readingwithhippos's review against another edition
4.0
This book languished at the bottom of my to-read list for a long time. I feel bad about how it happened. Now that I've read it, I know that it's imaginative and entertaining and I shouldn't have delayed the experience. The problem is, I keep getting tempted by the shinier, newer books at the top of the list. I treat the bottom of my to-read list the way frat guys treat the drunk girls who are left in the bar at last call—I'll take you for a ride, but only because it's too late at night to find something fresh and pretty.
Once I brought the book back to my place and got in between the covers, I realized I'd totally misjudged her. She may have had a faded-makeup, wilting-updo vibe from being trapped in my to-read list since 2012, but that was my fault, not hers. She turned out to be intelligent and absorbing, with a plot that just wouldn't quit.
Narrator Michael hasn't spoken a word since a family tragedy shattered his life when he was a child. He is sent to live with his well-meaning but clueless uncle Lito and spends some time attending a school for the deaf when it becomes clear that his speech isn't returning. Eventually, he is sent to a regular public high school, where he manages to eke out his existence by staying out of people's way—until his special talent for picking locks leads to an arrest for breaking into the house of a rival school's quarterback.
Almost before he knows it, Michael is drawn into a criminal underworld and trained as a “boxman,” a safecracker. He's also fallen in love with an artist named Amelia, but his new high-stakes job keeps getting in the way of their relationship. We know things haven't all gone according to plan for Michael because he's narrating the book from a prison cell, but we don't know how he ended up there. He tells his story out of order because he can't stand to write about the initiating incident, the event that put his whole life on this trajectory—the day his life fell apart when he was eight years old.
Michael is a fascinating character, emotional but deeply guarded. I love the way he describes cracking safes; for him, intuition and touch are more important than technique. Despite his criminal activities and unsavory associates, his feelings for Amelia are pure and resolute. Because he doesn't speak, people are constantly making false assumptions about him. It's a treat to be inside the head of a narrator who is so inscrutable to the other characters.
Bottom line: Don't be a frat guy. Treat all books with the respect they deserve.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
Once I brought the book back to my place and got in between the covers, I realized I'd totally misjudged her. She may have had a faded-makeup, wilting-updo vibe from being trapped in my to-read list since 2012, but that was my fault, not hers. She turned out to be intelligent and absorbing, with a plot that just wouldn't quit.
Narrator Michael hasn't spoken a word since a family tragedy shattered his life when he was a child. He is sent to live with his well-meaning but clueless uncle Lito and spends some time attending a school for the deaf when it becomes clear that his speech isn't returning. Eventually, he is sent to a regular public high school, where he manages to eke out his existence by staying out of people's way—until his special talent for picking locks leads to an arrest for breaking into the house of a rival school's quarterback.
Almost before he knows it, Michael is drawn into a criminal underworld and trained as a “boxman,” a safecracker. He's also fallen in love with an artist named Amelia, but his new high-stakes job keeps getting in the way of their relationship. We know things haven't all gone according to plan for Michael because he's narrating the book from a prison cell, but we don't know how he ended up there. He tells his story out of order because he can't stand to write about the initiating incident, the event that put his whole life on this trajectory—the day his life fell apart when he was eight years old.
Michael is a fascinating character, emotional but deeply guarded. I love the way he describes cracking safes; for him, intuition and touch are more important than technique. Despite his criminal activities and unsavory associates, his feelings for Amelia are pure and resolute. Because he doesn't speak, people are constantly making false assumptions about him. It's a treat to be inside the head of a narrator who is so inscrutable to the other characters.
Bottom line: Don't be a frat guy. Treat all books with the respect they deserve.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
cdeane61's review against another edition
4.0
Good solid read. Well written, well crafted tale, with a slightly unconventional back and forth timeline, that for me seemed to work just fine.
I found the details of the various story lines to be believable - from the trauma suffered at the age of 9 (slowly revealed throughout the story) to the present situation on the wrong side of the law, and how that came about.
I suppose in some ways it could even be considered a coming-of-age story.
Kept me reading, and will be looking up other books by this author.
I found the details of the various story lines to be believable - from the trauma suffered at the age of 9 (slowly revealed throughout the story) to the present situation on the wrong side of the law, and how that came about.
I suppose in some ways it could even be considered a coming-of-age story.
Kept me reading, and will be looking up other books by this author.
spartanjess's review
4.0
I had this book parked on my bookshelf but I’m glad I pulled it out. The main character in the book, Michael, experienced trauma as a child and hasn’t spoken since that incident occurred. As a mute with an uncanny talent to pick locks and crack safes, Michael becomes invaluable to the wrong people. For me this was a quick and enjoyable read. As a Michigander, I also appreciated that part of the book occurs in the Mitten State.
jennifer_in_atl's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really enjoyed this; when life pulled me away from reading, I looked forward to getting back to it.
The story jumped around in time, and it would have been confusing if the chapters and pages hadn't been clearly labeled with the month and year so you always knew where you were in time.
The main character was interesting and likeable. There was a bit of mystery about his past that the story slowly uncovered. But he wasn't quite compelling enough to make me want to read another book with him as the main character (not that there are any, as far as I know).
The story jumped around in time, and it would have been confusing if the chapters and pages hadn't been clearly labeled with the month and year so you always knew where you were in time.
The main character was interesting and likeable. There was a bit of mystery about his past that the story slowly uncovered. But he wasn't quite compelling enough to make me want to read another book with him as the main character (not that there are any, as far as I know).
reindeerbandit's review against another edition
4.0
not quite as thrilling as one would hope from a thriller, but a decent enough story line and an interesting timeline of telling.
thisotherbookaccount's review against another edition
2.0
I'm sorry, but did Steve Hamilton forget to write a third act? Or a climax? The Lock Artist is a countdown clock at New Year's Eve that gets stuck at 3 and never goes to 0. Also, is Hamilton 12 years old? Because the love story is straight out of a child's fantasy. It's 2017. Manic pixie dream girls are so 2001.
rmichno's review against another edition
4.0
Compelling story and good writing. Main character was like ago but sometimes frustrating in his decisions. Ending was a bit forced, though.
sde's review against another edition
4.0
Very fast-paced, engrossing book. It is filed in the mystery section of my library, but it is more of a crime novel than a mystery. The 17 year old narrator is captivating. He cannot speak due to a childhood trauma which slowly unveils itself as the book moves on. He is a somewhat unwitting victim who gets caught up in organized crime, but he also accepts his own culpability and knows he could have turned away at several points.
The story goes back forth between two time periods about a year apart. I usually find skipping around in time distracting or confusing, but in this case it worked - and each chapter is clearly labelled as to where and when it takes place.
Although there is a fair bit of violence in this story, it is not dwelt upon. The author puts in the violence that is needed to tell his tale, but he does not put in a lot of gory detail. I really appreciated that, and it shows that he is a talented author that can really tell a story without relying on sensationalism.
The story points out how every seemingly minor decision a person makes can have an effect on his or her entire life, so be mindful every day of what you do.
The story goes back forth between two time periods about a year apart. I usually find skipping around in time distracting or confusing, but in this case it worked - and each chapter is clearly labelled as to where and when it takes place.
Although there is a fair bit of violence in this story, it is not dwelt upon. The author puts in the violence that is needed to tell his tale, but he does not put in a lot of gory detail. I really appreciated that, and it shows that he is a talented author that can really tell a story without relying on sensationalism.
The story points out how every seemingly minor decision a person makes can have an effect on his or her entire life, so be mindful every day of what you do.