Melki's Reviews > Donnybrook

"Got a mess of trouble. They's four county cruisers out in the drive."

Down the hall a cop's fist pounded on the kitchen door.

Alonzo told Tig, "Go get the guns."

Yeah, that's not gonna end well. Not much in this book does. It is INSANELY VIOLENT; nary a page goes by without someone getting beaten, bludgeoned, shot, stabbed, pummeled, or called a hurtful name. In comparison, Fight Club seems like a genteel drawing room comedy. Luckily, you don't really care about any of the characters, and really don't mind the bad things that happen to them. Eventually everything gets so over-the-top, it becomes a little cartoonish. The words "I dropped an anvil on that guy, and he kept fighting as an accordion!" are uttered by no one in this book, but . . . they could be.

I'm waffling between three and four stars here. On one hand, I didn't think the writing lived up to the hype. I was also annoyed that the plot was helped along by a mystical prognosticator who guides one of the characters to make sure he's always in the right place at the right time. On the other hand, I'll probably never forget it. AND, because I have no self respect, I'll undoubtedly read the sequel(s).

Four stars it is. But, I don't really recommend it.