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jslive's review against another edition
4.0
A cool portrait of a corner of NYC. All character and light on plot but... Quite the characters.
chefannette's review against another edition
5.0
This book stayed with me for weeks after I finished it! Amazing!
notsogoldilocks's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kirsten0929's review against another edition
4.0
Read this as an audiobook read by Bobby Cannavale who was perfect for it. He did a fantastic job, read it so much better than I would have in my own head. I am such a fan of Richard Price. He’s known for being the king of dialogue and he is. He really is. I have a small niggle with how the story wrapped up but it didn’t matter. I was so caught up with how he brings the characters and that world to life that how it ended was almost irrelevant. Book critic for the NY Times, Michiko Kakutani, said “it reads like a movie in prose” and I agree.
bantwalkers's review against another edition
4.0
Great book. Fascinating. Stunning. Enthralling from beginning to end. Most interesting is how the death of one person impacts so many people in so many different ways. (Ok that sentence was cliche, but the book isn't.)
pmrichard1's review against another edition
2.0
This was not for me but idk why I thought it would be
loujoseph's review against another edition
4.0
plot-wise is was starting to remind me of a law and order episode, but morphed into something better as the father kept losing it.. weird that it wrapped up so nicely- like the new pelecanos book, maybe writing for the wire made him want to have more resolution in his own book?
that said, the man has an ear for dialogue, this one just flowed..
that said, the man has an ear for dialogue, this one just flowed..
maa_pix's review against another edition
3.0
A better than average read. Great characters. Absolutely swimming in sense of place. Perhaps too much. I've never even been to NY. So does the minutiae about the precise layout of the Lower East Side make any difference to me? Nah. Still, if you like police procedurals, or are a fan of NYC, then this book is for you.
shirleytupperfreeman's review against another edition
This is one of the 12 best books of 2008 according to the Wall Street Journal's book reviewers. They refer to the author's gift of "taking a few blocks of NYC pavement and jackhammering through its social strata." That's an apt description. It's very well written and grabbed my attention even though I could not identify with any of the characters or situations -- lots of crime, profanity, drugs, all the seamier stuff of life. One of my goals this year is to read all 12 books on the WSJ list. I figured it would broaden my education. This book certainly has -- though not in ways I expected. On to the next one.