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Just Jennifer
, May 30, 2013
(view all comments by Just Jennifer)
I've never known anyone who was part of a bike gang. I don't even think I know someone who's known someone who was in a bike gang. But I find them so fascinating. I like to watch anything I can find on TV and read anything I can find about them. Not sure what draws me to the subject, but it's interesting. So I was really looking forward to reading Hazardous Materials. Bike Gangs and addiction seemed like two subjects that would make for a very interesting book.
I liked the contrast between Bucky and his sister. Bucky's life went in a totally different directions and yet somehow they've kind of ended up on the same path. Both are addicted to drugs. Bucky questions himself a few times throughout the book. Just because he's one of the "Good Guys" does that make him any better than the stereotypical drug addict? Because his drug is "legal" does that make it a better addiction? Bucky's inner turmoil made the story very interesting. He was trying to take the right-side of a conflict in which he is technically an active participant in the wrong-side. Had this just been a book about a HazMat specialist trying to get to the bottom of a meth ring it would have been a good story. Add in Bucky's predicament and it becomes even more interesting. I can't say that I really liked Bucky - as a person - but he was a great character.
I liked the research that went into this story. With so many different aspects coming together in this one it was imperative that everything be as accurate as possible. Had the bikers been fake they probably wouldn't have created the same problems for Bucky. Had the HazMat team been missing a few details there's certain parts of the story that wouldn't have been possible. You can tell that Kamm did quite a bit of research to keep the story real. The writing was also pretty good. There were a few things I was unfamiliar with but was easily able to pick up what they were. Most of the HazMat gear I had never heard of and had little clue what they did - the descriptions and explanations were weaved into the story so well that it didn't stand out from the story. Everything just came together so fluidly. My only issue with this was then ending - specifically the last chapter. It just wasn't what I would have pictured for Bucky's future. It wasn't a bad ending I just wanted something a little more "exciting." But it was an enjoyable story and was pretty informative. I don't know when knowing that Percocet is a mix of oxycodone and acetaminophen but I now know :-)
I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for a review. This review is my truthful honest opinion.
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