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Ashkettle Crazy
Crazy Uncle Merle wants Dack dead.
Dack knows it.
His brother Bo knows it, too.
What they don't know is why.
But that becomes all too clear one frozen night in November when violence explodes inside their cramped Appalachian cabin.
And the truth is more devastating than either boy imagined.
Where can you run when there's no place too far for crazy to follow?
And what will be waiting for the Ashkettle Boys when they arrive?
"What a literary piece of art, the love between the three brothers (Sonny, Bo and Dack) with what they've gone through wrenched my heart. I was literally absorbed with every word, every page, couldn't wait to finish it and yet didn't want to finish it. I downloaded this book as a thriller, my God, this is more than a thriller. This is so much more than that. This is the feel of Oliver Twist." -- S.
"Joseph Conrad once wrote, “My task…is, by the power of the written word, to make you hear, to make you feel—it is, before all, to make you see.” Goetz does all of that and more in ASHKETTLE CRAZY—she makes you care, care desperately about these three brothers, their love and support for one another, and their heroic effort to transcend the terrors inflicted upon them." --D.B.
"I love this book. It’s beautifully written in a way that makes you feel like you’re sitting in the author’s kitchen, listening to it being told, and the story that unfolds goes deeper than I’d expected from reading the blurb or looking at the cover. All of the characters are beautifully word-painted, and I didn’t want to put it down because how the author wrote those kids makes you care for them from the first chapters on." -- EMH
"There's no way you'll come away from this book without feeling a little less lonely, a little less misunderstood, and a little less like the world is personally out to get you. Because if these characters can get through their troubles, there's hope for all of us. This is a book to read, to ponder, and to absorb. -- Amazon Customer
"The author captures her characters with brilliant understanding. You feel as if you actually know them and hurt when they hurt and are happy when they are." -- CDWB
"What a powerful book! Dack Ashkettle's struggle with PTSD, caused by severe abuse and other trauma, affects his brothers, too, and this story takes readers on a journey as the young men work through issues from their past and try to find healing together." -- MTR
"An in-depth look into depression, PTSD, and the scars abused people carry on the inside." -- J.
"I thoroughly enjoyed the first 2 books in this series but THIS one.... I LIVED it! From the very beginning.... I was WITH Sonny as he stood at the top of the gorge looking down at the river. Dack's glass dome.... I was IN it!" --J.S.
Dack knows it.
His brother Bo knows it, too.
What they don't know is why.
But that becomes all too clear one frozen night in November when violence explodes inside their cramped Appalachian cabin.
And the truth is more devastating than either boy imagined.
Where can you run when there's no place too far for crazy to follow?
And what will be waiting for the Ashkettle Boys when they arrive?
"What a literary piece of art, the love between the three brothers (Sonny, Bo and Dack) with what they've gone through wrenched my heart. I was literally absorbed with every word, every page, couldn't wait to finish it and yet didn't want to finish it. I downloaded this book as a thriller, my God, this is more than a thriller. This is so much more than that. This is the feel of Oliver Twist." -- S.
"Joseph Conrad once wrote, “My task…is, by the power of the written word, to make you hear, to make you feel—it is, before all, to make you see.” Goetz does all of that and more in ASHKETTLE CRAZY—she makes you care, care desperately about these three brothers, their love and support for one another, and their heroic effort to transcend the terrors inflicted upon them." --D.B.
"I love this book. It’s beautifully written in a way that makes you feel like you’re sitting in the author’s kitchen, listening to it being told, and the story that unfolds goes deeper than I’d expected from reading the blurb or looking at the cover. All of the characters are beautifully word-painted, and I didn’t want to put it down because how the author wrote those kids makes you care for them from the first chapters on." -- EMH
"There's no way you'll come away from this book without feeling a little less lonely, a little less misunderstood, and a little less like the world is personally out to get you. Because if these characters can get through their troubles, there's hope for all of us. This is a book to read, to ponder, and to absorb. -- Amazon Customer
"The author captures her characters with brilliant understanding. You feel as if you actually know them and hurt when they hurt and are happy when they are." -- CDWB
"What a powerful book! Dack Ashkettle's struggle with PTSD, caused by severe abuse and other trauma, affects his brothers, too, and this story takes readers on a journey as the young men work through issues from their past and try to find healing together." -- MTR
"An in-depth look into depression, PTSD, and the scars abused people carry on the inside." -- J.
"I thoroughly enjoyed the first 2 books in this series but THIS one.... I LIVED it! From the very beginning.... I was WITH Sonny as he stood at the top of the gorge looking down at the river. Dack's glass dome.... I was IN it!" --J.S.
- GenresYoung Adult
124 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 7, 2017
4 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
A.M. Goetz
8 books10 followersA.M. Goetz is a copywriter by trade, a journalist by chance, and a novelist at heart. Her work has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Livestrong, Global Post, Hidden Remote and Modern Mom. She’s a past contributor to Hagerstown Magazine and Frank.
“Ashkettle Crazy,” the first installment of her Ashkettle Boys Book Series debuted on Kindle in August of 2017 and tells the story of three mountain boys: Sonny, Bo and Dack -- the Ashkettle brothers – and their struggle to free the youngest from his memories of a horrific crime and from the insanity of the man who wants him dead.
Born and raised in Pennsylvania’s Appalachian Mountains, A.M. Goetz resides south of the Mason-Dixon Line today with her husband, their two children, and a healthy congregation of pets.
“Ashkettle Crazy,” the first installment of her Ashkettle Boys Book Series debuted on Kindle in August of 2017 and tells the story of three mountain boys: Sonny, Bo and Dack -- the Ashkettle brothers – and their struggle to free the youngest from his memories of a horrific crime and from the insanity of the man who wants him dead.
Born and raised in Pennsylvania’s Appalachian Mountains, A.M. Goetz resides south of the Mason-Dixon Line today with her husband, their two children, and a healthy congregation of pets.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 29, 2017
I wanted to like this, I truly did. Based on the description it sounds perfect for me, but . . . I don't know how to put this. I don't want to be mean, but to me, the book feels kind of . . . unfinished and amateurish. What actually happens in the real time of the book is trivial and mundane for the most part - driving and camping. Almost all the action of the book is remembered or relayed second or third hand. The book is very repetitive - we keep hearing slightly different variations of the same event, such as the father's death (not a spoiler - happens way before the events of the book - see the previous criticism) over and over and over again. The book is divided into three sections, one from each of the brothers point of view. All are written in first person but the character voices are almost indistinguishable. It doesn't help that much of the oldest brother's section is spent describing things the youngest brother would say in the youngest brother's words. At one point there is a line saying something about how only one Ashkettle was good with words. I honestly didn't know which one that was supposed to be. I believe it is the one who was described as never talking much anymore? The abuse described loses a lot of impact from being relayed to the reader second-hand after-the-fact. I feel like it is so extreme perhaps to offset that, but the over-the-top nature of the violence actually had the opposite effect on me. The violence described seemed almost cartoonish. Certainly there is no way Rack would have survived what was described. Believability was also a problem for me. Character motivations made no sense to me. It was almost incidental when the book suddenly, without explanation, got supernatural at the end. I think? It was kind of vague. I also got really tired of hearing every character, bad guys and good guys, talk about crying "like a little girl", screaming "like a girl", expressing feelings "like a girl". Please. This is one "realistic" element a female author writing male characters would be better off leaving out in my opinion. And speaking of realism - there have been no elk in the northeastern US since the 19th century. Was that supposed to be foreshadowing of the supernatural elements? If so, I completely missed it. I'm thinking not, anyway, because a four foot rack, while impressive on an adult male elk, is not extreme enough on a Rocky Mountain elk to register as magical and a little research indicates Northeastern elk were bigger and could have rack spreads up to six feet.
August 28, 2017
Loved this book, and loved the writing. The prose is raw, genuine and has an authentic voice. I think anyone who leaves less than a 4-star review must have issues with the language and a few other instances that might not be appropriate for younger readers. But this isn't for younger readers, anyway. It's almost like a memoir of lives that faced nearly insurmountable odds and came through anyway. I think it is heartwarming and heroic for the author to set down in words. Honestly, I have goosebumps thinking about certain passages. This is a super first work by a an author whom I hope we'll see a lot more from.
October 23, 2017
Goetz has a creative writing style and I honestly loved it. There was unique descriptions and the story does move fast, but it's not a long read. The characters were interesting but I feel like I didn't get to know them as well as I would like to because of how short the story is. The story is intriguing, enough so that I wanted it to be longer and more developed so that I could really get drawn in. But overall I loved the relationship between the brothers, that was great. I have a more detailed review on my blog, but to keep it short and sweet, I liked it and i look forward to reading more from Goetz.
August 19, 2017
Three brothers, orphaned and responsible for each other, are each affected by their abusive uncle. However, together, they escape his tyranny and discover the truth about their father's death as they work together and develop an even deeper appreciation for each other.
I really enjoyed the writing. A.M. Goetz has a way with words, and her descriptive language makes the boys come to life. Several plot twists also kept me engaged and excited to keep reading.
Despite the dark theme, some sexual content and cursing, I appreciated the overwhelming love woven throughout the book. The boys and two friends demonstrate true unconditional, sacrificial love and brotherly love. In the midst of intense suffering, love and faith win.
I recommend this book for older teens and adults. I'm excited to read the next installment as the adventures of the Ashkettle Boys continue!
I really enjoyed the writing. A.M. Goetz has a way with words, and her descriptive language makes the boys come to life. Several plot twists also kept me engaged and excited to keep reading.
Despite the dark theme, some sexual content and cursing, I appreciated the overwhelming love woven throughout the book. The boys and two friends demonstrate true unconditional, sacrificial love and brotherly love. In the midst of intense suffering, love and faith win.
I recommend this book for older teens and adults. I'm excited to read the next installment as the adventures of the Ashkettle Boys continue!
November 22, 2017
I am Ashkettle Crazy, I love, absolutely love this book. What a literary piece of art, the love between the three brothers (Sonny, Bo and Dack) with what they've gone through wrenched my heart. I was literally absorbed with every word, every page, couldn't wait to finish it and yet didn't want to finish it. I downloaded this book as a thriller, my God, this is more than a thriller. This is so much more than that. This is the feel of Oliver Twist. I can't wait to read the others in the series. The Smile. That's what I have right now. I will remember this book.
November 29, 2017
This is a well-written tale of three brothers who are terrified of Merle, someone who is a mean-spirited dangerous, drug addict bully.
The tone and style of the writing is the first-person narrative from three points of view, thus giving a brilliant insight into the characters - there is certainly a feel for the mountain way of living and talking.
It is a disturbing story but it is also about love, which contrasts with the hateful actions of Merle.
Overall, a terrifying but compelling read.
Recommended.
The tone and style of the writing is the first-person narrative from three points of view, thus giving a brilliant insight into the characters - there is certainly a feel for the mountain way of living and talking.
It is a disturbing story but it is also about love, which contrasts with the hateful actions of Merle.
Overall, a terrifying but compelling read.
Recommended.
January 8, 2018
I really liked this book. It was a touching and heartwarming tale about three brothers overcoming the trauma of an abusive uncle (legal guardian also)...It's a short and simple read, but really sweet!
February 20, 2018
Th' book summry soun'ed interestin' but I’ll be dadburned eff'n I’m a-gonna put up wif a hillbilly narrative fo' an intire ook. Shet mah mouth!
September 9, 2018
I enjoyed the prose and the three narrators. The story was compelling. The end seemed a tad predictable and pat.
January 26, 2018
Ashkettle Crazy
This book was so real and so heartbreaking. It's the story of 3 brothers who live in the Appalachian mountains. It relates the story of their upbringing when their father dies and his brother comes to care for them. The brutality they endured actually made me ill. One of the boys was singled out and horribly abused. It was sad but also showed how the love for one another kept them going. I gave it 5 stars because of the incredible writing. Ms. Goetz is a master at descriptive writing. I would highly recommend.
This book was so real and so heartbreaking. It's the story of 3 brothers who live in the Appalachian mountains. It relates the story of their upbringing when their father dies and his brother comes to care for them. The brutality they endured actually made me ill. One of the boys was singled out and horribly abused. It was sad but also showed how the love for one another kept them going. I gave it 5 stars because of the incredible writing. Ms. Goetz is a master at descriptive writing. I would highly recommend.
December 22, 2020
An amazing story of three brothers.
I'm glad I finally got my hands on it in my kindle. I loved the brothers' love and loyalty to each other, but there were some problems I had with it, which was why I knocked off a star. I agree with some reviewers mentioning that the author seems to be telling more than showing; she seems to be getting to the point quickly. Also, there seems to be so much repetition and the same story being told from different perspectives. Other than that, it was an amazing story that kept me intrigued until the end. Looking forward to reading the second in the series!
I'm glad I finally got my hands on it in my kindle. I loved the brothers' love and loyalty to each other, but there were some problems I had with it, which was why I knocked off a star. I agree with some reviewers mentioning that the author seems to be telling more than showing; she seems to be getting to the point quickly. Also, there seems to be so much repetition and the same story being told from different perspectives. Other than that, it was an amazing story that kept me intrigued until the end. Looking forward to reading the second in the series!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews