Attaboy

by Sam Tallent

Publisher's Summary
From Sam Tallent, author of the hit indie novel Running the Light, which Marc Maron calls "a beautiful rendering of a dark reality", comes a story about poverty, addiction, and bare-knuckle boxing set in the shadows of the American heartland.

Teenaged Jesse is trapped. Growing up, he had all the potential in the world, but then real life intervened. Now he's got a high school diploma, two perpetually black eyes, and a pill fix he can't shake. By day, when he's not high on pain killers, Jesse is hardening his body; it’s the only thing about his life that he can really control. By night, he’s a god in the makeshift ring under the barnyard flood lights, willing to take on any local tough the Madsen brothers put in front of him. Most of Jesse’s fights don't last more than a minute or two. But as competition in town dries up, the Madsens go looking for better fights and bigger risks - with the chance for bigger payouts. Even as Jesse’s home life is closing in on him, he must find a way to win one more fight.

It's the only chance he's got.

©2021 Sam Tallent (P)2021 Audible Originals, LLC.

Genres: Audiobook, Fiction, Short Stories, Thriller, Novella

1 pages, Audiobook

Published January 1, 2021

About the author

Known for whip-quick wit and rollicking improvisations, Sam Tallent is one of the sharpest, most original rising talents in comedy today. For the last 10 years, he has performed at least 45 weekends annually across America, Canada and France. Called "the absurd voice of a surreal generation" by the Denver Post, Sam is beloved by fans of contemporary comedy. He was a New Face at the 2019 Just for Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival, he won his battle on Comedy Central's Roast Battle, hosted the Denver episode of VICELAND's Flophouse and appeared on the Chris Gerhard Show to impress a girl. His critically acclaimed debut novel Running the Light - heralded as the “definitive novel about stand up comedy” (Marc Maron, WTF) - was published by Too Big to Fail Press in 2020 and his short fiction has been published on VICE.com and in BIRDY magazine. He lives in Colorado with his wife and his dog.

Reviews

[ᒪᗴᗩᕼ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this tried to be deep with some symbolism/metaphors...or...maybe not. In the end it just kind of lost me. Maybe, because it was too short or maybe it was because it flitted from one scene to another too quickly. I don't know??? The narration was amazing, though.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting enough short story. Not really the type of story I normally read. Sad little piece of reality for some.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very intense fast ear listen. Left me wanting a bit more at the end.

[Avid · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Short Glimpse of a Families Struggle

I can easily see how this book would be controversial for many, as well as uncomfortable or even unbelievable. All too often it is easier to believe in our country scenes like this were way off in the distant past, only exist in movies, or aren't real. People live with blinders on and don't want to know if it doesn't affect them or their loved ones. However, the reality is not only are there families struggling with bills, abuse, drug addiction, etc & trying to survive daily life to simply take care of their family and put food on the table or purchase medication, many other families are living paycheck to paycheck and close to this same scenario. With all the natural disasters we've had, the deaths from diseases, murder rate going up, who knows exactly where you stand in life or a loved one and how quickly one may go from a have to a have not.

The author is an excellent writer and the narration is excellently performed. I read many negative reviews but my hope is if nothing else one can learn to empathize with others. If you give a little maybe someone else will too. 🤞 I hope you give it a try & enjoy it.

[Samuel Barker · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's serviceable for a noir novel, but it feels like someone just read some Frank Bill short stories and decided to give a noir story a try. I think the biggest thing that gets me is that all these tough, bad ass people in these stories are constantly getting dispatched in the simplest of manners. The smart ones do the dumbest stuff.

They're stories of losers losing after the first two acts are spent building up what complete bad asses the characters are. You could call the end of this story by the midpoint on this one if you've read even one noir novel.

There were some original ways of describing how being poor and/or having your ass beat sounds/smells/tastes/feels/etc. Kinda cool?

[Igor Voltchenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

This popped up in my recommendations not long after I finished Running The Light, so I listened on a whim. In the 90 or so minutes of the runtime, I was invested in main character and the world. Sam really is great at building worlds around his characters and making me feel all sorts of things that have nothing to do with comedy! Now I'm just a little disappointed there aren't another 10 hours of story here.

[Tanya Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kept my attention. Used many metaphors. If you are writing and want to learn how to use them, would read it for that reason. The story kept my attention and the characters memorable. The book overall ok.

[Ana · Rating 2 out of 5]

No really for me. It was okay. A poor family is doing what they can to earn money. The brother starts boxing so he can make money. His sister is going to nursing school, I think. I lost interest quickly, luckily it was short.

[Morgan Johnson · Rating 1 out of 5]

This story meandered along making me believe there would be a point, an actual story with a beginning, middle, and end. Instead, it felt like one chapter out of a much longer book: one that was unfinished without even having gotten started.

[Wendy Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Tallent’s talent for words, as he gives modern-Faulkner, modern-Flannery O’Connor vibes. He leaves me wanting more, but I think that’s a good trademark of a successful short story. I’m looking forward to his novel.

[Page Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting for a short read. It had enough meat to keep you interested and to understand the premise and the outcome.

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good short story. I liked seeing the sister more protective over the brother. Not something you see much of.

[Paige Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good. 5 stars good, but for some reason I'm hesitant to rate it that. Maybe because it's not my typical genre but if you have audible it's included and it's worth the quick read!

[Joe H · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! I wish there were more to it, but overall it’s pretty entertaining.

[Anna Kristín · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,7 - Þetta er örsaga. Fljótlesin. Ekki falleg saga. Það er engin framtíð fyrir fólkið í sögunni, ekkert af þeim. Ljótleiki tilverunnar eins og hann gerist mestur.

[Šarūnė · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5
I find this interesting to listen to novels in a different form.

[Art · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it to be pretty depressing.

[Roo Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gift of the maji but with more punching.

[Mike Prewitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really quick read and a fun one at that.

[Nick E · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick listen, loved it. Sam is once again a master with words.

[Ericka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, quick listen from Audible. Wanted to find out what happened to them.....

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok...drifted a little at the end, but really good

[Elliot Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very quick audiobook - feels like the middle act of something larger. Sets the vibe well with depth of character and humour. Defo should be made into a short film.

[Ryan Woods · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very short, so not much time to get involved in the story. Feels like a summary for an interesting book.

[Downward · Rating 2 out of 5]

feels like sam tallent is about halfway there.

[Alexia Polachek · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Not the best, not the worst. Felt incomplete. Too many metaphors.

[Kira · Rating 2 out of 5]

nothing happened??