructions to run, but Junius refuses to live a life in hiding. Instead, shocked by the violence that he’s created and determined to see its consequences through to their end, he returns to the towers to complete his original mission.
As Junius, his friend, two crews, and the police all move inexorably toward a final confrontation, a series of surprising events and shifting loyalties transform this day into a bloody turning point that none of them could have foreseen.
As Junius, his friend, two crews, and the police all move inexorably toward a final confrontation, a series of surprising events and shifting loyalties transform this day into a bloody turning point that none of them could have foreseen.
380 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
21 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
About the author
Seth Harwood
29 books218 followersSeth Harwood received an MFA in fiction from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and went on to build a large readership for his first novel, JACK WAKES UP, by serializing it as a free audiobook online. Currently audio versions of Harwood’s novels and stories have been downloaded over one million times.
He is the author of six additional novels: THE MALTESE JORDANS, EVERYONE PAYS, IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, CZECHMATE, THIS IS LIFE and YOUNG JUNIUS, as well as two collections of short stories, A LONG WAY FROM DISNEY and FISHER CAT. He has also written a novella in the world of Kurt Vonnegut dealing with the themes of time travel, writing, and fatherhood.
Harwood currently lives in western Massachusetts and is at work on a second Clara Donner novel.
He teaches creative writing and English classes at City College of San Francisco, Stanford Continuing Studies, and Harvard Extension. Other jobs throughout the years have included commodities floor trading clerk, bartender, copy-editor, rare book cataloguer, high school English teacher, basketball coach, and freelance journalist.
He is the author of six additional novels: THE MALTESE JORDANS, EVERYONE PAYS, IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, CZECHMATE, THIS IS LIFE and YOUNG JUNIUS, as well as two collections of short stories, A LONG WAY FROM DISNEY and FISHER CAT. He has also written a novella in the world of Kurt Vonnegut dealing with the themes of time travel, writing, and fatherhood.
Harwood currently lives in western Massachusetts and is at work on a second Clara Donner novel.
He teaches creative writing and English classes at City College of San Francisco, Stanford Continuing Studies, and Harvard Extension. Other jobs throughout the years have included commodities floor trading clerk, bartender, copy-editor, rare book cataloguer, high school English teacher, basketball coach, and freelance journalist.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 31, 2012
"Ain't nothing but a crazy day in the towers."
The quest to avenge the untimely death of his elder brother sees 14yr old Junius grow from a young man to seasoned killer in a single day. Accompanied by Elf (16yrs), the duo’s chemistry adds a light-hearted dynamic to the heavy violence fuelled plot as they search the towers for answers and payback. One death quickly leads to another, and before long, gang warfare if rife in the close knit urban community.
The imposing towers are as much a character as those who inhabit them. Resembling the ominous man made mounds of depression and death from the early seasons of HBO's THE WIRE, the towers of Seth Harwood's creation add an extra element of menace - here, the walls run with blood, not paint. No one is safe, no one is out of reach - even the police. I've got to admit, I wasn't expecting such a free-for-all in blood-letting but I sure am pleased Harwood delivered the story in this manner. He managed to capture the essence of close combat and the perils of being involved in inner city gang life to perfection.
Harwood puts a lot of emphasis on giving his characters meaning and a justifiable clause for their actions. It was refreshing to read about the different factions with actual faces, not just some mindless/two-dimensional foot soldiers and subsequent casualties of an urban drug war. From Lamar to Rock, the Oracle to Seven Heaven, even Mike Only and Black Jesus - all these characters added a little something to the mix and were a joy to read.
The bloodied conclusion is full of tension and suspense worthy of a top notch thriller. I was surprised how quickly I read this. Junius is easily likable while gang members from either side benefit from being given unique nicknames and back story. Each death leaves a hole, each fight is vicious (C-Dub and police officer Johnson for instance), and each scene will leave you breathless and wanting more. 5 stars
The quest to avenge the untimely death of his elder brother sees 14yr old Junius grow from a young man to seasoned killer in a single day. Accompanied by Elf (16yrs), the duo’s chemistry adds a light-hearted dynamic to the heavy violence fuelled plot as they search the towers for answers and payback. One death quickly leads to another, and before long, gang warfare if rife in the close knit urban community.
The imposing towers are as much a character as those who inhabit them. Resembling the ominous man made mounds of depression and death from the early seasons of HBO's THE WIRE, the towers of Seth Harwood's creation add an extra element of menace - here, the walls run with blood, not paint. No one is safe, no one is out of reach - even the police. I've got to admit, I wasn't expecting such a free-for-all in blood-letting but I sure am pleased Harwood delivered the story in this manner. He managed to capture the essence of close combat and the perils of being involved in inner city gang life to perfection.
Harwood puts a lot of emphasis on giving his characters meaning and a justifiable clause for their actions. It was refreshing to read about the different factions with actual faces, not just some mindless/two-dimensional foot soldiers and subsequent casualties of an urban drug war. From Lamar to Rock, the Oracle to Seven Heaven, even Mike Only and Black Jesus - all these characters added a little something to the mix and were a joy to read.
The bloodied conclusion is full of tension and suspense worthy of a top notch thriller. I was surprised how quickly I read this. Junius is easily likable while gang members from either side benefit from being given unique nicknames and back story. Each death leaves a hole, each fight is vicious (C-Dub and police officer Johnson for instance), and each scene will leave you breathless and wanting more. 5 stars
January 20, 2020
It's a great book. No doubt!
Booklist says "Harwood’s cutaway view of a single bloody day in a housing project is an impressive feat... Given the characters’ brutality, Harwood’s empathy runs deeply indeed."
Publishers Weekly: "Searing... a vicious black comedy of murderous errors. Harwood pulls no punches."
George Pelecanos (The Wire) picked YOUNG JUNIUS as one of his best books of 2010.
"Required reading." -- Crimespree Magazine
Booklist says "Harwood’s cutaway view of a single bloody day in a housing project is an impressive feat... Given the characters’ brutality, Harwood’s empathy runs deeply indeed."
Publishers Weekly: "Searing... a vicious black comedy of murderous errors. Harwood pulls no punches."
George Pelecanos (The Wire) picked YOUNG JUNIUS as one of his best books of 2010.
"Required reading." -- Crimespree Magazine
August 22, 2013
Three-word review: Loved. This. Book.
Young Junius is a story centered around a popular character from Harwood's Jack Wakes Up. It is set in 1980s Boston, at a time when Junius is still quite young. After the murder of his brother, which goes largely uninvestigated by the authorities, Junius takes it upon himself to find out the truth of what happened. Armed with a handgun and accompanied by his good friend Elf, Junius takes his first steps into a world for which he is only marginally prepared.
In Jack Wakes Up, Junius is smart, wise and confident. Young Junius is impulsive, angry and naive. As he encounters more and more characters in the war zone that is The Towers, a Boston project that is suffering from the oppressive hand of the resident gangbangers that sell drugs and shoot at each other, Junius and Elf find themselves embroiled in a turf war.
This is a tough-as-nails book that's not really a coming-of-age book; it's more about the time right before someone comes of age. It's full of mistakes that define what Junius will become at another stage in his life. But the telling of this tale lays the foundation upon which Junius builds his inevitable empire, and provides the background that helps shape him.
I can't say that I can speak from experience, but this book feels like it rings from a personal truth, although Harwood has indicated that it is not based on any real experiences of his own. Kudos to him, then, for painting a landscape rich with detail and populated with interesting characters that both surprise and fill stereotypes. Highly recommended.
Young Junius is a story centered around a popular character from Harwood's Jack Wakes Up. It is set in 1980s Boston, at a time when Junius is still quite young. After the murder of his brother, which goes largely uninvestigated by the authorities, Junius takes it upon himself to find out the truth of what happened. Armed with a handgun and accompanied by his good friend Elf, Junius takes his first steps into a world for which he is only marginally prepared.
In Jack Wakes Up, Junius is smart, wise and confident. Young Junius is impulsive, angry and naive. As he encounters more and more characters in the war zone that is The Towers, a Boston project that is suffering from the oppressive hand of the resident gangbangers that sell drugs and shoot at each other, Junius and Elf find themselves embroiled in a turf war.
This is a tough-as-nails book that's not really a coming-of-age book; it's more about the time right before someone comes of age. It's full of mistakes that define what Junius will become at another stage in his life. But the telling of this tale lays the foundation upon which Junius builds his inevitable empire, and provides the background that helps shape him.
I can't say that I can speak from experience, but this book feels like it rings from a personal truth, although Harwood has indicated that it is not based on any real experiences of his own. Kudos to him, then, for painting a landscape rich with detail and populated with interesting characters that both surprise and fill stereotypes. Highly recommended.
December 16, 2010
Non-stop action is leavened by multi-dimensional characters in this story of a day in the life of a boy/man, 14-year-old Junius, who sets out to find the killer of his brother in the drug-and-blood-soaked halls of a Cambridge, Mass., housing project. The mystery drives the story, but it's the action that keeps you turning the pages and the depth of the characters that draws you into their gritty lives.
It would have been easy for the author to people his book with stereotypes, but he resisted temptation and created characters both believable and interesting. Junius himself has more facets than a drug dealer's diamond pinky ring. His ready embrace of violence is tempered by a reflective conscience and recognition of the severe limits of the world he inhabits. He's growing up to be a badass, but is more resigned to his fate than celebrating it.
The supporting cast of distinctive characters includes Junius's still-growing-up sidekick Elf and the lost soul Clarence, a crack addict who uses the drug to fuel a blood-drenched career as a dealer/enforcer in the projects. Harwood takes pains to give nearly every character a solid backstory, which makes even the most evil of the drug kingpins characters worth an investment of the reader's time.
Young Junius is a solid novel that rises above its genre.
It would have been easy for the author to people his book with stereotypes, but he resisted temptation and created characters both believable and interesting. Junius himself has more facets than a drug dealer's diamond pinky ring. His ready embrace of violence is tempered by a reflective conscience and recognition of the severe limits of the world he inhabits. He's growing up to be a badass, but is more resigned to his fate than celebrating it.
The supporting cast of distinctive characters includes Junius's still-growing-up sidekick Elf and the lost soul Clarence, a crack addict who uses the drug to fuel a blood-drenched career as a dealer/enforcer in the projects. Harwood takes pains to give nearly every character a solid backstory, which makes even the most evil of the drug kingpins characters worth an investment of the reader's time.
Young Junius is a solid novel that rises above its genre.
December 6, 2009
I think this is Seth Harwood's best work to date. With each new segment in the Jack Palms series, his writing gets stronger, more vivid, and more suspenseful.
Even though Junius is the main character, I feel like I have depth and a sense of perspective from every character in the story. His story feels real. I could see it -- although I did not want to be in those towers during that gun fight.
Even though Junius is the main character, I feel like I have depth and a sense of perspective from every character in the story. His story feels real. I could see it -- although I did not want to be in those towers during that gun fight.
December 10, 2010
One of the best things about Harwood's novels is Harwood himself. If you ever get a chance to hear him read, be prepared to walk away fired up about his fiction, and about fiction in general.
And his novels are pretty darn good too, and will only get better. Harwood will be around for a long, long time.
And his novels are pretty darn good too, and will only get better. Harwood will be around for a long, long time.
December 18, 2017
I like most of what Seth Harwood writes and this one was good as well but was much darker, or maybe bleak is a better word. Definitely shows the gritty side of drugs and gangs in the inner city and takes you on a tough ride through the eyes of a young teen.
January 12, 2011
It’s always exciting to discover a great new author. Last spring I came across a mention of a book called “Jack Wakes Up” by Seth Harwood. The book’s cover featured glowing blurbs by three of my favorite authors: Michael Connelly, Duane Swierczynski, and Megan Abbott, so I gave it a try and I was glad I did. “Jack Wakes Up” is an action packed, enormously fun, pulpy crime novel. After finishing the book I discovered that Harwood had published two sequels and another novel as free audio books on his website. Free is the best kind of price, but audiobooks aren’t exactly my thing. So I anxiously awaited the release of Harwood’s next print novel.
That wait came to an end this Christmas for me when I received a copy of Harwood’s new print novel “Young Junius” as a gift, and it was definitely worth the wait. Like “Jack Wakes Up” , “Young Junius” is an immensely enjoyable crime novel, but it features a grittier, more realistic tone. Where “Jack” was fun and exciting, “Junius” was powerful and poignant. That darkness and realism makes it a better book
“Young Junius” takes place on the mean streets of Cambridge, Massachusetts circa 1987. The titular character, Junius Posey, is 14 years old, but thanks to a growth spurt he’s already 6’3. Junius and his older brother, Temple are low level figures in the area drug trade which has exploded with the introduction of Crack cocaine. When the book opens, Temple is dead and Junius is out to find his brother’s killer. Junius’s quest becomes complicated early on when he kills a local drug dealer to protect his best friend, Elf. This leads to Junius being marked for death by the dealer’s associates, but instead of running like his mother suggests he follows his best lead in his brother’s death to the heart of the city’s drug trade, three massive public housing towers controlled by two rival drug gangs.
When Junius reaches the towers he seeks out one of the drug lords in the hope that she’ll be able to provide him with the identity of his brother’s killer. The drug lord instead exploits the teenager’s quest for revenge and uses him as a pawn in her war against her rival. What follows is a haunting and compelling explosion of violence that reads like a mash-up of the 1991 movie “New Jack City” and the fourth season of “The Wire”, which was the phenomenal television program’s best season.
Another reason “Young Junius” is so fascinating is because Harwood populates the book with a rich cast of eclectic characters like Roughneck, a mid level drug dealer with an interest in martial arts who is slowly becoming disgusted with the violence and misery of the drug trade. Or officer Gary Johnson, an African American uniformed police officer who endures an enormous amount of physical punishment when he stumbles onto the violent happenings in the towers.
Harwood also uses pacing and tone incredibly well in “Young Junius”. The bulk of the book takes place over one day and as that day progresses events in the towers spiral out of control and more and more people are drawn into the violence. The day ends with an intense violent gun battle on the top floors of one of the Towers. Things are often grim and tense, but Harwood doesn’t want his story to be oppressively bleak so he inserts moments of humor when appropriate.
“Young Junius” is a sort of prequel to “Jack Wakes Up” and it works in that capacity too. Because I like to keep my reviews as spoiler free as possible I won’t say how, but it will be immediately obvious to those who have read “Jack Wakes Up”. Readers who haven’t read that novel won’t be lost though
So I highly recommend “Young Junius”. If you’re looking for a powerful and compelling crime novel that explores the physical and emotional dangers of violence and vengeance look no further.
That wait came to an end this Christmas for me when I received a copy of Harwood’s new print novel “Young Junius” as a gift, and it was definitely worth the wait. Like “Jack Wakes Up” , “Young Junius” is an immensely enjoyable crime novel, but it features a grittier, more realistic tone. Where “Jack” was fun and exciting, “Junius” was powerful and poignant. That darkness and realism makes it a better book
“Young Junius” takes place on the mean streets of Cambridge, Massachusetts circa 1987. The titular character, Junius Posey, is 14 years old, but thanks to a growth spurt he’s already 6’3. Junius and his older brother, Temple are low level figures in the area drug trade which has exploded with the introduction of Crack cocaine. When the book opens, Temple is dead and Junius is out to find his brother’s killer. Junius’s quest becomes complicated early on when he kills a local drug dealer to protect his best friend, Elf. This leads to Junius being marked for death by the dealer’s associates, but instead of running like his mother suggests he follows his best lead in his brother’s death to the heart of the city’s drug trade, three massive public housing towers controlled by two rival drug gangs.
When Junius reaches the towers he seeks out one of the drug lords in the hope that she’ll be able to provide him with the identity of his brother’s killer. The drug lord instead exploits the teenager’s quest for revenge and uses him as a pawn in her war against her rival. What follows is a haunting and compelling explosion of violence that reads like a mash-up of the 1991 movie “New Jack City” and the fourth season of “The Wire”, which was the phenomenal television program’s best season.
Another reason “Young Junius” is so fascinating is because Harwood populates the book with a rich cast of eclectic characters like Roughneck, a mid level drug dealer with an interest in martial arts who is slowly becoming disgusted with the violence and misery of the drug trade. Or officer Gary Johnson, an African American uniformed police officer who endures an enormous amount of physical punishment when he stumbles onto the violent happenings in the towers.
Harwood also uses pacing and tone incredibly well in “Young Junius”. The bulk of the book takes place over one day and as that day progresses events in the towers spiral out of control and more and more people are drawn into the violence. The day ends with an intense violent gun battle on the top floors of one of the Towers. Things are often grim and tense, but Harwood doesn’t want his story to be oppressively bleak so he inserts moments of humor when appropriate.
“Young Junius” is a sort of prequel to “Jack Wakes Up” and it works in that capacity too. Because I like to keep my reviews as spoiler free as possible I won’t say how, but it will be immediately obvious to those who have read “Jack Wakes Up”. Readers who haven’t read that novel won’t be lost though
So I highly recommend “Young Junius”. If you’re looking for a powerful and compelling crime novel that explores the physical and emotional dangers of violence and vengeance look no further.
November 21, 2011
I waffled back and forth between a three and four star rating for this story. I finally settled on four, because, despite the violence and somewhat bleak outlook of the story, I found it compelling and hard to put down.
This is another book that is a departure from my usual fantasy/science fiction fare. I'd read a few short blurbs online that sounded intriguing, and the setting was particularly attractive to me. It is set in 1987 Cambridge, MA, in the area surrounding the Alewife stop on the MBTA subway line. I use the Alewife station on a somewhat regular basis going in to Boston, so, while things have certainly changed since 1987, a lot of the references were very familiar.
The story follows 36 hours in the life of 14 year old Junius Posey, growing up in the slum area of Cambridge surrounding three towers run by two rival drug pushers. Junius is determined to find out who shot and killed his older brother. He and a friend go into the tower territory where they end up shooting one of the members of one of the drug gangs. Junius is given fifty dollars by his mother, who tells him to run to an aunt in NY for safety. Junius ignores her insrructions, and continues to look for his answers. In the course of his quest, Junius becomes involved in an escalating war, bringing the two young men, the police and the drug gangs to a bloody, violent confrontation.
It is the characters that make this such a fascinating read. They are real and gritty, with depth and life. None of them are cardboard cut-out stereotypes. Even the hard edged drug lords have shades of grey, and are not completely evil. All of the characters, from older than his years Junius, his tough as nails mother, and his drunkard father, to the crack addicts and drug dealers in the tower projects are real and believable. They live on the pages of the book and pull you into their complex, if violent, world.
At its core, this is a mystery: who killed Junius' brother? And while the answer is discovered, it is the larger story of the ruthless, violent world surrounding that mystery that makes this a powerful read.
This is another book that is a departure from my usual fantasy/science fiction fare. I'd read a few short blurbs online that sounded intriguing, and the setting was particularly attractive to me. It is set in 1987 Cambridge, MA, in the area surrounding the Alewife stop on the MBTA subway line. I use the Alewife station on a somewhat regular basis going in to Boston, so, while things have certainly changed since 1987, a lot of the references were very familiar.
The story follows 36 hours in the life of 14 year old Junius Posey, growing up in the slum area of Cambridge surrounding three towers run by two rival drug pushers. Junius is determined to find out who shot and killed his older brother. He and a friend go into the tower territory where they end up shooting one of the members of one of the drug gangs. Junius is given fifty dollars by his mother, who tells him to run to an aunt in NY for safety. Junius ignores her insrructions, and continues to look for his answers. In the course of his quest, Junius becomes involved in an escalating war, bringing the two young men, the police and the drug gangs to a bloody, violent confrontation.
It is the characters that make this such a fascinating read. They are real and gritty, with depth and life. None of them are cardboard cut-out stereotypes. Even the hard edged drug lords have shades of grey, and are not completely evil. All of the characters, from older than his years Junius, his tough as nails mother, and his drunkard father, to the crack addicts and drug dealers in the tower projects are real and believable. They live on the pages of the book and pull you into their complex, if violent, world.
At its core, this is a mystery: who killed Junius' brother? And while the answer is discovered, it is the larger story of the ruthless, violent world surrounding that mystery that makes this a powerful read.
June 20, 2013
On the surface, Young Junius seems like a fairly simple story - 14-year-old Junius Ponds has his brother die, and vows revenge against the drug dealer that murdered him. It's a dark, abrasive coming of age story that is almost like a YA version of Scarface.
At the same time, though, Harwood uses that story to make a larger point about the karmic circle of violence - or, rather, the downward spiral of violence, rather than a circle. Junius' brother Temple is killed, which spurs Junius to action. The acts of violence that Junius commits spur others to violence of their own, and at the end of the story, what do we get? A bunch of dead people and an apartment building being torn down from the inside. It's not just Junius, either - we see the same thing being perpetuated with Rock, Marlene, and C-Dub.
Harwood has a very cinematic style to his writing here, much as in his Jack novels. There's still a Tarantino element, but it feels like he watched some John Singleton movies as well when preparing for this. That's not a criticism, but I feel it does provide a good description of the style he uses here.
At the same time, though, Harwood uses that story to make a larger point about the karmic circle of violence - or, rather, the downward spiral of violence, rather than a circle. Junius' brother Temple is killed, which spurs Junius to action. The acts of violence that Junius commits spur others to violence of their own, and at the end of the story, what do we get? A bunch of dead people and an apartment building being torn down from the inside. It's not just Junius, either - we see the same thing being perpetuated with Rock, Marlene, and C-Dub.
Harwood has a very cinematic style to his writing here, much as in his Jack novels. There's still a Tarantino element, but it feels like he watched some John Singleton movies as well when preparing for this. That's not a criticism, but I feel it does provide a good description of the style he uses here.
November 11, 2013
Gritty, gripping read reminiscent of the heartbreaking fourth season of The Wire - the one that focused on Michael, Dukie, Randy, and Namond's summer working the low rises. In fact, if you tossed in a drunk McNulty, the book reads like a bonus season of that show. When you stop to catch your breath from all the white-knuckle action and suspense scenes, you'll feel a double dose of sadness. First, because Junius and his colleagues are way too young to get firmly sucked into a life without hope. Second, because the violence they perpetuate, and ultimately suffer, is utterly meaningless. Life is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, but signifying nothing. Especially life in the Boston projects in 1987.
November 2, 2010
An excellent crime/action novel about drugs, gangs, and revenge. YOUNG JUNIUS is a prequel novel to Seth Harwood's JAKE WAKES UP, which follows Junius Posey and his quest to find out who and why his brother Temple was shot and killed. It leads to one very bloody and deadly day in the life of a late 80's projects building complexes. Great and interesting story that doesn't let up and never has a dull moment. YOUNG JUNIUS is very realistic and could almost easily be based on a true events.
Crime novel fans should enjoy YOUNG JUNIUS. Anyone who likes lots of violence in their novels should be fairly satisfied as well.
Very well done novel.
Crime novel fans should enjoy YOUNG JUNIUS. Anyone who likes lots of violence in their novels should be fairly satisfied as well.
Very well done novel.
January 2, 2011
Gripping contemporary crime fiction built upon richly drawn characters. Discussion of "sense of place" is a bit out of style these days, but the gritty urban scene in this novel is a perfect example of how this can add depth to the experience of an engrossing plot. Moreover, the nature of the story in Young Junius arises organically from the qualities of these characters & world they find themselves in. The action, the tension, builds, & builds, & builds, to a superbly climactic finish.
Yeah, I kinda liked it...
Note, if you're squeamish about modern street language, the 'F' word & such, you might find this a challenge. OTOH, after you get done, you probably won't be anymore.
Yeah, I kinda liked it...
Note, if you're squeamish about modern street language, the 'F' word & such, you might find this a challenge. OTOH, after you get done, you probably won't be anymore.
April 21, 2012
"Young Junius" takes you into a gritty world of drugs, gangs and violence on the rough side of Boston; the world of a very young Junius Posey, before he was legendary gang leader Junius Ponds.
Seth Harwood's book brings a whole new world into stark focus. This gritty story will have you taking sides and keeping your head down, especially during one of the longest and best done gun battles in American literature.
"Young Junius" is a different kind of story and while not for the faint of heart, is one not to be missed.
Keith Jones
In Due Time
Boys of Diamond Hill: The Lives and Civil War Letters of the Boyd Family of Abbeville County, South Carolina
Seth Harwood's book brings a whole new world into stark focus. This gritty story will have you taking sides and keeping your head down, especially during one of the longest and best done gun battles in American literature.
"Young Junius" is a different kind of story and while not for the faint of heart, is one not to be missed.
Keith Jones
In Due Time
Boys of Diamond Hill: The Lives and Civil War Letters of the Boyd Family of Abbeville County, South Carolina
December 17, 2010
Having listened to the first series, Jack Wakes Up (all 3 books), and followed along while he podcast Young Junius as he was writing it, I could not wait to get the book in my hands. To be able to follow Mr. Ponds around as he went through his life changing moment was scary easy. A couple of times I think I actually ducked. Seth does a great job of weaving a tale that sucks you in and seeing what's going on like you're actually there right beside the characters in the, *thick of it*, shall we say.
Very much looking forward to books 2 & 3, coming out together sometime next year.
Very much looking forward to books 2 & 3, coming out together sometime next year.
January 21, 2014
What a great story! 14 year old Junius is out to find his older brother.Set in the projects in Cambridge,Mass in the 1980's. The storytelling here is top-notch and the action is intense.Seth Harwood has crafted something special here. Dark, cold & bleak this world Junius lives in, a world where he never may get a fair chance at life.As i read this engaging story I couldn't help to stop and visualize this gritty scene, and to be thankful I wasn't living this horrible nightmare.Great book, and a sure-fire page turner! I most certainly will be reading more from Mr.Harwood.
April 10, 2014
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
This was a book about the life a teenager who gets caught up in world of drugs and gangs in the pursuit of discovering who killed his brother.
I personally wasn't too big of a fan of this book. Way too much cussing for me. But wasn't too surpeised by the amount do the fact that these are drug dealers and people living in certain culture so the swearing is pervasive.
I can't say I would recommend or not recommend it.
This was a book about the life a teenager who gets caught up in world of drugs and gangs in the pursuit of discovering who killed his brother.
I personally wasn't too big of a fan of this book. Way too much cussing for me. But wasn't too surpeised by the amount do the fact that these are drug dealers and people living in certain culture so the swearing is pervasive.
I can't say I would recommend or not recommend it.
March 24, 2011
If you judge from the first few chapters, you'll think this story of revenge and duplicity will end up with less graphic violence than it finally does. But it is the suspense that is the most punishing aspect of this novel. The characters are drawn with economic strokes and you start to discover to your dismay that you are able to identify in some way with their desperate lives.
March 7, 2011
Enjoyed this one, more than the JWU sequels, but perhaps not as much as Jack Wakes Up itself. Still, Harwood manages to cram lots of action into a short timespan and a confined setting. If you like guns and shootemups, pick this up.
September 11, 2013
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
I'm sure it's just me, but I had a difficult time with this book. I made it about 100 pages in and just couldn't keep reading. I will try and make another attempt at finishing it after I read a few other books.
I'm sure it's just me, but I had a difficult time with this book. I made it about 100 pages in and just couldn't keep reading. I will try and make another attempt at finishing it after I read a few other books.
July 8, 2015
Great book! Tons of action, drama, violence, and crazy crackheads too! I checked this out originally because I'm a huge Scott Sigler fan, but I'll definitely be checking out more now that I've finished it.
July 13, 2010
I finally took the time to finish the audiobook. Loved it! Seth Harwood writes great crime fiction!
December 16, 2010
Seth Harwood brings Junius Posey back to life in this awesome book, if you like action you got to read this book.
December 27, 2010
My (lengthy) opinion on this book is up at http://kateofmind.blogspot.com/
April 22, 2011
bloody well done. loved this book. One of those I can't put this down books.
January 1, 2020
*This book was won from a First Reads giveaway on goodreads.com*
August 26, 2015
A departure for Harwood, but his genre fans should come along. This one enters Lehane territory, written in clean taut prose, hard to put down.
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