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Die Musik der Wüste
Neil Garvin ist siebzehn und lebt bei seinem Vater. Er geht zur Highschool in Carmen, Nevada einem gottverlassenen Nest in der Nähe von Las Vegas. In der Footballmannschaft seiner Schule ist er der Star. Doch Neil hat auch eine dunkle Seite. Seine Mutter verließ die Familie, als er drei Jahre alt war. Heimlich gibt Neil seinem Vater die Schuld daran. Dieser als Sheriff von Carmen ein allseits geachteter Mann gebärdet sich zu Hause oft als unberechenbarer und cholerischer Tyrann. Die Angst ist das vertrauteste Gefühl, was Neil seinem Vater gegenüber empfindet. Eines Abends kommt es nach einer wüsten Party zur Katastrophe: In angetrunkenem Zustand überfährt Neil einen Klassenkameraden, der auf der Stelle tot ist. Und plötzlich wird der Mann, den Neil am meisten hasst zu seinem Komplizen wider Willen. Als sich das Netz der Ermittlungen immer enger um den verstörten Jungen zieht und die Anspannung unerträglich wird, kommt es zu einer explosiven Konfrontation zwischen Vater und Sohn, bei der Neil die erschütternde Wahrheit über seine Mutter erfährt Mit einer erzählerischen Kraft, die aus der spröden Sprache seines siebzehnjährigen Helden erwächst und umso mehr berührt, je schnörkelloser sie daherkommt, erzählt Alan Watt, was es heißt, schuldig zu werden, und was es heißt, zu lieben. Ein großes Buch, an dessen Ende die Hoffnung steht.
238 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2000
23 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
About the author
Alan Watt
8 books35 followersAlan Watt is a novelist, screenwriter and playwright. His bestselling novel Diamond Dogs (Little, Brown), won numerous awards including France’s 2004 Prix Printemps (best foreign novel). He recently adapted the book for French film company, Quad, and it is soon to be a feature film. His book, The 90-Day Novel, is one of the top-selling books on writing. He's also the author of The 90-Day Rewrite and (coming Fall 2013) The 90-Day Screenplay.
Al founded L.A. Writers’ Lab in 2002 as a place for writers to deepen their craft by learning to marry the rigor of structure to the freedom of the muse. He has taught everyone from award-winning authors to A-list screenwriters, journalists, poets, actors, professional athletes, war veterans, housewives, doctors, lawyers, television showrunners, Emmy-winning directors, first-time writers, and anyone else with a story to tell.
Al founded L.A. Writers’ Lab in 2002 as a place for writers to deepen their craft by learning to marry the rigor of structure to the freedom of the muse. He has taught everyone from award-winning authors to A-list screenwriters, journalists, poets, actors, professional athletes, war veterans, housewives, doctors, lawyers, television showrunners, Emmy-winning directors, first-time writers, and anyone else with a story to tell.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
October 29, 2008
The main character in this book is utterly unlikeable. Neil makes so many poor judgements and continues to lie, lie, lie his way through his problems. He drives home drunk one night and kills a classmate, Ian. Instead of doing the honorable thing he puts the kids dead body in the trunk of his car so he can dispose of him. Turns out his father is the town's sheriff. When he arrives home with the body in the trunk his father receives a call from his partner that the victim's parents have notified them that there son was missing. Neil doesn't come clean then. He instead drives his father to the victims house, with the dead kid in the trunk no less. He stands by while his father takes down information from the fraught family of the victim. He sees up close how scared they are and STILL does nothing. It is at this time his father (Sheriff) goes into the trunk of the car to retreive something. He also makes the decision not to expose the crime to the family. The next day Neil is asked to drive home Mary, sister to Ian the victim. Mary has an obvious crush on him and is also emotionally vulnerable. Neil takes this opportunity to have sex with her even though he has a girlfriend. He blames this lack of compassion on his state of mind as if that is any excuse. When this gets around school and even back to his girlfriend, he lies to her and says he only kissed Mary. Once again lies is apparently all Neil can give. Much later as the FBI are closing in on Neil and encroaching on his father's juristiction, his father in an attempt to protect his son from being arrested, arrests Neil's best friend Reed for the murder. He does this in the presence of Neil. Neil sees how scared Reed is, and even though he has been asking Reed to lie to the FBI about seeing him pulled over on the side of the road the night of the crime he has no qualms about letting Reed possibly go to prison for his crime. Once again he still doesn't come clean about his role in Ian's death. I HATED this book. I HATED Neil. I HATED that when he finally confesses he only gets two years for taking a life. This was a horrible horrible book with aweful characters that scrap the bottom of the scum bucket.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2008
I honestly don't know where to start off with this book. For starters the whole plot of the book is over all very weak and seems to go into so many different directions that it hardly seems to be part of the same book anymore. The main character is Neil a football star who is the son of the town's sheriff. The character of Neil is ver unlikable from start to finish. He is a bully and to tell you the truth the book does an awful job trying to get you to feel any sympathy fo him. ~SPOILER~ So the main plot is of Neil being at some party and then picking on some kid just because poor Neil had a screwed up life. While at the pary he get trashed and decides to drive his drunk butt home. While on the way back he runs over someone on the road killing themin an instant and guess what it is the same kid he was picking on at the party. Not knowing what to do he decides to drive home to his house and leaves the body in the trunk. The next morning it is again. The rest of the book just deals with random crap that just keeps weakening the whole plot. I would only reccomend this book if you really don't have anything else to read. The good news is , it is in fact readible in my opinion so you won't be throwing the book down in disgust.
March 29, 2021
I picked up this novel because I recently won the same book award as Alan Watt. We won for different categories and when I told a writer I know about the award he went to the site.
We were on a call at the time and he said, "Wow. Alan Watt won, too."
I asked, "Who's Alan Watt?"
He said, "He's the guy who wrote the book that made me want to be a writer."
My friend is one of the best writers I know so I had to see what book inspired him to take up the pen.
This book is easily the best book I've read in years. It never waivers, never falters. The Neil Diamond thing is just brilliant. Yes, it's a dark story but I think people would be shocked by how many people grow up in similar situations, only without the extremes. Without those extremes people just think it's "their family" or "how things are". It's just as abusive.
This narrative tells the truth, though the narrator is unreliable. He's not a particularly likeable person, either. I did not relate to him at all and in fact that was one of the things I loved most about this book. It was violent and dark and rolled out heinous bits one by one. I did not relate to anyone in the book, except maybe Reed and I loved that aspect. I think a lot of people want to connect when they read books. I don't care if I connect or understand a single character. I want to be absolutely transfixed by a story. I want to be catapulted into a world I never knew existed. I want to be standing somewhere five years from now, waiting on a cup of coffee and in those precious free moments, think to myself, man, that was an incredible book.
This book dives deep into the human psyche and does not wrap it up in pretty bows. Know that going in. On the other side, you might be up at four o'clock in the morning because you can't put the book down until you KNOW what happens.
These characters are real, not sentimental cut outs. Real people don't often know they're awful, and this story highlights that well. I recently saw The Jazz Singer because it is one of those films people always talk about. I have to say, every time I hear Diamond sing, "Love on the rocks, ain't no surprise. Pour me a drink and I'll tell you some lies," I'll be thinking of that Midori with lime and that guy on the football team who never understood that every path he took to avoid his destiny led straight to it.
Solid 10 Stars from start to finish.
We were on a call at the time and he said, "Wow. Alan Watt won, too."
I asked, "Who's Alan Watt?"
He said, "He's the guy who wrote the book that made me want to be a writer."
My friend is one of the best writers I know so I had to see what book inspired him to take up the pen.
This book is easily the best book I've read in years. It never waivers, never falters. The Neil Diamond thing is just brilliant. Yes, it's a dark story but I think people would be shocked by how many people grow up in similar situations, only without the extremes. Without those extremes people just think it's "their family" or "how things are". It's just as abusive.
This narrative tells the truth, though the narrator is unreliable. He's not a particularly likeable person, either. I did not relate to him at all and in fact that was one of the things I loved most about this book. It was violent and dark and rolled out heinous bits one by one. I did not relate to anyone in the book, except maybe Reed and I loved that aspect. I think a lot of people want to connect when they read books. I don't care if I connect or understand a single character. I want to be absolutely transfixed by a story. I want to be catapulted into a world I never knew existed. I want to be standing somewhere five years from now, waiting on a cup of coffee and in those precious free moments, think to myself, man, that was an incredible book.
This book dives deep into the human psyche and does not wrap it up in pretty bows. Know that going in. On the other side, you might be up at four o'clock in the morning because you can't put the book down until you KNOW what happens.
These characters are real, not sentimental cut outs. Real people don't often know they're awful, and this story highlights that well. I recently saw The Jazz Singer because it is one of those films people always talk about. I have to say, every time I hear Diamond sing, "Love on the rocks, ain't no surprise. Pour me a drink and I'll tell you some lies," I'll be thinking of that Midori with lime and that guy on the football team who never understood that every path he took to avoid his destiny led straight to it.
Solid 10 Stars from start to finish.
February 22, 2012
Disturbing. Almost in a good way, but then Watts crosses the line with graphic and extremely disturbing sex scenes. I liked the suspense and the way he portrayed human nature' desire to cover up sin/big mistakes - but at the end I think he lost his focus. For only very mature upper high school kids.
December 9, 2010
Diamond Dogs had such a clear narrative line. It made me care for the protagonist even though there were so many reasons not to like him. The characters were hewn out of different woods and each resonated with his own personality.
It was a quick read that left me wanting more.
It was a quick read that left me wanting more.
July 30, 2011
Pretty depressing story, but written with amazing pacing that gets you through it. Main character is not really likable, so much so that he doesn't really like himself either. Set outside Las Vegas, which makes for an interesting setting.
January 17, 2013
I loved the narration of this novel. Neil is a heartbreaking character who I was rooting for all the way.
I read this book in one day. I couldn't put it down. It was fast paced, tense, and wonderful.
I read this book in one day. I couldn't put it down. It was fast paced, tense, and wonderful.
March 9, 2012
mediocre, but a painless mediocre. if a phone call hadn't interrupted me, i might have finished the book in 20 minutes.
February 23, 2023
Eine Lektüre, die mich sehr berührt hat. Gerade, was die Rolle des Vaters betrifft. Lange konnte. ich nicht verstehen, warum er Neils Tat unbedingt vertuschen wollte. Ich habe den Eindruck gewonnen, er wollte Neil damit zwingen, nach seinen Vorstellungen zu leben. Trotzdem: als Sheriff muss er sich doch darüber im Klaren sein, welche Folgen es haben wird.
Neil leidet immer mehr unter der Situation. Aber er sieht keinen Ausweg. Das FBI ist ihm auf der Spur und ich habe das Gefühl, als ob er am liebsten gestehen würde. Aber sein Vater verhindert das immer wieder. Er kann sich auch seinen Freunden nicht anvertrauen. Wobei ich auch nicht den Eindruck bekommen habe, als ob die Jungen im Footballteam wirklich Freunde sind. Meistens kam es mir so vor, als ob im Team jeder gegen jeden ist und die Jungen nur zusammenhalten, wenn es gegen eine andere Mannschaft geht.
Während Neil versucht, sein Leben wieder in Ordnung zu bringen, wird das Verhalten des Vaters immer extremer. Ein Trip nach Las Vegas gibt mir den entscheidenden Hinweis über seine Motive. Danach wurde er mir noch unsympathischer, weil er seinen Sohn für sein Wohlergehen missbraucht hat.
Die Musik der Wüste wirkt leicht erzählt, aber die Geschichte ist es ganz und gar nicht. Ich habe schon erwähnt, dass mich das Buch von Anfang an gepackt hat und wie schon oben erwähnt: es wir noch einige Zeit nachwirken.
Neil leidet immer mehr unter der Situation. Aber er sieht keinen Ausweg. Das FBI ist ihm auf der Spur und ich habe das Gefühl, als ob er am liebsten gestehen würde. Aber sein Vater verhindert das immer wieder. Er kann sich auch seinen Freunden nicht anvertrauen. Wobei ich auch nicht den Eindruck bekommen habe, als ob die Jungen im Footballteam wirklich Freunde sind. Meistens kam es mir so vor, als ob im Team jeder gegen jeden ist und die Jungen nur zusammenhalten, wenn es gegen eine andere Mannschaft geht.
Während Neil versucht, sein Leben wieder in Ordnung zu bringen, wird das Verhalten des Vaters immer extremer. Ein Trip nach Las Vegas gibt mir den entscheidenden Hinweis über seine Motive. Danach wurde er mir noch unsympathischer, weil er seinen Sohn für sein Wohlergehen missbraucht hat.
Die Musik der Wüste wirkt leicht erzählt, aber die Geschichte ist es ganz und gar nicht. Ich habe schon erwähnt, dass mich das Buch von Anfang an gepackt hat und wie schon oben erwähnt: es wir noch einige Zeit nachwirken.
November 1, 2023
I like how the ending of the book is somewhat separated from the rest because, for the most part, the book is very suspenseful, but the ending is very sentimental and impactful. I really like how his father has the 'diamond dog' look in him, but after Neil finds out, he becomes more grounded in reality.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. It's fast paced and very entertaining. The characters were believable and the ending was very satisfying.
October 2, 2018
Loved this book. Moved at a great speed. Very easy to pick up and get sucked into.
March 5, 2019
3.5
It was an easy read that kept me hooked although I feel like the ending was a bit too....easy? The main character also needed to take a lot more responsibility for his actions than he did.
It was an easy read that kept me hooked although I feel like the ending was a bit too....easy? The main character also needed to take a lot more responsibility for his actions than he did.
September 29, 2019
Good job!
Saw Alan on film courage and became curious about his work. I read this book in a short period of time. It was well done.
Saw Alan on film courage and became curious about his work. I read this book in a short period of time. It was well done.
February 10, 2014
A few months ago, I purchased a copy of the 90 day novel by Alan Watt and gave it a go. But that's a different book review, and must wait until I've completed the day-by-day writing exercises.
After spending a large amount of time following Watt's advice on writing, which seemed solid or I wouldn't have bought the 90 day novel, I decided I needed to read Diamond Dogs. Yes, I can be a bit backward. A normal person would purchase a book on writing after developing admiration for an author's work.
It's been a while since I literally couldn't put a book down; Diamond Dogs meets that overused description. I read and read and didn't want to stop. At first I thought it was a short book, because the percentage-complete indicator on my Kindle climbed alarmingly fast. But Diamond Dogs is a full length novel.
Now, here is something to think about. Diamond Dogs, the Kindle version I read, has a lot of typos. I'm not good at picking these things up when reading for pleasure, but there seems to be a problem with name capitalization. For example "It was a shock when grace Daly started screaming." Or when the protagonist's football coach keeps yelling at him, but the name is never capitalized. This happens so often I assume it must be intentional. I know its distracting.
I found myself wondering if this smattering of lowercase names was a stylistic abuse of grammar I'd just never seen before. There are also some formatting issues, lines that go mid sentence into a new paragraph and whatnot.
This isn't an indie book. It won France's 2004 Prix Printemps (best foreign novel).
So there are typos. (I'm not bothered by typos, especially if the story is good. It's just annoying that indie authors get abused for this kind of thing, but traditionally published authors don't.)
There is also a lot of what writing coaches call "telling," or so it seems on the surface. Yet, I couldn't stop reading. The "telling," much of it back story, is artfully done and mixed with visuals and action, so perhaps that is why it works so well. There's still a lot of telling. Read it and see.
Diamond Dogs is a dark book. The protagonist is not likable. His father is worse. The Las Vegas segment gets a little too weird, but the story stumbles free of the blind alley just like the characters do and no serious harm is done. And some of the Las Vegas build up and pay off is crucial to the story.
I'd recommend this book to friends.
I wish there were more novels by Alan Watt. I'd read them.
After spending a large amount of time following Watt's advice on writing, which seemed solid or I wouldn't have bought the 90 day novel, I decided I needed to read Diamond Dogs. Yes, I can be a bit backward. A normal person would purchase a book on writing after developing admiration for an author's work.
It's been a while since I literally couldn't put a book down; Diamond Dogs meets that overused description. I read and read and didn't want to stop. At first I thought it was a short book, because the percentage-complete indicator on my Kindle climbed alarmingly fast. But Diamond Dogs is a full length novel.
Now, here is something to think about. Diamond Dogs, the Kindle version I read, has a lot of typos. I'm not good at picking these things up when reading for pleasure, but there seems to be a problem with name capitalization. For example "It was a shock when grace Daly started screaming." Or when the protagonist's football coach keeps yelling at him, but the name is never capitalized. This happens so often I assume it must be intentional. I know its distracting.
I found myself wondering if this smattering of lowercase names was a stylistic abuse of grammar I'd just never seen before. There are also some formatting issues, lines that go mid sentence into a new paragraph and whatnot.
This isn't an indie book. It won France's 2004 Prix Printemps (best foreign novel).
So there are typos. (I'm not bothered by typos, especially if the story is good. It's just annoying that indie authors get abused for this kind of thing, but traditionally published authors don't.)
There is also a lot of what writing coaches call "telling," or so it seems on the surface. Yet, I couldn't stop reading. The "telling," much of it back story, is artfully done and mixed with visuals and action, so perhaps that is why it works so well. There's still a lot of telling. Read it and see.
Diamond Dogs is a dark book. The protagonist is not likable. His father is worse. The Las Vegas segment gets a little too weird, but the story stumbles free of the blind alley just like the characters do and no serious harm is done. And some of the Las Vegas build up and pay off is crucial to the story.
I'd recommend this book to friends.
I wish there were more novels by Alan Watt. I'd read them.
January 17, 2013
Did you know that Diamond dogs is now a major motion picture. This book written by Alan watt contains everything from your mid- night romance too your favorite mysteries. In this book Neil, a 17 year old pro star football player with a partying problem finds himself in his father’s shoes even though he wont know it till the end of the book. Even though this book only spans over a four day period, it still is a “all night book”. This book is a great read, for all reading levels but not all reading ages.
This books plot is very simple yet defined. Neil the main character knows how he got his name, his father the sheriff of Carmon a small town outside the big city of las Vegas who hates the FBI. Neil dad loves Neil Diamond, Neil describes him as lost and drowning but when he listens to Neil Diamond he seems to be pulled up but never pull out of his life’s hiding dream. One night after a football party with a little too much beer, Neil decides to drive home, even after a friends warning. On the way home he begins to play chicken with the lights. When all of a sudden he hit it, a boy, Ian Curtis.
Warning slight spoiler. After hitting the body, he decides what to do, at first he wants to leave the body there, but thought that his dad might be able to put two and two together, about the broken headlight and the body. So then he decides to bring it home and burry it. When he goes to look for a shovel he runs into his dad and receives a lecture and a sentence to his room. While waiting in his room, preparing to sneak back down his father comes up and ask him to come with him because he got a call about a missing boy. When they get to the house Neil freezes in total shock when he sees it’s the curtsies house. While questioning them Neil’s father ask him to get his notepad from the trunk. When he opens the trunk he looks for the note pad, and realizes the body was gone.
This book is for any level reader but not any age level. While it does contain some vague language it, It also contains a brief sex scene. Alan Watt has written many books and other articles. I would suggest this book for many mature 15-20 year olds. This book will have the reader up all night trying to figure out how it ends.
This books plot is very simple yet defined. Neil the main character knows how he got his name, his father the sheriff of Carmon a small town outside the big city of las Vegas who hates the FBI. Neil dad loves Neil Diamond, Neil describes him as lost and drowning but when he listens to Neil Diamond he seems to be pulled up but never pull out of his life’s hiding dream. One night after a football party with a little too much beer, Neil decides to drive home, even after a friends warning. On the way home he begins to play chicken with the lights. When all of a sudden he hit it, a boy, Ian Curtis.
Warning slight spoiler. After hitting the body, he decides what to do, at first he wants to leave the body there, but thought that his dad might be able to put two and two together, about the broken headlight and the body. So then he decides to bring it home and burry it. When he goes to look for a shovel he runs into his dad and receives a lecture and a sentence to his room. While waiting in his room, preparing to sneak back down his father comes up and ask him to come with him because he got a call about a missing boy. When they get to the house Neil freezes in total shock when he sees it’s the curtsies house. While questioning them Neil’s father ask him to get his notepad from the trunk. When he opens the trunk he looks for the note pad, and realizes the body was gone.
This book is for any level reader but not any age level. While it does contain some vague language it, It also contains a brief sex scene. Alan Watt has written many books and other articles. I would suggest this book for many mature 15-20 year olds. This book will have the reader up all night trying to figure out how it ends.
October 20, 2015
The book Diamond Dogs is a brilliant book written by Alan Watt, who is both a writer and an actor. The book he created has many important themes and relatable topics within it. The book goes over the problem of family issues which is an important topic to go over with a high school audience reading the book. The book is in the view of a high school boy telling his story and sharing his struggles with the reader.
The story opens up with our main character, Neil Garvin being shown as a very popular football star. However, we eventually find out that Neil is also well known for another thing, being a cruel bully. His father is a local sheriff and is very abusive towards Neil. One night outside of town, an accidental random act ends with a life taken, and it was because of Neil. Even worse for him, his father tries to cover up the whole thing making this situation worse. Neil tries to figure out what he’s going to do while also trying to uncover the mystery of his mother’s disappearance from almost ten years before.
I would highly recommend reading this book. Anyone that enjoys thrilling adventures with a little bit of mystery slipped in will very much enjoy this book. I also think that you might enjoy this book a little more if you are in at least in high school level. This book is not too long, but it has enough for you to really get into the story, wanting to know what might happen next. This book makes you look back at your own life and see what you can relate to in the book, but it also shows how easily one person’s life could change completely with just one event. Overall, the book is very interesting, makes you question your own life, and is not too difficult to understand for yourself.
The story opens up with our main character, Neil Garvin being shown as a very popular football star. However, we eventually find out that Neil is also well known for another thing, being a cruel bully. His father is a local sheriff and is very abusive towards Neil. One night outside of town, an accidental random act ends with a life taken, and it was because of Neil. Even worse for him, his father tries to cover up the whole thing making this situation worse. Neil tries to figure out what he’s going to do while also trying to uncover the mystery of his mother’s disappearance from almost ten years before.
I would highly recommend reading this book. Anyone that enjoys thrilling adventures with a little bit of mystery slipped in will very much enjoy this book. I also think that you might enjoy this book a little more if you are in at least in high school level. This book is not too long, but it has enough for you to really get into the story, wanting to know what might happen next. This book makes you look back at your own life and see what you can relate to in the book, but it also shows how easily one person’s life could change completely with just one event. Overall, the book is very interesting, makes you question your own life, and is not too difficult to understand for yourself.
October 21, 2009
I was surprised to realize how interesting this book was. A football player, Neil, makes a bad decision and ends up with his hands covered in a mess he isn't sure how to handle. The relationship he holds with his dad is based on how much he pleases his dad with his accomplishments. Throughout the story, his dad and him bond in a twisted way when they try to cover up a crime. Many kids in today's society are always trying to please someone. In the book, you see Neil trying to get out of the hold his father has on him. After growing up his whole life being controlled by his dad, he takes charge and chooses to follow his own lead. The storyline constantly kept my attention because I never knew what would happen next. The author chose a great move in doing so because it made myself go further into the book and keep reading. I think everybody should read this book- no age limit or gender. Though it involves a football player and his dad, it's more than that. I thought the meaning behind everything Neil did was a valuable lesson that could be learned in the way things are dealt with in today's society.
June 5, 2013
This Book was a decent book. The book isn’t all that long so I expected it to be a little more exciting though it had good content it isn't all that exciting after the beginning and then towards the end it starts to get better. The book is about a guy named Neil that has everything at school he is popular and he in the quarterback of the football team. His home life isn't so amazing though his dad is a drunk that occasionally beats him, and his mom stepped out on them. I would recommend this book to people that like mysteries, and people finding themselves in books. Although he is the quarterback there really isn't a whole lot of sports talk in the book. If you read the description and see football that doesn't mean that it is about football. This is what I thought when I picked up the book, but, I still ended up liking the book a little. Over all i would give the book 3 starts at the most. I you plan on reading this book make sure you know what it is about. I hope you like the book more than I did.
February 14, 2011
When a star high school quarterback kills a classmate in a drunk driving accident and his father the sheriff disposes of the body, you can assume some secrets are going to be exposed. You don't know when or how. One of these secrets is a whopper. The book starts off strong, and ends like a runaway locomotive, but gets diluted in the middle with far far less compelling subplots, like the on-off girlfriend, the football team. Still a fast read. The scene with the father and son with the hooker in the New York New York hotel room is stunningly creepy. I'm taking away one star because of the father's odd (could there be any other kind) Neil Diamond fetish. Neil Diamond... really? Is that for comic relief?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2016
Hard to put down thriller; dark but some redeeming ending; I wanted to keep reading but I didn't care enough about the characters; and I found myself peeved that so many (all?) the main character's insights are preceded by the word "realized." It felt like cheating to me. Yes there was action that brought the realization to the forefront but still, I was bugged. Read this because the writer also wrote 90 Days to the Novel which I am working through... I did find the way he unpacked this novel in his writing book very helpful.
August 31, 2012
Another cheerful book about teens killing teens...this one from the perspective of a star athlete who drinks too much at a party and, while driving home, kills another kid. He panics, but is shocked when his dad actually covers for him, even hides the body. His father is amazingly brutal, not to mention an alcoholic. In the end, he nearly kills the kid, who (very pat) suddenly remembers where his mother is & why she hasn't ever come home for him. You end up feeling like this horrible kid may actually have a chance for a productive life after he's out of jail.
December 25, 2013
I read this book because I am reading other book from Alan Watt, The 90 Day Novel. I found this book very interesting. First it doesn't have the common form of other books. Neil narrates the story in the first person. The plot is psychological. We follow Neil's mind as he tolds us his personal problems, mostly because his father. His world changes after he hits and kills a school mate after leaving a party loaded. His father covered him hidden the body. Nice development and construction. The conclusion was very good. I strongly recommend this book as a nice example of good writing.
December 24, 2015
Diamond Dogs by Alan Watt
Neil Garvin appears to have it all; good looks, popularity, a girlfriend and the starting quarterback position on the high school football team. However he also has to live with his abusive father, the memory of his mother who left when he was three and a secret that will haunt him forever.
I enjoyed this suspenseful novel even though I didn’t like the main character or his father, but I think that was part of the idea of the book. Neil’s past doesn’t excuse who he is or what he has done, but he does start to question things he may have just previously accepted.
Neil Garvin appears to have it all; good looks, popularity, a girlfriend and the starting quarterback position on the high school football team. However he also has to live with his abusive father, the memory of his mother who left when he was three and a secret that will haunt him forever.
I enjoyed this suspenseful novel even though I didn’t like the main character or his father, but I think that was part of the idea of the book. Neil’s past doesn’t excuse who he is or what he has done, but he does start to question things he may have just previously accepted.
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June 23, 2016Jeff says,
Neil Garvin appears to have it all; good looks, popularity, a girlfriend and the starting quarterback position on the high school football team. However he also has to live with his abusive father, the memory of his mother who left when he was three and a secret that will haunt him forever. I enjoyed this suspenseful novel even though I didn’t like the main character or his father, but I think that was part of the idea of the book. Neil’s past doesn’t excuse who he is or what he has done, but he does start to question things he may have just previously accepted.
Neil Garvin appears to have it all; good looks, popularity, a girlfriend and the starting quarterback position on the high school football team. However he also has to live with his abusive father, the memory of his mother who left when he was three and a secret that will haunt him forever. I enjoyed this suspenseful novel even though I didn’t like the main character or his father, but I think that was part of the idea of the book. Neil’s past doesn’t excuse who he is or what he has done, but he does start to question things he may have just previously accepted.
July 8, 2012
Wow... angst now has a whole new standard to live up to, doesn't it? I mean, God...
This book wasn't even sad or depressing. It was just ANGSTY. I struggled through the beginning a bit, mostly because I had trouble caring for Neil. In fact, I don't think I really cared for Neil until the end, when he found out the truth about his mother.
This was an odd duck of a book, and I can't say I would read it again. It wasn't bad exactly, just... strange.
This book wasn't even sad or depressing. It was just ANGSTY. I struggled through the beginning a bit, mostly because I had trouble caring for Neil. In fact, I don't think I really cared for Neil until the end, when he found out the truth about his mother.
This was an odd duck of a book, and I can't say I would read it again. It wasn't bad exactly, just... strange.
June 19, 2013
I read this short debut novel because I had recently picked up Watts' book on 90-day novel writing and he, naturally, mentioned this one quite a bit. Bad thing happen, then dumb things happen, and then this one thing happens, and that's about it. I felt nothing for the main characters, even when all the secrets come to light. So so ...
June 28, 2013
What really got me in this book is Al Watt's ability to pack so much information into one paragraph.
It's not the kind of book I normally read, and the two main characters were both despicable in their own ways. But not all protagonists need to be likeable for it to be a good and compelling story. The end makes this novel.
It's not the kind of book I normally read, and the two main characters were both despicable in their own ways. But not all protagonists need to be likeable for it to be a good and compelling story. The end makes this novel.
May 29, 2009
i read this book when i was in 8th grade and really liked it, i think it partly had to do with the fact that i had gotten it from goodwill for 25 cents and it was good. I think that i was shocked me that the book that cost me so will could be entertaining.
April 9, 2012
Reminds me of Crime and Punishment, except a much easier, lighter read than that. I enjoyed this a lot, and also got to read about the making of this book in Watt's other (AMAZING) book, The 90 Day Novel.
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