ariatari's review against another edition
4.0
I'm really into crime novels, and as such, I have such high expectations for them. This book didn't disappoint. This is the first piece by Hautman I had the pleasure of reading. If there's any more, I will be happy to check those out as well. Such a good crime novel.
onegirlreads's review against another edition
3.0
A nice short little story, nothing really special but a quick read.
missprint_'s review against another edition
2.0
Blank Confession (2010) by Pete Hautman
Shayne Blank doesn't expect to make friends or even really get to know anyone when he comes to town. Then he walks into the police station to confess to a murder. Shayne's confession is woven with a narrative from the perspectives of Shayne's newest (most well-dressed) friend Mikey and the world weary detective interviewing Shayne.
The story here has good writing as well as an intriguing premise. Unfortunately that does not make for a good book in this case. Mikey, who narrates most of the story, is a caricature at best with his pipsqueak persona and suit-wearing style. The phrasing throughout the novel verges on the absurd with motorcycles being referred to as "crotch rockets" at least three times, among other atrocities.
Shayne is an under-developed character. Readers learn more about him in the last chapter than they do in the entire rest of the novel. While the idea is sound, and the story is short making it potentially great for reluctant readers, the characters drag this book down. The premise of a high school bully having the capacity to menace an entire town quickly wears thin as do the stunningly flat female character (because yes, there is only one).
Shayne Blank doesn't expect to make friends or even really get to know anyone when he comes to town. Then he walks into the police station to confess to a murder. Shayne's confession is woven with a narrative from the perspectives of Shayne's newest (most well-dressed) friend Mikey and the world weary detective interviewing Shayne.
The story here has good writing as well as an intriguing premise. Unfortunately that does not make for a good book in this case. Mikey, who narrates most of the story, is a caricature at best with his pipsqueak persona and suit-wearing style. The phrasing throughout the novel verges on the absurd with motorcycles being referred to as "crotch rockets" at least three times, among other atrocities.
Shayne is an under-developed character. Readers learn more about him in the last chapter than they do in the entire rest of the novel. While the idea is sound, and the story is short making it potentially great for reluctant readers, the characters drag this book down. The premise of a high school bully having the capacity to menace an entire town quickly wears thin as do the stunningly flat female character (because yes, there is only one).
b00knerd's review against another edition
3.0
Quick easy read that was nothing special. Not a bad book just not a book to rave about.
duffypratt's review against another edition
3.0
I felt sort of like an idiot when it hit me that this book actually is the high-school retelling of Shane, the western by George Stevens. I mean Shayne Blank is the name of the mysterious stranger who rides into school on his BMW motorcycle. He's not particularly special in any way, but has a distinct air of danger about him. He gets mixed up with some really bad characters while trying to help some kid who is out of his depth, and he becomes tangentially involved with everyone in the kid's family. Things escalate through a series of cool showdowns, until there is a climax, and he rides off into the sunset.
In cases like this, where the lifting is so obvious, I don't know whether to be put off by what the author has done, or charmed. In this case, I'm going to opt for a little of both. If you accept the implausibility of an itinerant vigilante student, the basic of idea of this western translates remarkably well into the high school milieu. The tale is still slight, but it works, and it's engaging. But I was also a little put off the way Hautman tried to hide what he was doing. The book opens with another cliche: flashbacks as a story is being told in a police interrogation. In this way, Hautman tries to hide the Western cliches behind some Hard Boiled Detective/Film Noir cliches.
Also, this being the third book I've read of his, I'm starting to lose patience with some recurrences: the alcoholic father, the dysfunctional family, and the use of an overly involved narrative structure, usually a very clever structure, to patch over some weaknesses in the narrative itself. I'm more and more thinking that Hautman is extremely clever, but lacks some heart.
In cases like this, where the lifting is so obvious, I don't know whether to be put off by what the author has done, or charmed. In this case, I'm going to opt for a little of both. If you accept the implausibility of an itinerant vigilante student, the basic of idea of this western translates remarkably well into the high school milieu. The tale is still slight, but it works, and it's engaging. But I was also a little put off the way Hautman tried to hide what he was doing. The book opens with another cliche: flashbacks as a story is being told in a police interrogation. In this way, Hautman tries to hide the Western cliches behind some Hard Boiled Detective/Film Noir cliches.
Also, this being the third book I've read of his, I'm starting to lose patience with some recurrences: the alcoholic father, the dysfunctional family, and the use of an overly involved narrative structure, usually a very clever structure, to patch over some weaknesses in the narrative itself. I'm more and more thinking that Hautman is extremely clever, but lacks some heart.
jeanwk's review against another edition
4.0
I liked how the story played out--almost a short story format.
ninatest's review against another edition
4.0
Honestly I picked this up at the library because it was short. I wasn't expecting much because the cover looked boring and old, but to my surprise I actually loved it.
The mysterious sense in the story is fun and intriguing. Getting the story told in two separate parts was a nice twist that I enjoyed.
The mysterious sense in the story is fun and intriguing. Getting the story told in two separate parts was a nice twist that I enjoyed.
owlreads_'s review against another edition
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
rcaivano's review against another edition
This was a quick read, a good boy book, with bullying, fighting, a little romance, standing up for yourself. Mikey is being bullied, and the new boy, Shayne, stands up for him, although no one really knows why.