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Roughneck
In hills of Southeast Kentucky, where the weight of injustice presses hard, Floyd Jennings emerges as an unlikely hero. Known as a "roughneck," Floyd is a tough, resilient young man, shaped by the struggles of everyday life under a system designed to keep his community down.
Caught in a series of unintended consequences, Floyd's journey takes him from the gritty backroads to the heart of an oppressive regime. As he battles corrupt officials and the law that binds them, he discovers a path to enlightenment he never imagined possible.
Fueled by a fierce determination and the spirit of his people, Floyd rattles the cages of power and breaks the chains that hold them captive. In a tale as bizarre as it is thrilling, "Roughneck" weaves a story of defiance, transformation, and the unyielding quest for justice.
Join Floyd Jennings as he fights his way back home, in a narrative that will leave you breathless and inspired.
Caught in a series of unintended consequences, Floyd's journey takes him from the gritty backroads to the heart of an oppressive regime. As he battles corrupt officials and the law that binds them, he discovers a path to enlightenment he never imagined possible.
Fueled by a fierce determination and the spirit of his people, Floyd rattles the cages of power and breaks the chains that hold them captive. In a tale as bizarre as it is thrilling, "Roughneck" weaves a story of defiance, transformation, and the unyielding quest for justice.
Join Floyd Jennings as he fights his way back home, in a narrative that will leave you breathless and inspired.
69 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 9, 2024
1 person is currently reading
5 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 21, 2025
Harlinn Draper’s Roughneck is a powerful, immersive novel that plunges readers into the harsh, often unforgiving world of Southeast Kentucky—an environment steeped in generational poverty, systemic corruption, and quiet desperation. At the heart of this story is Floyd Jennings, a man shaped by the grit and grime of working-class life. Labeled a “roughneck” not just for his physical toughness but for his unwillingness to conform, Floyd is raw, flawed, and deeply human. His world is one where justice is a distant ideal and survival often comes at the cost of one’s own soul. Yet, it’s this very struggle that fuels the novel’s gripping exploration of transformation and resistance.
Draper crafts Floyd’s journey with remarkable authenticity, never shying away from the contradictions that define his character. He’s reckless yet principled, hard-edged but capable of deep reflection. When he inadvertently becomes entangled in a conflict with a corrupt power structure, the story takes on both a political and existential tone. Draper doesn’t just tell a story of a man standing up to authority—he tells the story of a man confronting himself. As Floyd battles crooked officials and fights for the dignity of his community, we see a gradual unraveling and reassembly of identity. These moments of internal reckoning elevate the narrative, giving it a philosophical depth that resonates long after the action subsides.
What makes Roughneck particularly compelling is its ability to seamlessly blend genres The novel reads like Southern Gothic laced with social commentary, wrapped in the tension of a noir thriller. Draper paints the setting with vivid, almost cinematic prose—dusty backroads, dim-lit courtrooms, and hollowed-out towns serve as the perfect backdrop for a story about power and perseverance. The pacing is tight, yet thoughtful, allowing the reader to feel both the urgency of Floyd’s struggle and the slow, painful unfolding of his personal transformation. Ultimately, Roughneck is a story about defiance in the face of systemic oppression—but more importantly, it’s about the internal fight to reclaim one’s agency and truth. Draper offers no easy resolutions. Instead, he gives us a complex, bruised, and beautifully written portrait of a man standing at the crossroads of destruction and redemption. This novel is not only a gripping read—it’s a reflection of a region and class too often ignored, and a powerful reminder that resistance can begin with one flawed voice refusing to stay silent.
Draper crafts Floyd’s journey with remarkable authenticity, never shying away from the contradictions that define his character. He’s reckless yet principled, hard-edged but capable of deep reflection. When he inadvertently becomes entangled in a conflict with a corrupt power structure, the story takes on both a political and existential tone. Draper doesn’t just tell a story of a man standing up to authority—he tells the story of a man confronting himself. As Floyd battles crooked officials and fights for the dignity of his community, we see a gradual unraveling and reassembly of identity. These moments of internal reckoning elevate the narrative, giving it a philosophical depth that resonates long after the action subsides.
What makes Roughneck particularly compelling is its ability to seamlessly blend genres The novel reads like Southern Gothic laced with social commentary, wrapped in the tension of a noir thriller. Draper paints the setting with vivid, almost cinematic prose—dusty backroads, dim-lit courtrooms, and hollowed-out towns serve as the perfect backdrop for a story about power and perseverance. The pacing is tight, yet thoughtful, allowing the reader to feel both the urgency of Floyd’s struggle and the slow, painful unfolding of his personal transformation. Ultimately, Roughneck is a story about defiance in the face of systemic oppression—but more importantly, it’s about the internal fight to reclaim one’s agency and truth. Draper offers no easy resolutions. Instead, he gives us a complex, bruised, and beautifully written portrait of a man standing at the crossroads of destruction and redemption. This novel is not only a gripping read—it’s a reflection of a region and class too often ignored, and a powerful reminder that resistance can begin with one flawed voice refusing to stay silent.
January 19, 2025
This novella set primarily in Kentucky and follows Floyd Jennings who finds himself torn in between being a product of how he grew up and his environment and the desire to leave it for something better. There is a lot of ground covered in a short amount of time and my only reasoning for not giving this five stars is simply that I wanted a lot more. Draper clearly has a wonderful control of the language and possesses a beautiful writing style. I would have loved to have seen this story fleshed out where readers could have been given deeper insights into all of the characters. Still, this was a great read and beautifully dark.
June 1, 2025
A cross between The Devil All the Time and Child of God told in only 100 pages.
Harlinn Draper’s authentic Southern fiction voice is apparent in ROUGHNECK, where he explores the cycle of systemic trauma and poverty, local and state corruption, addiction, redemption, and the complicated yet poignant tangling between human beings all on the backdrop of the hard ridge lines of the Appalachians. This feels raw, real, and completely authentic. An interesting and contemplative read with somewhat purple, beautiful prose that flies by in one gripping sitting.
Harlinn Draper’s authentic Southern fiction voice is apparent in ROUGHNECK, where he explores the cycle of systemic trauma and poverty, local and state corruption, addiction, redemption, and the complicated yet poignant tangling between human beings all on the backdrop of the hard ridge lines of the Appalachians. This feels raw, real, and completely authentic. An interesting and contemplative read with somewhat purple, beautiful prose that flies by in one gripping sitting.
January 8, 2026
If a criminal from Justified was trying hard to be especially poetic, and wrote an autobiography justifying why circumstances led him to his end, this would be it. Short read, deeply introspective, set in deep Applachia, one of my favorite settings. The idea is there, but it could've used a strong editor to both clean up the text and help the emotional arc develop and flow in a more engrossing fashion.
November 25, 2024
This story kicks off right from the first couple pages and draws you in. An exciting thriller quick adventure, finished this in one sitting!!!!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews