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Powell's Staff:
Five Book Friday: In Memoriam
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Every year, the booksellers at Powell’s submit their Top Fives: their five favorite books that were released in 2023. It’s a list that, when put together, shows just how varied and interesting the book tastes of Powell’s booksellers are. I highly recommend digging into the recommendations — we would never lead you astray — but today...
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Brontez Purnell:
Powell’s Q&A: Brontez Purnell, author of ‘Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt’
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Rachael P.:
Starter Pack: Where to Begin with Ursula K. Le Guin
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Customer Comments
SanDiegoJoe has commented on (2) products
Infects
by
Sean Beaudoin
SanDiegoJoe
, September 25, 2012
A zombie apocalypse set in a camp for juvenile delinquents? Oh yes. The premise alone led me to crack this one open, as I love a good horror read almost as much as I love payback books. Beaudoin isn't concerned with cuddly, doe-eyed protagonists with a plucky world view; his main character, Nero, is jaded, precocious and smart, which made him far more likeable for me than the cookie cutter fare from other gore fests. Plot-wise, momentum builds relatively quickly and long before the halfway point, I was ignoring other responsibilities because I didn't want to take a break. Good surprises, lots of actual laugh-out-loud moments, and a surprising cameo from an unexpected celebrity in the form of Nero's inner voice. This has it all: a creative plot, fast-moving prose, engaging characters, plenty of payback, and of course, acres and acres of blood. Perfect for rainy weekends and travel.
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You Killed Wesley Payne
by
Sean Beaudoin
SanDiegoJoe
, January 28, 2011
It has been many years since I visited the waters of Young Adult fiction. On the recommendation of a friend, I dipped my toe back in with Sean Beaudoin's "You Killed Wesley Payne," and Good Lord, am I glad I did. YKWP walks the fine line of being smart without a tedious disaffected and jaded overtone. It is funny in a realistic and intelligent way, and the plot moves both quickly and unpredictably, which makes it a bullet train of a read. The characters fall into over-the-top exaggerations of high school stereotypes, but each one has depth and sincerity that make them both fun and believable. Dalton Rev, the detective protagonist, is sharp-witted and well-schooled in the areas of literature and music, yet Beaudoin encases him in all the awkward insecurities that plague the average high schooler, making him intensely likable. His boyish fascination with fictional detective Lex Cole is a hilarious theme running throughout the story (and the titles of the Lex Cole book series are comic triumphs in and of themselves). Picture a high school that is the intersection of the movies "Heathers" and "Escape from New York." The students run the school with a mixture of violence, unwritten rules and little governance from adults or the faculty. Everyone is running some kind of racket- even some bandages from the school nurse will require the greasing of the RN's palm. Guns, while temporarily banned, raise no eyebrows, and a team of masked snipers ("the Lee Harvies"), keep the peace from the school roof. Jocks ("Balls") align against Rockers, as a bloodthirsty battle for school supremacy unfolds with a host of sub-cliques pushing the action forward in a blur of sharp dialogue and hairpin plot twists. As the title implies, the death of Wesley Payne, a popular student, is the underlying mystery, inviting the arrival of Dalton Rev, who is far closer to Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character from the movie "Brick," than he is to Encyclopedia Brown. Navigating through the tight-knit cliques, would be girlfriends, law enforcement, and a decidedly unprincipled Principal, Rev runs into beatings, dead ends, deceptions and mysterious clues from anonymous helpers. The ending is fantastic- well told, believable, and full of a few twists that I did not see coming. Brilliantly, Beaudoin continues to reveal some additional mysteries with a one-two punch that will leave the reader smiling, satisfied, and eagerly awaiting Rev's next case. I could not put this down.
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